At 40, Ghetts is moving with intention. The veteran grime MC isn’t simply chasing gains in the gym or accolades in the studio, his focus now is much broader discipline, clarity, and longevity. This is a man who has evolved beyond his former self, and the transformation is as much internal as it is physical.
“I used to feel immortal,” he says, casting his mind back to his twenties. “I was relying on a fast metabolism. At that age, you just cheat the system. You’re not really thinking about health.”
But that perspective shifted, and with it came a new appreciation for routine. Now, training is part of his identity. He works out six days a week with methodical structure. Legs on Monday, chest on Tuesday, back on Wednesday, shoulders and arms on Thursday, chest again on Friday. Saturdays are for rest, and Sundays for a session with friends. “It’s very ego-driven,” he admits, grinning. “But ego from a good place. Like, ‘Oh, is that what you’re lifting? I must be capable of that too.’ It pushes you.”
It’s a structure that spills into the rest of his life. Mornings begin with the school run, followed by the gym. That early discipline sets the tone. “If I don’t pray or train in the morning, my day feels a bit shaky. But when I’ve done it right, I feel strong. I feel like I’ve already ticked something off that matters.”
The 40-year-old admits his focus on routine isn’t about aesthetics. For Ghetts, fitness is a tool for control, for resilience, for peace of mind. “The conversations I have with myself are brutal,” he says. “I know what I’m capable of, so when I fall short, I know it. If I don’t hold myself accountable, no one else will, because it will never look like I’m falling short to other people. Only I’ll know.”
In the gym, that internal dialogue becomes a kind of battle. He pushes himself not just to finish a set, but to go beyond the body’s comfort zone. “Your body will lie to you. It’ll say ten reps is enough when you’ve got fifteen in you. That’s where mental strength comes in. Your mind has to tell your body to keep going.”
Outside the gym, movement still plays a central role in how he finds calm. Motorbikes have long been a source of joy and clarity. “The faster you go, the slower life feels,” he says. “It clears my head in a way nothing else does.”
But clarity also comes from family. Time with his children, he says, is where his centre truly lies. “That keeps me balanced. Knowing there’s more to life than the stuff driving me. Helping my kids grow, giving them the lessons I’ve learnt, that’s what matters.”
When it comes to food, his approach is balanced. He’s not one for strict meal prep, despite being surrounded by fitness-focused friends. “I spend too much on food, yeah, but I still want to enjoy life. Some people go too far with the prep. I’ve got a mate who eats unseasoned chicken. I tried it once, and the results were crazy—but I wasn’t happy. That’s not living.”
Photography by Lina Laythi @lina.laythi