With Funk Flex and a few more of our staff on major diet plans, this story is right up our alley. Actor Jack Gyllenhaal recently got into INSANE shape for his role in the Prince Of Persia film, and his ex-marine trainer has shared the regimen with Men’s Health. Find out how to get abs like THAT below.
Fit for a prince
“Becoming an action hero is hard work,” says ex-marine Simon Waterson, who trained Jake Gyllenhaal throughout the shooting of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The 29-year-old Californian had to add some serious bulk to his slight frame before taking on the film, but muscle alone was not enough. “We had to build a functional, strong and agile physique capable of dealing with a huge workload and stresses,” says Waterson. For fast and flexible athletic muscle, simply make like Jake…
These five-move combinations should be completed consecutively four times over. “By packing exercises together rather than splitting them up you’re hitting all the bases at once: cardio, muscle and movement,” says Waterson. Struggling? Decrease the weight before your form starts to waver, but make sure you take just two-minutes rest between each circuit. “No compromises.”
1. Bench step-ups with squat thrust
Form Stand in front of a bench holding two dumb-bells. Squat down, placing the dumb-bells on the floor but keeping them in your grasp. Then, shoot your legs back behind you to press-up position, and immediately jump them back. Stand up and do a step-up onto the bench. That’s one rep.
Load 8kgs each dumb-bell
Reps 10
2. Lunges with shoulder pressForm Holding two dumb-bells at shoulder height in front of you, lunge forward with your left leg, bringing your right knee to the ground. Return to your original position then press the dumb-bells above your head until your arms lock out. Repeat with the other leg.
Load 10kgs each dumb-bell
Reps 10 each leg
3. Squat thrust, press-up, and clean and jerkForm Standing in front of a bar-bell, crouch down and shoot your legs out behind you, placing your hands on the bar. Do a press-up, and then return to crouching position. Now do a full clean and jerk: raise the bar up to your thighs, then pull it up to your chest, and finally press it above your head. Repeat these three stages in reverse to bring the bar back down to the ground. That’s one rep.
Load 20kg bar-bell
Reps 10
4. Pull-ups with squat thrustForm Using a narrow grip, do half a pull-up (raising your eyes to the level of the bar rather than your chest). As soon as you land, execute a full squat thrust. Jump back to your feet. Repeat.
Reps 10
5. Deep squats with power jumpForm Holding a plate above your head, do a wide squat (with your feet a few inches wider than shoulder width, toes pointing slightly outwards) getting your rear as close to the floor as possible. Then jump at least 10 inches off the floor. As soon as your feet return to the ground go straight into the next squat.
