Jason Statham training: how an actor trains in preparation for a role

Jason isn't trying to bulk up quickly. It focuses on how to stay fast, athletic and flexible. His training clearly reflects this. He talks about how speed/quickness becomes something he focuses on during his training. He starts each day with a light warm-up on the rowing machine before moving on to his main workout. “If I’m doing push-ups, I go down slowly and, bam, I come up sharply.”

And here is the training plan that Statham adheres to:

Day 1

Warm-up No. 1: Rowing machine - “Rowing” for 10 minutes (20 movements per minute) Warm-up No. 2: Strength exercises “circular pyramid”

And then Statham does three exercises. The number of repetitions is not easy: he starts with one repetition in each exercise. In the second approach he will do two repetitions, and so on, and so on until the fifth approach. Then on the sixth set the cycle will begin to decrease in the opposite direction: four repetitions, then three repetitions until he returns to one repetition per set and so he finishes the warm-up.

3 exercises:

• Push-ups • Ring pull-ups • Squats

Continued workout: deadlift

He does nine sets with 1-3 minutes of rest between sets. Jason starts with a light weight, about 35% of his maximum record, and gradually increases it, reducing the number of repetitions but increasing the rest time. By the fifth set, he only does one repetition per set. Here are his numbers.

Reps x weight x rest: • 10 x 60kg – 1 minute • 5 x 85kg – 2 minutes • 3 x 100kg – 3 minutes • 2 x 130kg – 3 minutes • 1 x 150kg – 3 minutes • 1 x 155kg – 3 minutes • 1 x 160kg – 3 minutes • 1 x 162.5kg – 3 minutes • 1 x 165kg – 3 minutes Completing Workout: Trampoline Jason uses an Olympic size trampoline and does a few flips for 10 minutes.

Exercise videos

Jason's preparation for the movie The Expendables

Start watching from 65 seconds, at the beginning there is Stallone's training

Bench press

Deadlift

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Author: Andrey Reznichenko

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Day 3

Warm-up No. 1: Rowing machine - “Rowing” for 10 minutes (20 movements per minute)

But that is not all! Next comes the “rowing” exercise in interval form. 6 approaches in “rowing” for a distance of up to 500 meters. After completing the distance, he maintains the amplitude of alternating exercise and rest for three minutes. If you need to, you can get up, walk around, drink water - that's fine. Just make sure you are constantly moving for the entire 3 minutes. The cycle is repeated for six approaches. Completion of the workout: “farmer’s walk” exercise with two kettlebells (30 kg) over a distance of 500 meters. Don't set a time, just do it as quickly as possible.

Jason Statham training program

The life of an actor is very closely connected with sports. He played football at an amateur level, then another professional sport became the basis of his life - 12 years in the British diving team. This was in his youth, before he managed to become a world-class star, but now Statham trains six days a week, leaving Sunday for rest. Saturday often includes running around Hollywood. The actor trains under the direction of Logan Hood - we see such excellent form largely thanks to the former marine who changed his occupation. Now he has become a trainer for many actors and stuntmen for filming that is physically demanding. Training takes place in the 87Eleven gym, where complex stunts are often filmed. A special feature of this room is a wide selection of equipment and exercise equipment that are not included in the standard set of the usual “rocking chair”, but allow you to maximize the program’s horizons: gymnastic rings, ropes, hammers, trampolines and much more. You can often find motivational videos of the actor training on the Internet.

Day 4

Warm-up No. 1: Rowing machine - “Rowing” for 10 minutes (20 movements per minute) Warm-up No. 2: Squats - 20 repetitions without weight load.

Now the exercise: front squat. Jason does five sets of five with 90 seconds rest between sets • 5 x 80kg – 90 seconds • 5 x 80kg – 90 seconds • 5 x 80kg – 90 seconds • 5 x 80kg – 90 seconds • 5 x 80kg – 90 seconds Completion of the workout: 200 push-ups, but he performs them using a special technique. 13 sets with an additional five reps to complete. You can do the exercise with a partner. Partner does an approach, then Jason does it. The partner does two, Jason does two, and the same principle continues. The only time to rest is when your partner is doing his set. If you're doing this on your own, just imagine what your "partner" would do.

Nutrition program.

Jason's diet is very important, although it does not have any special delights, you just need to adhere to the following points:

The daily diet is 2000 calories, which equals five to six meals throughout the day.

