4 min readThe Deep is no stranger to the spotlight, though it hasn’t always presented his best angle. A member of the superhero collective The Seven, Deep (also known as Kevin Kohler) was born with aquatic telepathy and the ability to breathe underwater—gifts that weigh on him as both a blessing and a curse. “God gives his toughest tests to his toughest soldiers. So after everything I've been through, it's pretty clear God thinks I'm his toughest soldier. It's an honor and a burden,” he says, referencing a few of his pricklier incidents in recent years. (After being placed on sabbatical from The Seven in 2019, he was arrested at a Sandusky, Ohio, water park and later struggled through a very public fallout with the Church of the Collective.)
But Deep isn’t clueless. He has a sense of why things have unfolded so messily for him. “It’s, like, sometimes I don’t feel understood. Or even stood, for that matter,” he says. “And those guys underwater—the dolphins, marlins, even the sharks—they get me. But being a Supe is important to me. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Now, he’s making good on his word—grinding underwater and refining his habits to reach max strength. We talked to him about how he stays in shape and keeps just enough of his signature edge.
MEN’S HEALTH: Thanks so much for taking the time.
THE DEEP: My pleasure. I love health. And men. But especially men's health.
MH: Tell us a bit about your training.
DEEP: People think being a Supe makes you an automatic 10. But not every Supe is shredded like me. Not gonna name names, but Eagle the Archer can't rep two plates on the bench. So getting after it in the iron paradise is essential to maintaining, gains, muscle definition. Also super important for mental health. Staying active, staying motivated. People say it’s how you feel on the inside, but it’s not. How can you feel awesome if you look gross?
MH: That's very deep, Deep.
DEEP: Thank you. Maybe I'll use that for Deep Thoughts...
MH: You spend a lot of time underwater. Tell us about your water workout, for anyone out there who wants to steal some of your secrets.
DEEP: It's nothing crazy. I do 10 laps in the Gulf of America as a warmup. Head off the coast of Newfoundland, some underwater benches of the Titanic. When I can, I'll link up with a pod. Rip a side plank on a beluga. Try holding that bad boy a thousand feet down while the current’s working against you. Washboard abs carved by riptide. Now that's some serious core.
MH: I have to say, your core does look incredible. That can’t be easy to maintain.
DEEP: Nothing worth having comes easy. I have overcome so much. Honestly I'm inspired by my own story. I just have no quit. Like when I'm riding around in my whip and I see a street spot, I parallel park just to prove I can.
MH: Well, you seem really sharp. What are some of your nutrition must-haves?
DEEP: I'm really into sea moss and algae right now. But none of that store-bought trash. I get my algae from the Great Barrier Reef. Gotta avoid the chemical additives. Also, whenever I'm down there, I get to combine the two things I love most in this world—gains and environmental protection. So any pollution I see—plastic straws, used condoms, or those can things, six-pack yokes—I'm disposing of them properly. Because the only thing yoked under the sea is me.
MH: I love that. Not just focused on yourself, but on the environment.
DEEP: Absolutely. What's the point of looking good if the world around you looks bad?
MH: Obviously you're an integral part of The Seven. What is it like to work on a team?
DEEP: I am integral, thank you. In fact, as I’m sure you know, I’m number two in The Seven. It's very true that teamwork makes the dream work. And Homelander really knows how to bring the best out in everyone. He's a leader. It's, like, when he looks at me, I know exactly what he's thinking. We just have that type of relationship.
MH: That’s awesome. Let’s close with a fun one. Who do you think would win in a benching competition: you or Homelander?
DEEP: I lift. Some serious weight. Like, I could bench mad reps with a whale shark, no problem. But I can’t hold a candle to Homelander. He’s the best at everything, all the time, always.
Pick up your copy of The Deep’s Men’s Health cover on newsstands April 28—and catch a new episode of The Boys every Wednesday on Amazon Prime Video.
