admin SAG-AFTRA members are currently on strike; as part of the strike, union actors are not promoting their film and TV projects. This interview was conducted prior to the strike.
Kevin Hart takes touring as a stand-up comic extremely seriously. “You’ve got to understand that I’ve been doing this 20-plus years, so at this point, it’s a well-oiled machine,” he told GQ. What does that mean? Packing big venues, of course, but also maintaining discipline when it comes to how he takes care of himself (by eating clean and mostly skipping the nightlife) and his team (with a nightly feast).
He spoke with GQ after the New York stop in his most recent “Reality Check” stand up tour about his new tequila brand, Gran Coramino, his workouts, and his “flexitarian” diet.
GQ: What do you eat?
Kevin Hart: I wish I could give you a fascinating food story attached with a trajectory of better foods throughout—but I’m really simple. I eat between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.—sometimes that’ll float from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
I have oatmeal for breakfast, some fruit, and maybe berries or strawberries in it. And a little bit of brown sugar. That’s sometimes switched for egg whites and avocado toast.
For lunch, it’s pretty simple: chicken caesar salad or kale caesar salad. For protein, there is chicken, or if I’m on a plant-based kick it’s plant-based meat or within the kale I’ll do fruit or walnuts or something like that.
For dinner, it’s normally brown rice, broccoli, a chicken breast—or if it’s a swap I’ll go with something I can substitute as a protein. I also do cauliflower, brussels sprouts—any type of vegetable. I’m heavy heavy heavy in the space of vegetables.
Do you go on vegetarian kicks pretty often?
I do a week on and a week off. Or I’ll go a month on and a month off. I think they call it a flexitarian, if that’s the proper word for it.
I guess I can throw in my superfood—I’m a protein shake guy. It substitutes as a meal replacement. I have it at 5 a.m., it’s called the One, and that’s a plant-based superfood protein by Vitahustle. I do two to two and half scoops in about 8-ounces of water.
What are you doing in the gym?
It depends on the day. You got seven days in the week so that seven days breaks down into attacking the body differently. Everything from arms to back to chest to core to full body—we do cardio throughout as well. We mix it up with things like HIIT workouts and just kind of keeping yourself on your toes and mixing it up as much as you can.
How long does it take every day?
An hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes.
Is it just you or do you have a trainer with you?
Myself, my trainer, and it depends on the group of guys. The guys that travel with me are my very, very close companions, so it’ll be my trainer and at least two others. I’d say a group of four when I’m in town and at my house. When I’m on the road, maybe it’s a group of three. But we work out as a group.
