The way Lewis Brice is “Seein’ Things” these days, music seems to have been the right career choice all along.
From once performing for his high school classmates more than 20 years ago to playing for audiences across North America—and even sharing the stage with his Grammy-nominated brother—country music has proved a natural fit for the South Carolina-born artist. His songs, including 2018’s “Blessed,” and his 2023 hit “Product Of,” along with his just-released track, “Seein’ Things,” are evidence he chose correctly.
But before guitar-playing became more than a weekend side pursuit, Brice says he almost chose a different professional path. With a family history of back problems, the former high school athlete thought seriously about becoming a chiropractor. He visited a chiropractic school and at the time pictured himself being the health care helping hand for family members and athletes suffering from back pain. However, when the program’s requirements changed, his interest waned as well.
“I went and checked out the campus, and I thought it was really cool—I could totally do this,” he says. “But as soon as I got back, they said they’d switched the curriculum to a four-year degree. And I was like, ‘I don’t know if I got that in me.’ I’d been playing my guitar and writing some songs anyway, so I’m going to Nashville and see what happens. And hey, some years later, here we are.”
Looking back, Brice’s success suggests the move to Nashville paid off. His 2020 song “It’s You” has surpassed 16 million streams, and his soulful vocals and fit-fueled performances have helped him build an organic following. After moving to Nashville in 2006, he gained national attention with a top-eight finish on CMT’s Can You Duet in 2008, then appeared in the music video for his brother Lee Brice’s hit “I Drive Your Truck.”
Nearly two decades after that reality-show appearance, Brice says his approach to music—and his commitment to fitness—has matured. Like many people in their 20s, he felt he could push through anything, and health wasn’t a major concern. He spent time writing in Nashville, then headed to Key West for a combination of shows and sunshine.
“Back then, my health was just fine. I could just run through things. My body was a different beast,” he says.
Now 43, married and a father to a 2-year-old daughter, Brice says he’s in better shape than he was two decades ago. He’s scaled back on alcohol and keeps a regular workout routine that helps him prepare for both songwriting and fatherhood. His routine of weights, boxing and some light running also clears his mind—and sometimes sparks songwriting ideas.
“When I’m getting to work out to start my day, I’ve already got all my thoughts out, and I can have a clear head,” he says.
From Football Field to First Standing Ovation
Brice’s introduction to training came the same way as most guys growing up: in the high school weightroom. Growing up in football-crazed South Carolina, and having an older brother Lee at Clemson as a walk-on, Brice naturally gravitated toward sports. “Football was just ingrained in me,” he says. “I loved football growing up.”
And at 6’2”, 175 pounds, Brice admits to being an undersized offensive lineman. But his lanky frame lacked sizewise, he made up for in strength and tenacity. “The guys beside me were, like, 250, 230, 250, and one was 330,” he says. “But I could still whoop them all.”
During the spring season, Brice gave baseball a shot, but after clashing with his coach, he gave up the sport after discovering a new skill: golf. “My golf coach poached me,” he says. “I started playing golf one day, and he asked me, ‘Do you really want to run laps all day after school, or do you want to play golf every day after school?’ I was like, ‘I wanna play golf.’ And I was pretty decent at golf.”
While sports were a key part of his development, music gradually found its way in, making him a more well-rounded student-athlete. Brice grew up in a musical family: his mother and her sisters sang, while his father performed in a quartet and church choir. He began playing guitar, and in high school, asked his English teacher if he could write a song for an assignment and perform it for the class.“ I played a song I wrote in front of my English class in high school. I definitely got a standing ovation. All right, well, this is pretty fun, so I might want to keep doing this.”
Sleeping More, Drinking Less, Then Bringing It Onstage
Now sounding like an entertainment elder statesman, Brice says he has become wiser since turning 40, especially when it comes to how he treats his body.
“When I was younger, I definitely drank a little more than I do now,” he says. “These days, I try to be a little more professional. I don’t need a sloppy me onstage.”
Like other artists who’ve made the shift for a fitter lifestyle post-40, gone are the late post-show afterparties of his younger, more reckless days. What’s in? Boring but effective rest and recovery.
“We’ve already done it—the band and I have had some fun,” he says. “And so we kind of like our sleep a little more these days.”