No junk food, flour products, sugar or unhealthy carbohydrates, Statham gets all his nutrients from healthy foods: egg whites, fish, lean meat, vegetables and nuts

Part of the protein requirement is met by drinking protein shakes

After 19:00 and before bedtime, the actor does not eat.

Eating during other periods is more free, similar to what Jason does: there is even a place for fast food here, in which the content of all of the above is off the charts. But everything should be within two thousand calories.

Day 5

Warm-up No. 1: Rowing machine - “Rowing” for 10 minutes (20 movements per minute) Warm-up No. 2: “Bear walk” exercise (haven’t you heard? watch the video) alternating with the “crab walk” exercise (video) for 15 meters, 5 repetitions.

Exercise: Alternate Movements Complete one set of 11 exercises (listed below) as quickly as possible with a short break in between. You must complete all repetitions before moving on to the next exercise. 1. Climbing a seven-meter rope with the help of legs – 5 (body weight) 2. Squats with a weight – 5 (85 kg) 3. Throwing a ball on the floor – 5 (12.5 kg) 4. Tug of war machine – 10 (40 kg) 5. Bench press – 10 (80 kg) 6. Throwing the ball on the floor – 10 (12.5 kg) 7. Pull-ups – 15 (body weight) 8. Reverse push-ups – 15 (body weight) 9. Throwing the ball on the floor - 15 (10 kg) 10. Thick rope tug of war - 20 (without weight) 11. Slamming the rope on the floor - 20 (without weight) Jason's time: 23:53

A few general rules by which Statham trains:

The main difference between Statham’s classes and the training that is often promoted by athletes is the lack of a clear scheme of weekly circuit training, where the exercises go in order; you will never find such groups as “leg day” or “back day”. During a training cycle, each exercise can be performed only once, after which there is always a new combination of loads. The mood is to win. Don’t keep any emotions in your head, just focus on the training and the result. Each workout consists of a concentrated intensity. A short 35-40 minutes that explode the body and bring results - more strength and vitality. The results are in pencil. Exercise times, weights and number of repetitions should be recorded in a diary. This data allows you to determine the optimal load by increasing or decreasing the weight.

The progression formula is the goal of every Jason workout.

Don't hang up your gloves! Until the end of the workout. Complexes of combat tasks with elements of kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and Thai boxing are often practiced; they help to warm up and improve overall tone. There is shadowboxing and striking techniques with hands and feet on bags, pears and paws.

The “core” muscles are the key to a strong torso. Stabilizing muscles, without which it is impossible to imagine serious loads on the back. To pump them up, Jason trains using more than five hundred types of all kinds of squats. There are also planks on the horizontal bar and lifts with knees bent on the abdominal muscles. "Classes in your pocket." The basic plan if there is no free time for the gym is simple classes for which you don’t need to use dumbbells; the gym doesn’t require a specific tracksuit. Exercises with your own body weight. Their effectiveness was once proven by Charles Bronson, a famous British prisoner who developed an entire training method that must be performed with a natural load. Statham builds workouts using jumping rope, jumping jacks, and the popular “Burpees” (squats, moving the legs back with push-ups while lying down and jumping from a seated position). Jumping up onto a hill, jumping jacks with arms and legs swinging to the sides, any variation of push-ups (such as clapping your palms) - all this is mixed into a killer sports cocktail. The main rule is the “explosion” at the time of the main phase of the exercise and the intensity of the repetitions. Squeezing the barbell sharply while lying down, slowly lowering it down to your chest is what makes you healthier.

The less you do, the better

Are you tired of pedaling on an exercise bike, but you still aren’t happy with the results? Take Jason's advice! “Your body is like a stick of dynamite. You can poke a pencil at it all day long and there will be no explosion. But if you hit it properly with a sledgehammer once - bang! Be more serious. Practice for half an hour at the limit, not 90 minutes kicking a weight,” he said in an interview with MH.

If you don't agree with that, here's an argument from the world of science: According to a large-scale study from the University of Illinois, a grueling 40-minute workout is the key to bodybuilding progress. The study says that short workouts consisting of compound metabolic exercises, such as, put such a high load on your body that your body has no choice but to adjust and become stronger.

Questionable past

In the mid-90s, Statham was noticed by an advertising agent who offered the athletic guy cooperation. This is how Jason Statham ended up in an advertising campaign for the clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger.

