November 21, 2025, 3:05 am | Read time: 3 minutes
On stage, Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer of The BossHoss regularly work up a sweat–but do they do the same in the gym? And have they perhaps picked up a few tips from bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom they recently had an interesting collaboration? FITBOOK editor-in-chief Melanie Hoffmann posed these questions to the two musicians when she met them at the “European Fitness Award” in Berlin.
The award ceremony was hosted for the first time by the RSG Group, which includes fitness chains such as John Reed, Gold’s Gym, and McFit. FITBOOK wanted to know from The BossHoss musicians Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer how they approach strength training in general and specifically in the gym–and learned: “Our training routine is a sore point. We like to train, but the routine is the problem.” Völkel admitted that regular, structured training is not really part of his and Vollmer’s daily life. But that doesn’t mean they just sit around idly.
Tour Sport–Cardio Instead of Strength Training
“I train regularly when we go on tour. So once a year, we train, and that’s on stage,” Vollmer revealed in response to FITBOOK’s inquiry. “Then it’s about two and a half hours every evening, which is no small feat.” His bandmate confirmed: “Yes, touring is our main sport, you could say. But we feel like we’re always on tour, so the tours keep us in basic shape.” Their training consists more of cardio than strength training, Alec Völkel summarized.
Ralf Moeller, Katarina Witt, André Schürrle: Sports Stars Celebrate the European Fitness Award
Fit for “White Lotus”! Training and Nutrition from Patrick Schwarzenegger
No Drudgery
While both seemed to know that a fixed training routine is beneficial, they also find some advantages in their irregular lifestyle. “The nice thing is that we really enjoy it,” Vollmer emphasized. “Often, people struggle to go to the gym. They sign a contract, go three times, and then it falls by the wayside. For us, passion has been the driving force for 20 years, and we are therefore very consistent in our work.”
The BossHoss in L.A. with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Gym
On special occasions, Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer do find their way to the gym–for instance, when a bodybuilding legend like Arnold Schwarzenegger invites them. The music duo collaborated with Schwarzenegger for their single “I’ll be back”: The proceeds from streaming the song go directly to a climate protection project of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative.
And apparently, there’s no collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger without a bit of strength training on the side. The same goes for The BossHoss: “Arnie is our fitness buddy,” joked Sascha Vollmer. When Schwarzenegger calls, even gym skeptics don’t say no.
“We were in the gym with him, too. We were in Los Angeles, and he invited us to his home for a gig. We trained together at ‘Gold’s Gym.’ And with Ralf Moeller–he’s always there,” Völkel shared. Vollmer added: “It was great. It’s an open-air gym, really old school, there in L.A. All the big bodybuilders have trained there, including Arnold, of course. You definitely want to go back.”