Rob Lowe, 61, Jokes About Posting Shirtless Thirst Traps ‘Every Once in a While’: ‘If You Got It, Flaunt It’ (Exclusive)

“If you got it, flaunt it” — at least that’s a mantra that Rob Lowe lives by.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actor, 61, shares his candid thoughts on posting “thirst traps.”

“Every once in a while, you’ve got to throw it down. You’ve got to be like, ‘Yeah, come on,’ ” Rob says of sharing sexy and shirtless snapshots online.

“If you got it, flaunt it, use it or lose it, and it ain’t bragging if you’ve done it. Those are my three go-tos,” adds the star, who is continuing his years-long partnership with Atkins.

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Last month, Rob shared a gym selfie on Instagram, in which she could be seen flexing shirtless alongside his son John Owen. Rob, who wore shorts and no shoes, stared into the camera while he flexed his arms, while John Owen, 29, did the same while wearing light blue jeans, white sneakers and a baseball cap.

“Lowe family tradition: self-indulgent shirtless gym photos,” the Parks and Recreation alum joked in the caption of his post.

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Rob tells PEOPLE the idea for the selfie came about thanks to John Owen — but it later inspired a bit of friendly (or familial) competition.

“It got really competitive. Then we were doing extra sets, you know what I mean?” the Emmy and Golden Globe nominee says with a laugh. “It’s a little bit motivating, and you’ve got to get your motivation wherever you can find it.”

Rob, who is also a dad to son Matthew, credits his toned physique nowadays to his workout routines, as well as years of utilizing food products from Atkins.

“Atkins helps me achieve my health goals,” The Floor host explains. “For me, the real value in it is whatever your goals are — whether it’s losing weight, maintaining weight or replacing mealtime. The products just really make sense and are delish.”

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As for some of his favorite Atkins food items, Rob says he enjoys “the shakes,” as well as “the protein bars whenever I have a sweet tooth, which I have a brutal one.”

“The high-healthy-protein, low-carb lifestyle is just a great fit for me, and it’s helped so many people that I love be a part of that way of thinking and eating [too],” he adds.