Henry Rollins, the intense and imposing frontman known for his work with Black Flag and The Rollins Band, wasn't always the picture of strength and intensity. His transformation from a bullied, insecure teenager to a figure of physical and mental fortitude is a testament to the power of discipline, hard work, and a commitment to self-improvement. This article explores the diet, workout, and mindset that shaped Henry Rollins into the icon he is today.
The Early Years: Humiliation and Rage
Rollins's early life was marked by fear and humiliation. He was terrible at sports and schoolwork, leading to constant bullying and ridicule. Teachers even went so far as to call him "garbage can," a label that reflected his feelings of self-pity and rage. This experience is relatable to many who found school a hostile environment, a stark contrast to the idealized version of a safe haven. Instead of friendly mentors, Rollins faced tormentors in the hallways and indifferent educators.
At lunch time, it was often the best bet to sit at the freak table, or the loser table. Sometimes adjacent to the stoner table, the kind of smart but drug addled kids who think Rush is the best band in the world. On the inverse, these are actually the cool kids. The ones you’d want to have your back during a black swan event, because freaks have fucking skills and know how to get shit done. But that doesn’t make it any easier being part of the underclass.
The skill set of the freaks tended towards the intellectual and artistic domains. To be open to the beauty of the natural world, to alternative types of music, and to a poetic way of looking at the world requires a certain degree of sensitivity. That sensitivity, sensed and picked up on by jock meatheads who interpret it as a threat, tend to lash out. By the same token, the sensitive typed attuned to abstract intellectual thinking, and inner worlds of poetic fancy, would do well to balance out their life by taking up activities that keep them in touch with their physical body. We are made of meat and bone, muscle and mineral, and our physical presence can be cultivated. Besides the many benefits to mental clarity and to living an embodied life, remaining in touch with our physical sides also gives the down home punk a chance to fight back and defend themselves when threatened with physical violence.
The Turning Point: Mr. Pepperman's Intervention
The hand of fate touched Henry Rollins when the path of his life crossed the path of teacher and Viet Nam vet named Mr. Pepperman. Rollins thought Mr. Pepperman was scary, and apparently so did the other students. Mr. Pepperman maintained a strict discipline in his classes where no one dared to talk. Once somebody did talk, that student had an example made out of him when Mr. Pepperman picked him up and held him against the wall. Just from looking at “Garbage Can” Pepperman could see that Rollins was a bonafide member of the loser club. He saw how bad off he was. At this point in his life, Rollins had little confidence, but he was not without redemption. Not without the possibility of being whipped into shape. Some hidden potential lurked underneath the wiggling spastic mass of nerves and fear.
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One day Mr. Pepperman asked Rollins if he had ever worked out with weights, and the answer was no.
As Rollins tells it, “He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn’t even drag them to my mom’s car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.”
When Monday rolled around he had to report back to Pepperman. So began Rollins high school training sequence that transformed from a nobody into the muscle bound frontman known and loved across the punk diaspora today. Part of Pepperman’s program to beef up the young punk was to hit Henry in the solar plexus at random times during the day in the hallway, when he wasn’t looking, much like the bullies had done. Pepperman’s first aim with this method was to get Rollins to a place where he could take a punch in the stomach. That required he do something practical, such as hitting the weights he’d bought and making something out of himself. Yet Pepperman gave a caveat, and one of his rules was that Rollins was not allowed to look in a mirror to check out his physique and see if his body was changing, if he was putting on muscle. He wasn’t allowed to tell anyone what the hell he was doing. He had to keep silent.
This secrecy was crucial to his success. By not telling the other kids, not even the other losers, his mind was kept free from the additional stress of their disbelief in his ability, and the ridicule they would have rained down on him for trying to get in shape. If no one knew, no one could release barbs from the tongue, and these would not damage the self respect that was forged between himself and his trainer.
Mr. Pepperman showed him ten basic exercises in the gym, and for once Rollins actually paid attention to what a teacher was telling him. He went home and practiced, knowing this was his lifeline. Every so often in the hall Mr. Pepperman would deliver a punch to gut in the hall, shocking the tudents. As the weeks passed he added in the weights to his regimen and he started gaining strength.
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Then one day out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman popped him in the chest on his way into a class, and Rollins just laughed it off. It didn’t buckle him, it didn’t cause his books to spew out on the floor like it had before. From that moment on he was hooked on lifting iron, a habit he has kept for life. A new measure of self-respect was born inside. Weightlifting continued to teach Rollins. “It wasn’t until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can’t be as bad as that workout.”
The Power of the Iron: Rollins's Lifelong Commitment to Strength Training
Rollins's dedication to weightlifting became a cornerstone of his life. He recognized that physical strength translated to mental strength. “I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind. The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.”
His philosophy extends beyond mere physical appearance. For Rollins, strength training is about self-discovery, discipline, and pushing personal limits. It's about understanding pain and using it as a catalyst for growth.
Rollins: My high school teacher Mr. Pepperman told me, “You’re skinny. I’m going to teach you how to lift weights, and you’re going to do everything I say.” So, I went to Sears and bought a sand-filled weight set. I did everything he told me to do-compound lifts, curls, and stuff like that. Eventually, I could take that weight set and throw it around the room. That was a huge deal for me because I felt such a sense of achievement.
