SHINEDOWN Singer: How I Lost 70 Pounds

Brent Smith, lead singer of the American hard rock band SHINEDOWN, discovered the Insanity workout with Shaun T. and lost 70 pounds.

In 2011, Smith weighed 222 pounds and was really out of shape. He made a decision to get in shape when he saw the Insanity infomercial late one night with Shaun T., Brent not only lost the excess weight but also went from 36% to 12% body fat and is now in the best shape of his life!

Smith has completed Insanity four or five times and has even encouraged fellow SHINEDOWN band members to "Dig Deep" when they're on tour with the Insanity workouts.

Smith is now trim and ready to go. He says he has been singing better than ever and he feels he's a better performer. The band is stronger than they have ever been.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Smith opened up in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times about his four-year struggle with substance abuse that ended with him quitting cocaine, painkillers and alcohol and losing 70 pounds in the process. Smith said that the final straws were a warning from his girlfriend and an insult about his girth on national television. Smith explained, "I've toured for over 12 years, and for the first two records I was addicted to cocaine, OxyContin and alcohol. The coke and Oxy kept my weight down. But for the third album I quit the opiates and started to crave sugar. I was still drinking a lot of alcohol and started to pack on the pounds."

SHINEDOWN appeared on the "Today" show in 2009, where host Kathie Lee Gifford said, "At first I thought he was Meat Loaf."

Smith recalled, "It really stung. I'm a fan of Meat Loaf but she wasn't talking about a musical comparison. My heart kind of fell on the ground — it was like the performance didn't even matter."

Next was an ultimatum from his girlfriend, with Smith revealing, "Teresa sat me down on the first of November last year and said, 'Listen to me, I love you and I'm not going anywhere, but this lifestyle that you're leading is not going to work."

Teresa sent Smith, who weighed 222 pounds at the time, to a trainer. He added, "I felt like I'd been in a death spiral, and I realized I needed to be healthy and strong for my family. I have a four-year-old boy, and he was a huge motivation, and so were the fans. I had an epiphany working out with my trainer that day, and I haven't had a drink since."

Smith's trainer cleaned up his diet and worked out a fitness program that he could do on the road. The singer said, "I look completely different on stage now. The stamina I have in my lungs is so much better. I don't have to wear a big jacket to cover the fat and get overheated. It's amazing how much clarity I have and how my body feels so much better — health is such a big part of who I am now."

SHINEDOWN's fourth album, "Amaryllis", came out last year and hit No. 4 on the Billboard chart.