That shift has paid off for the artist, who turns 44 at the end of October. Going to bed earlier helps Brice get out of bed before the rest of the family, get to the gym around 6 a.m. and return by 8, leaving time with his family before 11 a.m. songwriting sessions begin. He tries to work out a minimum of three or four days a week. When he can’t make it to the gym, hitting the heavy bag for a few rounds in his garage becomes a workout for Brice.
“I found out that if I don’t get up before they get up, I’m just not gonna be able to get it in,” he says. “I kind of left myself with no excuses. If I miss something, it’s on me.”
With added responsibilities, fitness has also become his personal mood modulator. Miss a few days, and his family can see the effects.
“The gym is definitely a saving grace for me,” he says. “My wife could tell if I don’t go to the gym in like three or four days. I get a little more testy if I ain’t been to the gym.”
It also helps him keep up not only with his little girl, but also the younger artists looking to bump him off the stage. Brice says that isn’t happening anytime soon.
“I’m not a young chicken anymore,” he says, “but I can roll with the best of them onstage.”
Lewis Brice Never Skips Leg Day—or His Pre-Show Run
Brice may have given up base-running for the putting greens during high school, but the benefits of a short run still hold a spot in the singer’s training plan.
These days, a one- to two-mile run on a treadmill or around the neighborhood serves as a warm-up before performances. It seems to be working.
“I have a pretty high-energy show, so I’ve got to keep my cardio up, just so I can breathe onstage,” he says. “I’ll get on a treadmill or something, run about a mile and a half, two miles, and then that’s when I go.”
The pre-show cardio is part of Brice’s broader focus on training his lower body. Because of his family’s history of hernias, he tries to avoid heavy squats and instead relies on lunges and other exercises to build strength—and at the same time avoid feeling self-conscious about his legs.
“I don’t skip leg day,” he says. “I’ll do lunges all day long, leg presses, curls, extensions and calf raises. I do not want to have chicken legs.”
He’s also found another benefit to his lower-body routine: Brice says leg training helps him build a stronger, leaner midsection.
“I like doing leg day because that helps with my abs a lot and even my little love handles,” he says. “You use so much energy with your legs, I feel like it just sucks all the bad stuff down in my legs.”
Brice doesn’t neglect his upper body, either. He says as much as stamina matters onstage, so does appearance. “Stage-wise, what looks good, you gotta keep your arms kind of right there.”
Because of his lower-back issues, Brice makes sure to get in some type of core work, anything from crunches to leg raises. This he feels allows him to perform longer and with more stamina.
“I’m a big core person. I love keeping my core tight,” he says. “I’ve always had kind of a bad lower back, and I’ve always heard that if you keep your abs strong, your back won’t hurt as bad.”
After workouts, Brice alternates between the sauna and steam room, with a brief dip in the pool between sessions for quick jolt. “I do 10 in the sauna and 10 in the steam room,” he says. “The cold water shocks your body a little bit.”
View this post on Instagram
Finding the Perfect Recipe for Staying Fit for the Long Haul
Brice says his years of training have paid off. “I see pictures of me now onstage compared to when I was in my 20s, and I’m like, ‘Dude, I look way better now.’”
His core work is showing, too. At 43, he says he’s still close to having a six-pack.
“Most dudes, if you can get one, I’ve always loved to have, like, somewhat of a six-pack. And so, still sitting at 43, I’m pretty close to one.”
As the saying goes, abs are made in the kitchen. Brice and his wife try to eat well at home and set a good example for their daughter, though he admits he’s still working on one temptation: late-night sweets.
“The hardest part for me is my sweets at night. It’s hard to give up. … I’m a big cookies-and-milk kind of guy. The next morning, I can just see it sitting right there.”
For the most part, the family cooks at home, and Brice has become a fan of the air fryer. His go-to meals include steak and asparagus, grilled chicken and vegetables. Pasta sometimes makes the menu for his wife, though Brice says he sticks mostly to the protein.
“We generally have some grilled chicken, green beans. Every once in a while, we’ll throw a little pasta in there, because my wife likes pasta, but I don’t eat all the noodles, so I just eat most of the protein.”
The routine seems to be serving him well. As he approaches 44, Brice says he wants to stay strong and fit for the next chapter of his life—and for the young men who may one day come calling on his baby girl
“I gotta stay in real good fighting shape at least another 20 years for all these little young rascals that are probably gonna be trying to take my daughter out on dates.”