“It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. Easy success doesn’t test our capabilities, nor does it push us to become better. To find out who we really are, we need just the right amount of challenge. This is true in the gym, but it’s also true in real life. When we screw up, more often than not it’s due to our own mistakes, not outside forces. When dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. It’s not the weight’s fault we put too much on the bar, we had bad form, or we didn’t warm up. That’s our ego. We need to slow down, and learn the lesson the Iron is teaching us. There’s no better way to stall progress than to get injured."
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Rollins's Evolving Workout Philosophy: Longevity and Mental Hardness
As Rollins has aged, his approach to fitness has evolved. While he once focused on lifting heavy, his current goal is longevity. He wants to keep his body in shape to maintain a limber mind, allowing him to continue his creative pursuits.
You recently turned 56. At this point, my goal is longevity. I want to keep my body in shape, which-hopefully-will keep my mind limber, so I can continue doing stuff five, even seven years after my “use-by date.” It’s not about lifting heavy. No. My knees left the building years ago. But on tour I still like to keep my mind hard and get my heart rate up, so I’ll get on the elliptical and stationary bike for 30 minutes each. Hours later it’s showtime, and, man, I’m not afraid of anything. I could always pull up a lot of weight, way up to the high 500s. I think my best was 565, and I did it for two. I could have done more.
He emphasizes the importance of listening to one's body and adjusting the workout accordingly.
Beyond the Physical: The Punk Body and Self-Expression
Rollins's commitment to physical health is only one aspect of his engagement with his body. Modifications to the body in the form of tattoos, piercings, and other methods have a long tradition within the punk milieu.
Rollins's Broader Philosophy: Work Ethic and the Value of Output
Henry Rollins is a fervent workaholic who has been addicted to achievement since the first time he picked up a weight. And he’s carried those lessons into all facets of his life, consistently defining and redefining himself with every new project he takes on. Best known as the lead singer of ’80s punk band Black Flag, Rollins also pens a weekly column for LA Weekly; hosts a podcast, Henry & Heidi; boasts more than 50 film credits to his name; and tours the country relaying tales of his travels and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Rollins: I’m an output machine; I like to make stuff. I don’t do it for the money or the fame or the applause; I like to get it done, to be in motion. I like to bite off more than I can chew. The first time I got enough money to pay my rent for a year in advance. I’ll always be mad I didn’t use my ticket to see Thin Lizzy open for Queen in 1976. You’ve been to more than 100 countries and all seven continents. I remember the first time I went to India. Nothing in my life prepared me for that. I saw a man on a pile of burning wood. My mind was so blown by the end of a day there that I was unable to write in my journal. I couldn’t form words. I was so mentally exhausted; all I could do was collapse into bed. If I were president, I’d be signing up young people to get passports and go work in programs outside of America. By talking about your own life, you pump people up, maybe end up inspiring them to make more of theirs. I like hearing that I helped someone get up off his ass and get over his fear, or whatever it might be that kept him from doing something amazing.
Lessons from the Iron: A Summary of Rollins's Key Principles
Rollins distills his wisdom into several key principles:
Strength is both physical and emotional: It encompasses kindness, sensitivity, and self-awareness. Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. Strength includes how we treat ourselves and how we treat others. Self-confidence is not cockiness or bravado. Those are false idols. Self-confidence means “know thyself.” Strength training teaches us who we are, and what we stand for.
The Iron never lies: It provides honest feedback and teaches valuable lessons about patience, discipline, and self-reliance. The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. Friends may come and go. The Iron taught me about patience, and learning to not lift more than I was capable of. The Iron taught me that excuses don’t help me lift the bar, or make me feel better about NOT lifting the bar. If I was stressed, or hungover, or overwhelmed…I could convince myself it was okay. The Iron taught me that strength training is both the means to the end, and the end itself. I train because I want to look good and feel good. But I also train because I enjoy challenging myself, learning what I’m capable of. I plan on strength training every other day from now until forever, including during the next apocalypse. Let your kids see you lift weights, and struggle.
Embrace the struggle: "When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. Easy success doesn’t test our capabilities, nor does it push us to become better."
For the Down Home Punk: Applying Rollins's Principles to Your Own Life
For those who follow the path of the down home punk, it is critical to have some kind of discipline around physical health and the maintenance of the body. It need not be weight training, though it is an option with a venerable pedigree. Depending on the state of ones health, simple exercises ranging from gentle to stretching to casual walking can be enough. Others may start with activities around a sport such as roller derby, or revolve around transportation such as cycling and skateboarding.
Out of high school, I was not much in touch with my own body. I dabbled in yoga and tai chi, practiced some light qi gong hear and there. Later I found pilates and stuck with that on basically weekly basis and have added in some light weight lifting and additional stretching, along with regular walks, and seasonal hiking and occasional biking excursions that basically round out my level of activity. Punk rock is about individual discovery and finding the right kinds of exercise for your particular body is very individual.
However, it is an important component in living your own life on your times. The alternative is increasing debilitation which lends itself to increasing inactivity, and deterioration of health. If health is to be maintained outside of the strictures of Big Medicine and Big Pharma, looking after the body is as imperative as is looking after the mind, emotions and spirit.