UrbanUpdate

Trillion-pack abs and a salt-and-pepper beard might seem to make Adrian Williams the kind of guy that you love to hate. But talk to the native New Yorker for just a few seconds and you'll see why he's been such a hit with Peloton's subscribers. The 37-year-old starting his tenure at the company in 2020 during the early days of pandemic, and he's established himself as a go-to treadmill and strength instructor, especially for early risers.

(Related: a redesigned model of Peloton's treadmill is going back on sale next week after a pause due to safety issues and recalls.)

GQ caught up with Williams to learn more about his workout routine and go-to diet, which includes a lot of fish, waking up not long after 4 a.m., and the occasional fried chicken sandwich.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: You usually teach early, right?

Adrian Williams: Yeah—so my days start early. I’m up at 4:15, then I drink a glass of water, take a tablespoon of fish oil, and drink a cup of organic beet juice. Before I teach, I’ll also have a piece of toast with peanut butter, a banana, or all three together. I only drink Blue Bottle Coffe—it sounds bougie, I know. I buy the cans out and then mix it myself at home with oat milk. Then I go to work. I have more water before I teach, but ultimately I don’t really like to eat much before then.

So you have quasi-breakfast, then you have real breakfast?

Yeah. I like dinner for breakfast. I'll come home after teaching three or four classes and I’ll have a piece of salmon, eggs, rice, with some sort of cold veggies. This could be a mixed salad, which could be super simple tomatoes and spinach. I'm also obsessed with olives. Maybe charred broccoli that I've made previously from the night before. That keeps me full while I work, and then I can focus on the task at hand.

So the “dinner for breakfast” mindset is so that you can perform better during your day?

Oh definitely. Dinner for breakfast keeps me full. If I eat a traditional American breakfast, I’m ravenous. I started doing dinner for breakfast when I went to Japan a few years ago, when I was basically eating fish and rice and things that here in America traditionally would eat at night. This way, I’m not distracted while I'm trying to work.

What’s for lunch?

Usually a salad with tomatoes, nuts, shaved cheddar—tofu sometimes if I’m craving something more dense. Other times it can be super simple with just cucumbers, tomatoes, and spinach. After lunch I snack a ton. Mostly a lot of mixed nuts, dark chocolate covered cashews are my thing. I’m obsessed with plantain chips. I also snack on fruit, including cherries, pineapples, and watermelon.

Dinner?

It’s almost always fish. I jump between sea bass and salmon a lot. If it's not sea bass and salmon, it's usually like a rack of lamb. I’ll eat these with a starch, like potatoes. If not potatoes, then I eat a lot of rice and greens, I like asparagus. I still snack before I usually go to sleep because I'm constantly hungry. And if I don't teach the next day and it's early, I'll definitely have a glass of wine or beer. 

So basically what we hear is that you’re crazy disciplined in what you eat during the day.

A lot of people think that based on how I look I’m just obscenely controlled. I would say it’s more that I grew up in a home with really good eating habits. My mom didn't really cook red meat. We ate a lot of fish. You couldn't have your actual meal until you had your salad first. You had to finish your meal, and then you could have something to drink. I grew up with all these strict rules. Then, when I became an adult, it was very easy for me to make good choices. Sure, my choices are healthy, but they make me feel my best.

You have to deviate from time to time, though, right?

Oh yeah. As someone who's an athlete, I know when I eat certain types of food, it makes me feel groggy and heavy. So I tried to avoid them as much as I can, but that doesn’t mean that I won't eat them. If I go out and there’s a fried chicken sandwich on the menu or a burger or pizza, I'll have all these things. I never say no to any food ever.

Does what you eat change if you’re teaching more classes or doing more workouts?

Nah, it’s always the same. Ultimately, I constantly need to feed myself. Which is why I’m always snacking. Once you learn about nutrient density, you understand what your body needs to be energized, feel full, and good. I try to think of nutrients versus calories, and I won’t count calories.

What's your training look like outside of your Peloton training?

My training right now is three times a week heavy weight lifting. I do a five-by-five program. It’s pretty basic: push, pull, hinge. So I'll do deadlifts, squats, bench and overhead. One day a week I'll do either a distance run or a track situation, like a bunch of hundreds on repeat. And then, as you mentioned, there’s the teaching. Usually I’ll teach 12 classes each week.

How do you fill your cup up so you can better show up at work?

I spend a lot of time without my phone. Social media can be really draining. You're giving constant energy to people that you’re not having face-to-face contact with. If I showed you my phone right now, it's disgusting. I get like hundreds of notifications and text messages. So I always say to my friends and family, if you need me? Call. If it's an emergency? Call. I don't want to be spending my days looking at my phone. I also love spending time with my camera, and I love to get on my bike. I'll bike to Central Park. I’ll take photos. Photography is my meditation.

So are you saying the secret to your 8-pack abs is fish and veggies?

[laughs] The first secret really is patience. I've been in athletics since I was a child. At 37, my body's conditioned to do this. I think a lot of people who are falling into it aren't patient and they want results right away. Newbie gains are a thing, but your body will start to adapt after a year. A year sounds like a long time, but in the scheme of things, it really isn’t.

I would also say that the secret to a great body is to avoid seasonal training. I used to have clients all the time, who would tell me “I’m going to the Hamptons. I need to get in shape.” Then they let it all flow away as the year goes on. After the holidays, they come back, basically these individuals are trying to live in the extremes. You have to find balance.

Lastly, think about what you put into your body not in terms of a diet but rather a lifestyle. You are the healthiest version of yourself when you focus on how you feel first and then how you look. How you feel is so much more important than how you look.

Read MoreThe Real-Life Diet of Henry Cavill, Who Is Happy to Eat the Same Thing Every Day 

That Superman physique runs on loads of protein supplements and pre-workout—and 4 a.m. physical therapy.  

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