Fate turned out to be such that the head of this fashion house became the producer of the first full-length film by the young director Guy Ritchie. Bearing in mind Jason's lawless past, someone recommended him to the director as a candidate for the lead role in the film.

Apparently, the experience of street trading played its part. At the casting, Jason was asked to sell fake jewelry to the director, and he did a brilliant job. And as soon as Richie tried to return the “jewels” to him, Statham became as adamant as a rock. Here's what Statham said about this test: "Guy was looking for a genuine character, and it turned out to be me, because the things that he needed and that I can do are not taught in art schools."

Jason Statham demonstrates his sales skills in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

So Jason Statham became one of the four main characters in the complicated crime film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, full of first-class black humor. Together with Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher, he had to bring together several storylines and save his friend who lost at cards from a fatal fate.

Keep your target on target

Before you continue reading, answer yourself this question: why do you need a pumped up body? For what purpose? Think carefully before answering. “I’m a very principled person,” says Statham. “Some people don’t realize their goals, and sometimes these people need a good kick in the ass.” To get results from your trips to the gym, you need to clearly know your goals.

A study published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology says that setting short-term goals helps ultimately achieve the main result much more effectively than thinking about the distant and unrealistic. Set a goal for yourself to do 2 more pull-ups by the end of this week, or add an extra 10 kilograms to the bar on the bench press, and think about it. Here's the good thing about this: it will make it easier to achieve results. “As soon as your form begins to noticeably change, you immediately receive powerful motivation to train. You must feel the results, see them. Your weight starts to come off, you become a little lighter, and then you gain muscle mass: there’s nothing cooler than that feeling.”

Guardians of Martial Arts

A short film directed by Chinese actor and director Wen Zhang, best known for his role in Ocean Paradise (China, 2010).

He also wrote the script for the film himself. The short film is about a man practicing tai chi. In order to test his strength, he one by one challenges those who master other martial arts to fight.

The director did not want his creation to be taken too seriously.

Photo source: NextShark

In order not to offend anyone, he dressed the confrontation in a humorous form, making it more of a comedy than an action movie.

The main acting ensemble consists of oriental actors, little known to the general public. Jason Statham makes a cameo appearance in the film, but even a fleeting appearance is enough to have a lasting effect.

If you've watched Jason Statham's movies, you know how his signature looks and movements can create atmosphere in a frame without words.

The world premiere of the short film took place on November 11, 2017.

Be more creative

“The whole point of my training is to make sure that it’s not boring in the gym. “I don’t do the same thing over and over again because the human body quickly adapts to stress,” says Statham. “I never repeated the same workout.” And it is true. Monotony or increased load not only inhibit muscle development, but can also lead to serious injury, because when training the main muscles, you forget about the smaller, stabilizing ones. If you want to break up with this, everything is in your hands. “I train based on how I feel early in the morning,” Jason says. “Learn to listen to your body.”

Personal life

Jason Statham's personal life is full of events and novels. The brutal English heartthrob enjoys great success among women.

Jason Statham's affair with the actress lasted for several years. But in 2004, the couple broke up, as Kelly began an affair with her co-star during filming in Greece.

Statham did not remain lonely for long: the actor soon met another beauty - singer and artist Sophie Monk. This romance was short-lived. The actor’s relationship with art critic Alex Zosman became even more fleeting.

In the spring of 2010, Jason began a new love story that continues to this day. Statham met the model. According to British journalists, the girl is on the list of the wealthiest models, earning $8 million a year.

On January 10, 2016, Jason and Rosie announced their engagement, but there was no talk of the girl becoming the artist’s wife. Celebrity relationships cannot be called cloudless. At one time, Jason and Rosie separated, deciding to live separately, but today the couple is back together.

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In February 2022, it became known that Jason and Rosie. This was reported by the British press and the model herself on Instagram.

On June 24, 2022, Jason Statham became a father for the first time. His beloved Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gave the actor a son, Jack Oscar Statham.

In the summer of 2022, the couple decided on a wedding date. Statham and his fiancee officially announced that the gala event will take place on New Year's Eve 2022.

Statham in childhood: the early years of the actor

Jason Statham, as a child, plunged into the creative atmosphere of London, the bohemian public and street theater. The family did not live well, so they had to earn extra money by selling goods from the black market on the streets. The acquired skills of a dealer in counterfeit perfume and jewelry influenced the success of the acting and were demonstrated in the first film.

The photo shows little Jason.

