Welcome to Playbook, a Q&A series where I ask successful guys about their wellness philosophy. This week I’ve got Kyle Fraser, the Season 48 champion of Survivor (and return contestant for Survivor 50). The 32-year-old is having a whirlwind 2026: he’s a new dad, he’s launching a goal-setting app and this fall he’ll run his first marathon. Here’s a look into how he manages it all.
Tanner Garrity: Is there a fitness goal you’re currently chasing?
Kyle Fraser: I hit one of them earlier this year, and I’m working towards another one this fall. In February I benched 315 for the first time, which was really important to me because I wanted to prove to myself that I could be the strongest I’ve ever been while recovering my torn Achilles after Survivor 50. Now I’m pressing towards my first marathon in November, which is definitely my biggest challenge yet. I’ve never been a distance runner, and, unfortunately, fatherhood has me at the heaviest I’ve ever weighed. So training has been interesting to say the least.
Did Survivor change how you think about mental fitness or what your body is capable of?
Survivor really taught me that your body can do amazing things under pressure. Having to compete while being sleep deprived and starved seems like it’s very intimidating, and it is — at first at least. But you really feel on top of the world when the adrenaline kicks in. Then the adrenaline goes away, and you feel like shit again. But that feeling of pushing yourself doesn’t go away, and I feel like I’m much more willing to test my limits now more than ever.
What’s a workout you always dread, but ultimately know is really good for you?
I hate doing abs: planks, any sort of crunch, Russian twists. I know they’re the key to making the rest of your body feel great and staying healthy, but it always just feels like a waste of time.
How do you handle nerves before an important performance, pitch or deadline?
This sounds crazy, but I just start smiling as much as I can. I feel the most comfortable under pressure when I’m smiling. And I’m not sure if it’s always been that way, but eventually I learned to start doing it intentionally until it feels natural.
You had a shitty week. What’s an activity or practice that always seems to make you feel better?
If I have a shitty week or day, then I just need to be on the couch with my dogs. One of them is 13 and very serious and discerning, and the other one is three and ditzy as hell. Regardless of their personality, though, they both greet me with big, dumb smiles and can always cheer me up. A close second is working out and then topping it off with a 20-piece McNugget combo.
A book you’d recommend to our readers?
The Will of the Many. It has fights, politics, world-building and literally everything else that a story needs. This book and its sequel, The Strength of the Few, have gotten passed around all of my various friend groups, and I completely understand why.
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