Robert Trujillo Reveals Metallica's 'Weird' Pre-Show Workout Plan

It must take a lot of endurance and focus to play lengthy metal shows, especially for a band that’s been around as long – and goes as hard – as Metallica. In a new chat with 105.7 The Point’s Lauren "Lern" Elwell, bassist Robert Trujillo explains what each member of the iconic thrash quartet does before a show to get ready for the high-octane night ahead.

During their conversation (uploaded to YouTube on Nov. 3), Elwell tells Trujillo that he’s “maybe one of the most aerobic bassists to ever exist,” leading her to ask: “Are you stretching before you’re hitting the stage? What is, like, your whole regimen?”

He responds:

So, um, before we take the stage, we all have our regimen, and it does definitely include stretching. Kirk [Hammett] is an avid yoga guy. That's what he does every day. James [Hetfield] gets the PT [physical therapy] work done. I do a bit of PT, but I also like to go to the gym, you know, even before I come to the venue and do some—well, kind of light training? A lot of it's more, um, kind of geared towards movement. Kind of rolling around on the floor, doing various drills and stuff like that.
It sounds pretty weird and strange, but it actually works really well for the type of performance we do. Lars [Ulrich] has a whole deal that takes literally, like, 75 minutes or something, and he has to stick to that. He's kind of wired that way, where it's certain things—[he’s] a bit of a creature of habit, and that's the way it is.
So, we all have our routines that we do, and it just works for us. To be in this business this long and to perform for two hours, doing what we do—especially on this [“M72 World Tour”] stage. I don't know if you've seen it, but it's crazy, it's a beast. It's involved. There's a lot of cardio involved, all this kind of stuff. You get to navigate the terrain after a while. It's one of those things that just comes with time, especially on this stage.
So, you basically cater to the needs of the performance and where you're at with yourself and the transitions and how you eat and life. Things like Jack Daniel's and, like, tequila shots and all that kind of stuff till five in the morning, you know, maybe not so much.

Afterward, Elwell rightly concludes that his “hardcore and punk background” has a lot to do with his “energy on stage.” After all, Trujillo was in Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves – among other projects – prior to joining Metallica in 2003.

You can watch the full interview below.

So, are you surprised by Metallica’s pre-show workout routine? Can you attest to the healing nature of their habitual techniques? Let us know!

In case you missed it, last month, Papa Het got his beloved nickname tattooed on the top of his right hand. Also, Metallica merch company Merch Traffic filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop bootleg merch sales at their St. Louis concert.

Speaking of Metallica shows, be sure to check out their remaining 2023 tour dates and grab tickets here.