LOOKING SHARP
ESPN star Shannon Sharpe opens up on ‘evil’ workout secrets as ripped NFL Hall of Famer in ‘best shape of his life’
Sharpe also revealed the diet that fuels his regime
ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe is in the shape of his life despite hanging up his cleats in 2003.
The three-time Super Bowl champion, 56, knows exactly what it takes to reach the very top.
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So when he shares his workout secrets, it is worth paying attention.
Sharpe follows a strict regimen of diet and exercise around his filming schedule.
And his secret weapon is an exercise even the Hall of Famer dreads - burpees.
“To get down on the ground and get yourself up for an extended period of time at 245 lbs… that takes a lot,” Sharpe told Men's Health.
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“When you see those CrossFit guys, none of them weigh 245, I can assure you of that.
"I hate doing them, but it’s also a necessary evil to what I want to accomplish.”
Sharpe's day usually begins just after 3am.
He still exercises three to four days a week, including a mixture of free weights, bench, incline, dumbbells, kettlebells, row machine, and exercise bikes.
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"As an athlete, I had conditioned myself to stay on a strict schedule, whether that’s for work or even finding just a few minutes to relax. So I kept that," he told GQ.
"I still give 100% to everything I do, from being on air... to working hard in the gym.
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"I’m about quality of life, not quantity of life.
"When I'm done with this exercise, I'm not gonna say, 'Man I wish I could have done five more reps, or I could've done this.
"If you can do that, you didn't work hard enough. You should empty the tank.
"You should feel like you ate your lungs, your heart is just pounding through your chest."
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Sharpe's breakfast consists of egg whites, oatmeal, water, and fruit.
A typical lunch would be halibut with collard greens and black-eyed peas.
Barbeque chicken salad with brown rice over arugula is an evening staple.
Sharpe has opened up about his painful split from Skip Bayless that ended the Skip and Shannon era of the Undisputed show.
The three-time Super Bowl champion co-hosted the FS1 show for seven years before he left the network to join ESPN in 2023.
In an appearance, on Cam Newton's Funky Friday podcast, Sharpe confirmed that the December 2022 on-air clash with Bayless, 72, was the final straw.
Shannon Sharpe's playing career
Shannon Sharpe was a three-time Super Bowl champion before his heavyweight media career.
The former tight end played in the NFL from 1990 until 2003 - mostly with the Denver Broncos.
He was part of the Super Bowl championship teams in 1998 and 1999 as well as the Baltimore Ravens' title-winning team in 2001.
Sharpe was an eight-time Pro Bowler and voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He finished with 10,060 career receiving yards from 815 receptions with 62 touchdowns.
The ex-NFL star has had just as strong a career on television screens since retiring.
During that show, the two Undisputed hosts butted heads over Tom Brady's form during his last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Skip eventually launched a personal attack on the NFL icon, who criticized Brady.
The veteran sportscaster said that the legendary quarterback was better than Sharpe while suggesting his on-air partner was jealous.
"If somebody else had said what Skip said, I wouldn’t have batted an eye," the retired tight end said.
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"But we’re supposed to be teammates. And I think that’s what hurt me more than anything.