Baard Kolstad is the drummer of Leprous.
He is an absolutely INSANE drummer.
He’+s also funny, honest, humble and accidentally jacked… or is he?!
Behind the scenes, Baard is also deeply committed to movement, consistency, and staying functional as a touring musician.
In this Gym Rock Crew Interview, Baard breaks down how he trains, why he barely runs, how drumming became his cardio, and why showing up beats perfect programming.
I only run once a year.
Baard doesn’t do traditional cardio.
Instead, he tests his fitness once per year by seeing how far he can run.
Last year: 15km.
This year goal: 20km.
The rest of the year?
Drumming… A lot of it.
He explains why playing drums at his intensity level functions as cardio and why he doesn’t feel the need to add endless running.
I never sit still
Baard jokes that his zero body fat is basically ADHD.
He’s always moving, shaking his foot. Always in motion.
That constant movement, combined with intense drumming and regular training, adds up fast.
His Training Routine
In this interview, Baard shares the exercises he gravitates towards.
He does both bodyweight and added weight.
And he admits…
He didn’t truly understand the value of proper training until about a year and a half ago.
Sometimes 40% is better than zero.
Baard goes through the strategy of his workouts, starting with the hardest lifts.
But he’s very clear that not every workout needs to be perfect or 100%.
What matters is not disappearing for weeks.
Consistency is his favorite word.
He talks about how he adjusts his 3-day split based on time, energy and gym quality.
Staying fit on tour
His workouts become more random on tour.
There are differences between training in US, Europe & Latin America.
Baard prefers training in the morning.
He avoids training certain body parts on show day.
I try not to think too much about food
Baard uses minimal supplements.
He would rather eat food than obsess.
In this interview, he shares the foods he commonly eats (and it’s clearly why he’s shredded).
He doesn’t have a strict diet or count calories.
Baard also has a massive sweet tooth and shares what he eats a lot of!
Never injured or sick on stage
Baard has never had a flu, a headache or been injured on stage… which is CRAZY to me considering the intensity of his playing.
He credits good technique, posture behind the kit, and taking care of his body.
He showed us a little sample of what that looks like.
Dealing with ADHD
Baard openly talks about modern distraction.
Short attention spans, phones and endless scrolling have made it difficult to stay focused.
One simple habit that helped him is going for a 15-minute walk in the morning before looking at the phone.
Alcohol and nicotine
Baard does not drink before or during shows.
He may have beer or wine occasionally.
But his performance always comes first.
He used to use Swedish snus (nicotine pouches) constantly but he quit cold turkey.
He talks about addiction and his feelings around it.
This conversation with Baard goes beyond shredded.
We talk about the habits, mindset and routines that Baard embraces to build a body that lets you tour, play, and create for decades.
Click here to watch the full interview
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