Bullish Pursuits

Euro pop star David Bisbal stays true to his Spanish roots.

By Sebastian del Marmol; Photography by Dania Graibe

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David inspires Marta to create a cycling routine for our Top Trainer section - check it out here!



In case you missed it, Spain is currently undergoing its own Golden Age of Sport. Rafael Nadal is at the top of the tennis world, the national soccer team won the last European Cup, the country holds the Davis Cup and Alberto Contador recently won his second Tour de France. All of this is hardly lost on Spanish recording star David Bisbal. How could it be? His ties to sport are equal parts national identity and genetic inheritance. David’s father was a professional boxer, and even though David chose a mic instead of boxing gloves, his admiration for everything athletic has been in his blood from very early on. “I’ve always loved sports. As a kid I could play soccer for six straight hours in my neighborhood. But it wasn’t until my teenage years that I found my true athletic calling—cycling,” he says.

“I used to ride my bike to school right around the time [Spanish cycling legend] Miguel Indurain won five straight Tour de Frances [1991-1995]. He brought a lot of youngsters to the sport of cycling, and I was among them.” David raced competitively for two years before he realized he had to devote all his time to the music profession. Still, the biking bug stayed with him, and he’s now traded road racing for mountain biking. “I like to push myself when I’m on my bike. Cycling is very demanding, but it rewards me with energy and strength for my concerts,” he says. And that’s no small thing. His epic tours (over 100 concerts per album) usually take every ounce of energy he has.

Getting tight for touring: Do it like David
Okay, maybe you won’t be on a mammoth musical tour in front of millions of adoring fans anytime soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t cull some tips from David’s keys to touring success. Here are three things David does to stay fit and sharp while on tour:

1. Make some exercise part of your everyday routine. David and his crew of managers and concert technicians play soccer while on the road. “Even though I’m the boss, they are not afraid to kick me,” he says. “They know I have insurance.”

2. When on tour, David has a tendency to lose body weight. As a result he eats lots of pasta to keep the carbs up, and makes sure to keep hydrated during and between performances. “During wardrobe changes in concert I always have bananas and a sports drink.”

3. Keeping mentally focused can be difficult with throngs of fans giving you an adrenaline rush. That’s why David cools down with alone time in hotels. He’ll put on some easy listening music and drink chamomile tea before hitting the sack.

Read David’s refreshingly candid take on his prospects of being successful in America in the November/December 2009 issue of SOBeFiT Magazine.

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