Bubba Wallace Is “Not Afraid to Admit” the “Slow Decline” That Isolates Him From Other NASCAR Legends Like Jimmie Johnson

All elite sports require a lot of dedication, sacrifice, training, and a strict fitness regime. NASCAR is no different, as it requires drivers to always stay in prime physical condition to deal with rib-crushing G-force, lightning-fast speeds, and dozens of drivers tailgating their vehicles. However, as far as working on fitness is concerned, there is a driver who takes exception: Bubba Wallace.

Bubba Wallace is no rookie to the sport, having completed six seasons at NASCAR Cup Series. The 23XI Racing driver, however, tows a different line when it comes to keeping himself in top shape for races.

On the Extraordinary Tales With Seb Coe podcast, he was asked, “Actually, I’m gonna come at you from left field here. I’m just interested… clearly NASCAR is physically exacting, mentally it takes its toll. What kind of conditioning work do you do outside of the hours you’re at the race track? I guess that you are very fit.”

Bubba started off with “Yeah, I like to think that I am! Until you actually put me to work and show how out of shape I am but…” (laughs) He then explained his process, “I have been on the slow decline of actually working out, I’m not afraid to admit it. The biggest workout I get is when we drive and race to compete on Sunday. The muscle memory you have, just from that, it is enough for me to get by.”

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Well, we have to admit that after completing almost 180 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, Wallace must be a better judge of his body than anyone else. To each his own!

What is Bubba Wallace’s poison for fitness?

Considering the ordeal that a driver’s body ought to pass through every time they race, most drivers prefer a heavy workout. A strong core is essential to bear the rigors of racing; elite-level fitness too is necessary to excel in NASCAR.

In contrast, Bubba said, “There are some other drivers that make a daily workout routine. I just struggle feeling anything different from before the gym and after the gym. I’m just tired and I am sore now. And I’m like “If I can eliminate that, so be it. I used to be able to do the two-a-days and feel all ripped and cut and stuff, so…”

On a spectrum, while Bubba falls on one end, Jimmie Johnson falls on the opposite. From swimming and water polo in school to heavy-lifting and using a hyperbaric chamber for recovery—Jimmie has done it all. Why? Because, as Jimmie told Men’s Fitness Journal in a 2009 interview, “Before, the car would break down before the driver’s fitness level would give up. Now, the cars are so superior that the weak link is the driver in a lot of the cases.”

The 29-year-old Bubba, though, has modified his approach and follows a very simple way of prepping for a race. He elaborated, “For me I just, I’m mindful of what I eat and drink leading up to a race day and try to take care of myself. I’ll do a little bit of running, that’s if my knee doesn’t give me problems. Or I’ll jump on my mountain bike and do a little bit of that. But other than that, it’s just – take the workout as you get it.”

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As Bubba grows older, his body will require adaptation and he might need to refine his training method. All athletes have to do so at some point as they can’t be expected to be benching 200 pounds forever. A balance between what the sport requires and what their body needs has to be found. The quicker this balance is found, the better. Bubba might have found it very early which could benefit him in the long run.