Terry Crews realizes his bare chest is a huge asset. The former professional football player-turned-actor and host is frequently popping his pectorals in the name of entertainment, so he remains prepared with a dedicated routine. “Tuesday is my pec day, pecs and arms,” he said. “I have my day that’s specifically for my chest because it’s so special.”
He doesn’t stop there. “I do a whole Neutrogena oil on my body just to make sure because, hey, you never know when you’re going to be shirtless.”
These days, Crews, 57, serves as the host of “America’s Got Talent,” currently in its 21st season, where he hypes up contestants looking to win the approval of judges including Simon Cowell and Sofía Vergara. Crews started the gig when he was still starring as a flustered cop on the acclaimed sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” His wide-ranging career also includes a role on the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris,” a stint emceeing “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and turns in movies such as “Idiocracy” and “White Chicks.” His rendition of the Vanessa Carlton song “A Thousand Miles” in the latter is particularly memorable.
He thinks of hosting a nationally televised TV show the same way he thinks about hosting a party in the Pasadena, Calif., home he currently shares with his wife, Rebecca King-Crews, and two of their five kids. “If you come into somebody’s house and they’re showing off, you want to leave,” he said. “Hosting in a home is really about showing you a great time.”
Here, he discusses his rigorous exercise routine, going to bed at 8:30 and his favorite face-cleansing tool.
Terry Crews speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Death Note”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first thing you do after waking up?
I get up at about 5:30. It used to be earlier, but I need a little more sleep, especially after the weekend. The first thing I do is my workout. I have my clothes laid out so I can just jump in. You have to create a place where there’s no excuses.
Do you do anything before the workout?
I go downstairs, I make my shakes for the day. I have these protein shakes that I make in advance and I put all the collagen and different creatine and protein. I have my little shaker cups ready to go. It’s like a little chemistry lab.
Do you eat breakfast?
I do intermittent fasting, so I don’t actually eat meals ‘til 2:00.
How long have you been doing that?
For almost 15 years. I love it, and I eat from 2 [p.m.] to 10. I do have vitamins along with pre-workout and a lot of water. I fill up a gallon jug. I have a jug that comes with me everywhere I go. Before I go to the gym, I do a little tidying up around the kitchen. There’s a real endorphin rush that comes from me before I go to the gym making sure the kitchen is clean. Now you have set the tone for your day.
How has your workout changed over the years?
Speed and power used to be everything. It was all about being fast and powerful. This happens gradually to everyone: Speed and power loses importance and endurance gains importance. Instead of one rep maxes, it’s about how many reps you can do. Cardio is much more important than lifting because it’s about heart health and VO2 max and making sure your heart is in great condition. Now, I do lift what you would consider heavy, but it’s not heavy as if I was 25 years old. I do a lot to warm up. When [I was] young, I could fall off a roof and be fine. Now I stub my toe, I’m limping for three weeks.
How long are you in the gym?
About two hours. Definitely an hour for lifting and an hour for cardio.
Do you have any skin care or grooming routine?
I have one of those Therabody masks that I wear, usually before the workout. It’s like a nice little eight-minute skin thing. It’s got red light, blue light, the whole thing. When I do shower after the gym, there’s the coolest little thing from Manscaped. It’s a face buffer. It feels amazing. You put the soap on it and you turn it on and it just vibrates, but it’s got these little whiskers and you just buff your whole face. I wear makeup, plus with the grime and sweat. It makes sure your face is really clean.
Does your routine differ on days when you’re on camera?
No, because I’m always on camera, even social media. I shave my head everyday. I’m not really bald. When it starts coming in, it just looks weird. Listen, my wife will tell you, I have more products than she does. My side of the bathroom is full of cleansing products and different things and moisturizers and SPFs.
Is there one product that you swear by?
Kiehl’s ultra facial moisturizer. It glows, and it’s got SPF in it.
So what do you do to relax?
I get into my cold tub and I do this cold plunge. Right after that, I have a book that I usually have on audiobook and I lay in the sun and thaw out. I am totally a noodle after that. I love the feeling of the trees and the birds and I bring my little doggy. She’s a little Havanese. She watches me work out. She’s like, “Good job.”
Terry Crews and his wife, Rebecca, thank Airmen and Soldiers after they shared their experiences with sexual assault and harassment at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, May 31, 2019. The Crews’ traveled through the peninsula visiting U.S. military installations coordinated by the 8th Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention unit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ramon A. Adelan)
Your wife recently came forward with her Parkinson’s diagnosis. Has that changed your relationship to health?
She just came forward this year, but we’ve been dealing with this since 2015 and I have to say, she was feeling the symptoms in 2012. One thing I really quickly had to realize was that I have to be her caregiver. I have to be ready. The last thing she would need is for me to not take care of myself. I realized a long time ago that there are times when I have to do double. Because there’s days where she’s just too tired.
Do you have any pet peeves?
You know what a pet peeve is? A lot of parties, especially awards season. Because I stay up too late and I hate it. I go to bed early. I go to bed at 8:30. I’m envisioning my bed and party ain’t even started.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
