Dan Reynolds takes the gym seriously. His six-day-a-week training schedule powers his high-energy performances as frontman of Imagine Dragons, with Olympic lifts forming the backbone of his workouts. But for the 38-year-old, training does far more than prepare him for the stage – it supports his mental health and helps him manage two autoimmune diseases.
‘I started working out for a lot of reasons. One for music – Imagine Dragons is a very expressive show. I’m running across the stage while trying to breathe and sing at the same time. If I’m out of shape, if I’m not keeping up with my cardio, I really suffer on stage,’ Reynolds told Men’s Health US. ‘Also, just mental health. I’ve dealt with depression for many years, and when I was younger, a therapist recommended exercising every day. It’s been life-changing for me.’
Training like an Olympic lifter
When Reynolds goes to the gym, he says his sessions typically last around an hour. During that time he is dedicated. He pushes himself to the maximum every time, working with his trainer, Brad Freinberg, to yield the best results possible. And, after over more than a decade of training, Reynolds reveals he’s found great benefit in Olympic lifting.
‘I do cleans, I do deadlifts, I do clean and jerks. I work those into the week to really make me explosive on stage, which is very important for me to be light on my feet and fast twitch. So, Olympic lifting has been a really important part of my routine.’
Why Stretching Is Essential
During his sessions he also likes to include functional circuits that raise his heart rate and challenge his muscles. Stretching is key, too, to help manage one of his autoimmune diseases, ankylosing spondylitis (AS). AS is an inflammatory condition that affects the spine, pelvis, and digestive tract. Untreated, it can lead to vision loss, fusion of the vertebrae, and cardiovascular disease.
‘My bones can fuse and this happens because my body attacks my joints. I have a lot of pain in my hips and the best way to protect myself from that is to eat really clean and healthy,’ Reynolds said. ‘I do a standard anti-inflammatory diet and then also to strengthen all my hinge movements. Stretching has been probably the most important part of my life. If you see me on stage, I will stretch probably five times during the set. In-between songs, I’m touching my toes, always stretching, trying to get blood moving through my body.’
Dan Reynolds' Full-Body Workout
As part of Reynolds’ workouts, he starts with one Olympic-style lift. On this occasion, he starts by power cleaning a barbell from the floor onto his shoulders, then completing one set of heavy front squats. The weight is gradually reduced over the next three sets, while the reps are increased.
After that, he jumps into the circuit. Reynolds works through each round as part of a descending ladder: so, the first round is 10 reps, the second round is 9, and so on. He then finishes with some stretching and mobility work, to keep his joints healthy.
