Ed Sheeran is debuting a noticeably leaner physique, revealing visible abs, a defined chest and muscular arms after years of presenting himself as indifferent to fitness aesthetics.
The 34-year-old says he lost 31 pounds (14kg) over roughly five years after cutting fast food and committing to regular training following the birth of his daughters. His routine now reportedly includes weights, reformer Pilates, running and tighter control over diet and recovery.
Sheeran frames the shift as practical rather than image-driven.
“[Fitness] just sort of became something that really added to my life,”
he told men’s health.
“I think, underneath it all, I am a pizza-eating, ***-guzzling smoker, but that’s just not my reality as a parent in my thirties. I think that you have to make good decisions.”
The turning point, according to Sheeran, came shortly after becoming a father in 2020.
“I became a dad. I remember Lyra was two weeks old and I had my best mate round and we had a bottle of ***. I went to bed, then Lyra woke up 20 minutes after I’d fallen asleep,”
he said.
“I woke up and I was like, ‘F**k, I probably shouldn’t *** if I’m going to feel this dreadful.’ I want to be able to do the night stuff.”
From there, the narrative progresses smoothly with fewer late nights, more movement and gradual consistency. Early efforts were deliberately low effort.
“I went down in my basement and I answered my emails for two hours and just plodded,”
Sheeran explained.
“In my mind I was like, that’s fine. I’m not on a treadmill, I’m not destroying myself. I’m getting to do something I’ll be doing anyway, but I’m keeping active.”
Weight training came later, after resistance rooted more in perception than effort.
“In my mind, I always thought, I don’t want to look like Arnie,”
he said, referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger.
That changed once he began training with personal trainer Ali Thomas, alongside his wife Cherry Seaborn, a former professional field hockey player. Sessions initially took place over Zoom, easing Sheeran into lifting without dramatic jumps in volume or intensity. In early 2025, coach Matt Kendrick joined the setup to maintain training and diet consistency while touring.
Sheeran also cites outside influence, including watching Stormzy prepare for performances.
“I went to play with him in 2021 and he was doing a hundred press-ups before he went on stage and I was staring at him like, ‘What the f**k is this about?’”
Reformer Pilates has since become a cornerstone, particularly while touring.
“After the show last night, the last thing I want to do today is bench press and deadlift,”
Sheeran said.
“So this is a really gentle way to still have the same level of exercise and feel like I’ve burnt calories, but I’ve also stretched.”
The approach is framed as variety over intensity.
“There are some days that I run, some days that I swim, there are some days that I will do weights. Then there are some days I will do reformer,”
he said.
Sheeran repeatedly emphasizes moderation rather than restriction, particularly around food and ***.
“I still ***. I love red ***, I love a nice meal, but it’s not every day.”
In the run-up to the photoshoot, however, training and diet reportedly tightened, including collagen-heavy mango smoothies and stricter recovery routines. Sheeran claims the payoff extends beyond aesthetics, helping him handle long, physically demanding performances.
“I wanted to feel superhuman on stage,”
he said.
What remains unstated is how much of the final result reflects timing, professional support and controlled conditions rather than simply “better choices.” Five years of gradual habit changes do not typically produce a sudden visual leap without a concentrated push at the end, especially one aligned with a public reveal.