On the Air with iHeart Radio DJ Steve Burrell

Get to know the voices from your favorite radio stations, including their go-to workouts and what motivates them.

When he’s not skiing in the Colorado mountains or making his magic guacamole, Steve Burrell is a radio DJ for Channel 93.3 in Denver and hitting the gym with his wife and daughter (who goes to KidsClub, of course). We caught up with the DJ and runner to ask him for his power food, tips for a good night sleep and what motivates him.

Over the last few months, we’ve introduced you to a few celebrity iHeart Radio DJs—who work out at 24 Hour Fitness—to ask about their relationship with fitness and living a healthy lifestyle.

Meet Steve

24Life: What is your relationship with fitness?

Steve Burrell (SB): I’ve been doing sports since I was a kid. I grew up in small-town Colorado. Whatever season it was you were just doing a sport. Doesn’t necessarily mean you were into it, but you just kind of did it. And as we start to get older, you need different motivation to do it—I think mine was skiing. I got way into skiing and moved up to the mountains. And when you’re living up there that is your exercise. You’re doing the activity to get strong, and moving down to Denver, I couldn’t do that sort of stuff every day, and I kind of needed to find a different outlet. So, running was a big part of that, but you can’t do that every day.

24Life: What motivates you?

SB: Getting into the gym—my wife was a big motivator for that. [In high school], she did a lot of lifting and stuff like that, but you wouldn’t really know just by knowing her. She’s not this ripped person, but I think that helped her, and she communicated that to me. And it’s really been her that’s been, “Let’s go to the gym. Let’s do this thing.” She’s the motivating factor. I think everyone kind of needs that. Well, a lot of people need that, at least, some kind of motivation. And so my relationship with fitness is, I really like it, but sometimes I need a little kick out the door to make it happen.

24Life: What’s your go-to workout or group exercise class?

SB: Running is my go-to workout, just because I’m lazy and it’s the easiest thing to do. Or biking. I do yoga. That’s something I really enjoy because when do you get the opportunity to mentally check out for an hour? You can’t look at your phone. You can’t do anything but just listen to the instructor and listen to yourself breathe and stretch. And when do you do that? When do you stretch for an hour at a time? Not only does it feel good—I feel like I want to stretch right now just saying it—but your mind feels better. It’s cliché, but until you do it, you don’t really get it. I think classes are great and especially since you can get most of these just by walking in, why wouldn’t you try it at least?

24Life: Why did you sign up to work with a trainer?

SB: What prompted me to work with a trainer is the fact that I don’t know what most of the stuff in the club does. Some people can come in here and just take advantage of anything that there is. They’ve experienced it before. And for me, for a lot of people, it’s easy to figure out how the treadmill works, or how the elliptical works, or how to lift a weight. But am I doing it right? And what does the TRX do? I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people use it. I should be able to do that. But unless somehow shows me how, I don’t.

Plus, I think one of the best aspects of working with a trainer for me was doing stuff that I don’t do on my own. Like I don’t know how to do my legs. And when I worked with a trainer, I was working on my legs without working on my legs. I was doing stuff with my arms that end up making my legs sore, and so that’s why I want to work with a trainer is because it’s the overall fitness versus just the stuff I know. It’s like, why would you read parts of the book when you can read the whole book? Which is kind of what a trainer does; it opens up the whole gym.

24Life: What’s your power food?

SB: The avocado is [my] power food. Everyone has their skill that they were born with. Like Yo-Yo Ma can play the cello. I can make guacamole like nobody’s business. And it doesn’t matter. It can be the fancy kind, with a little pomegranate, something like that, but, no, mine is just basic: garlic, avocado, tomato, onion, salt. That’s it. It’s going to be the best guacamole you’ve ever had in your life. You could do a little jalapeño, if you want. You could do some cilantro if you want, but that’s a very polarizing herb. Some people love it, some people think it tastes like soap—doesn’t need it, but if you put it in there, it’s great. You can roast the garlic, don’t have to. Whatever it is, if I’m touching it, it’s magic.

24Life: Any tips for a good night’s sleep?

SB: I can absolutely say I will sleep better and quicker if I did get a workout in that day. I don’t know the science behind it, but I do know if I just sat around all day and was being lazy, then it’s going to be harder to drift off. It’s just the way it is.

24Life: What’s at the top of your workout playlist?

SB: The top of my playlist changes all the time, actually. It changes from mood to if there’s something new. I do get in the habit of if I like something, I tend to listen to it over and over. I mean who doesn’t like that? But, especially working out, it would have to be Colorado’s own Pretty Lights. If you know what I’m talking about, you know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t, you’re welcome. Go check out some Pretty Lights, especially if you plan on doing a workout today, and I bet it will be on your playlist, too.

24Life: Besides your job, what are you passionate about?

SB: I don’t know if it would surprise anyone, but probably the biggest thing I’m passionate about is getting up to the mountains, and skiing, obviously, in the winter. It’s great in Colorado. If I go skiing I kind of like to climb. I like to get to where the lifts go. I like to hike up higher because once you get to a certain point, it’s different. It’s really nice already, you’re in the mountains, you can look around and see. But when you get to a point where you can not only look off this way and that way but behind you as well, it’s something extra special that you’re not going to get even from your average trip.

Whether it’s in the winter or whether it’s in the summer, do some hiking. Colorado’s got the 14ers all around. And if you haven’t done a 14er yet, find one and do it this summer because there are plenty that are really easy. Like Mount Bierstadt, that’s a good example, a good starter one. So try it for yourself; change your life.

Recently played on Channel 93.3

“Take It All Back 2.0” by Judah & the Lion

“Ho Hey” by The Lumineers

“Best of You” by Foo Fighters

“Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man

“Sweet Disaster” by Dreamers

“Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Photo credit (top to bottom): Courtesy of Channel 93.3; ICV Digital Media