If you've ever attempted to track down the gym routine of your favorite movie star you will have already noticed how hard your chosen stars train for the physiques you see on the silver screen. When it comes to action movies, however, things generally go to a whole new level. In particular, the Jason Statham workout is among the most brutal around.
It's main strength comes in the shape of not sticking to the tried and tested formula. By throwing the old standard straight sets formula out of the window, you end up with an entirely original and creative gym workout which should offer variety every single time you walk into the gym.
Before you begin with a tough workout like this, take some time to familiarize yourself with the exercises in the workout itself, because this will make it far easier for you when you begin your session. While actors in days gone by strived for maximum size, the target has changed significantly over the last decade or so and you'll notice that this plan is designed with functional fitness and strength in mind rather than purely aesthetic gains.
This circuit style workout is broken down into three different phases, consisting of:
Stage 1: 10 minute warm-up on any piece of cardiovascular equipment.
Stage 2: A 15 minute HIIT workout, again using cardiovascular equipment.
Stage 3: A rigorous full body routine involving a mixture of body weight, power lifting and crossfit exercises.
Stage one is a simple warm up which lasts 10 minutes. You should choose an exercise which prepares you for your chosen exercises in the later stages, such as a rowing machine. Keep the intensity at a moderate level here so as not to peak to early in the session. Once you have completed a 10 minute warm up, it's on to phase two. This stage involves a much more difficult cardiovascular test - high intensity interval training.
Those familiar with HIIT will know the high/low protocol already, but those who have never tried it before might want to practice it first to gage what kind of levels they are capable of. A bike or an elliptical trainer are good choices for this phase as they allow for quick transitions. You do not want to choose a piece of gym equipment which takes a long time to transition between an easy and hard gear, for example a treadmill. Perform 15 minutes of HIIT with a '30 seconds high, two minutes moderate' protocol.
The third phase focuses on a combo of body weight exercises, power lifting techniques and crossfit moves which are rarely practised in popular health clubs and gyms. For that reason, take a few moments to iron out any kinks to your technique before you do the full workout. Pick 6 exercises from the list below to form a full body workout:
Hanging Leg raise x 20
Bench dips x 20 reps.
Weighted rope pull x 5 reps - attach a 20 foot weight to a rope and pull it towards you.
Rope climb x 5 reps - climb a rope 5 times.
Skipping with high knees x 30 seconds
Pull-ups x 15 reps - grip as wide as possible so you can maximize the involvement of your lats.
Barbell deadlift x 20 reps - as heavy as possible without losing good form.
Front squat x 20 reps - using a barbell.
Incline bench press x 20 reps - on an incline bench with dumbbells or an Olympic barbell.
Power clean x 20 reps - focus on explosive power.
Kettlebell Swing x 20
Each workout should be different, that is where the effectiveness of this workout comes from. Pick moves from the list above or create your own list. As long as the focus is on full body moves it doesn't really matter. After pushing through the 6 exercises one after the other with minimal rest, take a 5 minute break before returning for round two. Try to achieve 5 rounds overall in this stage.
As far as celebrity workouts go, the Jason Statham workout is both original and challenging. Those looking for fat loss will certainly enjoy the interval training aspects and the high intensity, while those looking for muscular gains will enjoy the focus on strength-based moves such as the power clean and deadlift.
About the Author:
Next step: Russ Howe PTI is Youtube's most searched for online personal trainer based in England. You can learn the full body training routine he used for the jason statham workout via his blog today.