Two-time Indy 500 winner and NTT IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden is set to share his rigorous training regimen with attendees of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. Scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025, Newgarden will lead exclusive “Train Like An IndyCar Driver” workout sessions, offering a glimpse into the unique fitness demands of a professional race car driver.
Get Race Ready: Newgarden’s SXSW Workout Sessions
Newgarden, known for his sculpted physique showcased in FOX’s promotional videos for the IndyCar Series, will conduct three workout sessions at 9 a.m. CT, 11 a.m. CT, and 1 p.m. CT. The location for these sessions is the F45 gym at the Austin Hilton. Participants will experience a training routine designed to build the strength, endurance, and mental acuity required to handle the intense physical and mental challenges of driving an IndyCar at speeds exceeding 230 mph while enduring high G-forces for hours.
While the training will incorporate specialized tools used by IndyCar drivers, it will also showcase several skills and exercises anyone might want to incorporate into their routine. Newgarden and his trainer, Jeff Richter, will be available to answer questions after each one-hour workout session.
Space is limited, and SXSW 2025 badge holders interested in participating were encouraged to reserve a spot by emailing marketing@indycar.com as soon as possible.
The Demands of IndyCar Racing: Why Fitness Matters
Driving an IndyCar is far more physically demanding than many realize. Unlike NASCAR and Formula 1 cars, IndyCars lack power steering, requiring drivers to exert significant force to control the vehicle. Newgarden has stated that drivers can experience around 35 pounds of torque through the steering wheel. The physical fitness of a racecar driver is very important not only for their performance standpoint, but also from a safety standpoint.
During braking and cornering, drivers endure immense G-forces, making them feel many times heavier. Newgarden explained that a 200-pound person experiencing 5 Gs would feel like they weigh 1,000 pounds in that moment. The combination of physical strain, heat, and intense focus required at high speeds necessitates a high level of physical preparation.
Newgarden’s Training Philosophy: Building Strength and Endurance
Newgarden focuses on building both strength and endurance to withstand the rigors of IndyCar racing. His training regimen evolves throughout the year, with an emphasis on different aspects depending on the season.
Off-Season Training: Building Muscle and Cardio Base
During the off-season, Newgarden focuses on building muscle mass and maintaining a high cardio base. He incorporates bodybuilding-style workouts with heavy lifts to increase overall strength and size.
In-Season Training: Muscular Endurance and Circuit Training
As the racing season approaches, Newgarden transitions to circuit-style training to build muscular endurance. This type of training allows him to utilize his strength for extended periods, which is crucial for races lasting up to three and a half hours, like the Indianapolis 500.
Key Exercises in Newgarden’s Workout Routine
Newgarden’s workout routine incorporates a variety of exercises designed to target the specific muscle groups and physical demands of IndyCar racing. These include:
- Renegade Row to Pushup: This exercise builds upper body strength and core stability. Newgarden performs 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Farmer’s Walk: This exercise improves grip strength, core stability, and cardiovascular endurance. Newgarden performs this for 40 yards or 30-45 seconds. Adding farmer walks in between different stations adds some cardio.
- Kettlebell Swings: This explosive movement engages the entire body and improves power and coordination. Newgarden does 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Barbell Clean: This full-body exercise builds strength, power, and coordination. Newgarden performs 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Toes to Bar: This exercise strengthens the core and improves upper body strength. Newgarden aims for straight legs and does 3 sets of 10 reps. Core training is really critical for indie car racing you know when you’re in the car all the GeForce that you’re experiencing is you know just pushing on you and you’re you’re having to control your body mass at all times if you can’t control your body mass well within those movements.
- Med Ball Slams: This explosive exercise engages the entire body and improves core strength and power. Newgarden performs 3 sets of 10 reps. It’s very activating for the core, and just being explosive within your movement.
- Weighted Russian Twist: This exercise strengthens the core and improves rotational power. Newgarden performs 3 sets of 12-15 reps using a 35 lb plate.
- Plate halos: Where he raises a plate in front, then rotates it around his head before reversing the motion.
- Concept 2 machines: Some of Newgarden’s favorite forms of training right now are rowing and he’s big into concept 2 machines. I love everything that they have I I ski ERG I row ERG.
Mental Acuity Training
Recognizing that professional racing is as taxing mentally as it is physically. Newgarden works with Jim Leo, president of PitFit Training and combines mental and physical training in order to prepare his body and mind to operate at their highest level. They routinely work through a set of drills designed specifically to get high-performance drivers like Newgarden race ready, not just physically but mentally, too. One drill involves Newgarden jumping rope while matching IndyCar drivers’ names with their car numbers, forcing him to maintain mental clarity while sustaining a high heart rate.
Diet and Nutrition
Diet and nutrition is definitely a key ingredient. Newgarden tries not to over complicate it you know I go by an 80% rule you know I try and be uh pretty regimented in that you know I’m not eating a ton of sweets or or taking excess sugar I’m getting the right mix of carbs fats and particularly protein you know to maintain muscle mass and help aid recovery. Hydration is also critical for a race car driver and starts a week before making sure that you’re topped up because in a race a particularly hot race if you go to a street course you may lose over 5 to six pounds of just water throughout the race you want to make sure that you’re focused.
Josef Newgarden: A Champion On and Off the Track
Josef Newgarden enters the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season as one of the most accomplished and recognizable stars of American motorsports. The driver of the No. 2 Astemo/PPG/Shell Powering Progress/Snap-on Chevrolet has produced both on and off the track in his 13 seasons competing in North America’s top open-wheel series, and he is poised to make history in his ninth year as a member of the Team Penske driver lineup.
Key Accomplishments:
- Captured wins in the 2023 and 2024 Indianapolis 500.
- Crowned NTT IndyCar Series Champion in both 2017 and 2019.
- Earned 31 IndyCar Series wins entering 2025.
- The winningest active American driver in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Beyond his racing achievements, Newgarden is a winter sports and fitness enthusiast who loves to travel abroad. He resides in Nashville, Tenn., with his wife Ashley and their young son, Kota. Newgarden is also a proud supporter of the Serious Fun Children’s Network and Wags and Walks animal adoption.
