Roman Alexander is a huge Elvis Presley fan, and one of his biggest tributes to the King has also become one of his most embarrassingly meaningful tattoos. It’s also become one of his favorite stories to tell.
Engraved on his forearm is the name of Elvis’ private jet, “Lisa Marie,” scripted in the same style as the plane itself. It’s a nod not only to Elvis’ daughter, but also to Alexander’s mother, whose name is also Lisa Marie—and the original inspiration for the tattoo.
However, right under that tribute sits another piece of art: a pinup girl in an Elvis-style jumpsuit. That’s when things get confusing.
“People are like, ‘Oh, who’s Lisa Marie?’” he says. “And they see the name, and then right under it they see the pinup girl. And I said, ‘Oh, it’s my mom.’ So they think this pinup girl on my arm with a big booty is my mom.”
The placement mistake has become a walking icebreaker everywhere the singer goes.
“I’ve come up with a million excuses as to why I got this tattoo and what it represents,” he admits about the “other woman” on his arm. “It just comes down to, I just wanted it.”
You can check out the entire Roman Alexander interview—as well as every other episode of the Country Muscle Podcast—on the Country Muscle YouTube Channel.
5 Takeaways from the Roman Alexander ‘Country Muscle Podcast’ Appearance
- Cardio Is Roman Alexander’s Performance Engine, On Stage and Off: Conditioning has become the fitness layer that allows the “Way Over You” artist to sing stronger and still have energy once the curtain comes down. Trial and error has taught him that cardio can be as easy as steep treadmill walk or a long stair session. “Anything cardio related, I used to just think you had to run, and that that’s not true,” he says. “Sometimes the stair stepper for 45 minutes or just, or just walking on the treadmill—12% incline, 3.5 mph—for 30 minutes to an hour. That’ll work.”
- Eating for Fuel Comes Before Eating for Fun: These days, Roman now looks at each meal from a performance point of view and less like a gourmet reward. Sure, he’ll indulge in a beer, prime rib, and mashed potatoes spread on college football gameday, but for the other six days of the week he lets his performance needs dictate his food prep. “For the most part, I eat for fuel,” he says. “I won’t eat until about two o’clock in the afternoon. It’s something kind of healthy—and boring.”
- Peptides and TRT Are His Second Chance at Feeling Right: Alexander says he’s become a diligent student when it comes to hormones and recovery. His goals have switched from packing on size to now using medically guided testosterone and peptides to feel normal, perform better, and keep up with rugby. “I’m really big about peptides,” he says. “That’s that’s made a world of difference, just on how I feel, and in my endurance.”
- He Trains for Strength He Can Actually Use: Roman has always trained hard but has moved past using the weightroom for simply getting huge—at any cost. He now programs his workouts around being able to last an entire show, a rugby match, or a long studio day. “I’ve switched my workouts to more cardio, like HIIT training and trying to focus on strength rather than size,” he says. “That’s that’s made a world of difference, just on how I feel, and in my endurance.”
- Rugby and Racing Forced Him Into Real-World Conditioning: When not in the recording studio, Alexander chooses the rugby as one of his favorite athletic activities. “I still play with Nashville when I can,” he says. “It’s great conditioning. It’s definitely a good workout, but not very good for the facial structure.”