It was his family who introduced Jacen to the sport. His father was a professional gymnastics and boxer, and his mother was a dancer. By the way, the older brother often used the guy to practice his boxing skills.

“The older brother was involved in martial arts. When he imagined himself as Bruce Lee, I played the role of his punching bag."

Little Jason had the physical attributes, perseverance, tenacity and passion required for sports. But the guy clearly lacked consistency.

Jason Statham tried everything he could in his childhood. He was interested in trampolining, high jumping, gymnastics (like his father), football, tennis and squash. In elementary school, he became interested in football, and devoted his teenage years to swimming and ski jumping. Later, his interests shifted towards boxing and martial arts, and he began training jiu-jitsu with his friend Guy Ritchie.

But already at thirteen, Statham changed his mind. In one of the interviews, the hero shared that he was impressed by “the guy who did deep diving.” Jason was on vacation then and thought that this was the best knowledge in the world and he had finally found his calling.

Despite being busy in various sections, Jason successfully coped with school subjects. He spent most of his days at the Crystal Palace National Sports Center in Shirebrook, where he was coached by Kim White. White later, impressed by the young Statham's success, invited him to the British National Diving School in 1985.

Turning 50

You know what, I feel pretty good. I'm in decent shape. I've been harboring a lot of injuries and I've almost cured them all over the past year. I'm feeling pretty nimble. It's about the whole thing: training, eating, sleeping… all of those have a massive impact on how you feel. And I'm doing better at all of those things. Sly Stallone's got 20 years on me and still looks good so he's part of my inspiration.

What have you learned from Stallone? It's hard to pinpoint a philosophy. It's more of an intuitive thing. He has a lot of confidence, and great ideas about how things will play out. He doesn't work from a textbook and he didn't learn it from film school. He is Rocky. Everything he does seems to be with a natural swagger. And, like in any kind of business, when you see someone doing their thing so well, you become a sponge. You soak it up.

If you asked someone to think of a'real man' or a 'tough guy', they'd likely think of you. Who would you think of? Ha! These public labels, the things the media like to paint you as, I don't really look at them. I see myself as a pretty standard sort of chap, really. I keep a lot of my pals close to me and I think that keeps my feet on the ground. I don't know if they'll say the same thing! But we all come from the same place. Some of us have certain jobs and some of us don't. Hollywood has a caustic effect on a lot of people. It's a cruel business. You can get a big head about things. But what goes up must come down.

Who were your heroes? Bruce Lee graced my brother's bedroom walls when I was a nipper. He was a massive inspiration and he's never had anyone who could get close to him in terms of physical ability and confidence. He was very, very special. And he could probably take on 10 guys for real. Today, you've got to put on a pair of tights and a cape to be able to do that. He was authentic and I think that's the key word. Muhammad Ali was exactly what he was, too. These people are inspirational because they're not pretending to be something that they're not.

Are you still doing a good amount of martial-arts training? Yeah. That's what I have to give most of my time to these days: training for what I have to do in terms of providing action in an authentic manner. If I'm trying to show something on screen, I want to be able to do that and not rely on special effects or a bunch of other chaps who can do it better than me. When I talk about authenticity, it's people like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and even Sly himself, he gets stuck in. These are the people that I like to work alongside because there's an authenticity to those chaps.

Your old mucker Guy Ritchie is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and brown in karate. Do you ever spar together? I remember when we started out, we'd go on a press tour for Lock, Stock… and we'd be moving all the furniture out of the way in the hotel room, trying to choke each other out.

That's one way to keep all those interviews interesting… Exactly! You turn up with a scrape on your head and the interviewer is like, “Where did that come from?” They probably thought we'd stumbled out of a bar and had a fight with the pavement. I'm a huge fan of MMA and always have been, ever since the first days of the UFC. It really filters out the non-effective aspects of martial arts: you get to see what works and what doesn't. I love it.

What do you think of Conor McGregor? I love him, too. He's so good. He's got every aspect of what he does down to a fine art. He's got the ability and he's so confident. When it comes to the banter, the destruction of his opponent mentally, there's no one better. I can't get enough of him. I think he's superb.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you were 20? You don't have to grind so hard. It's not about quantity; it's about figuring it out, the refinement of the movement: that's where the benefit really lies. Before it was about getting the work done. But even when I was diving, the coaches really knew nothing about how you can generate the most power, and how the movement is essential to that.

What I've learned is that I've missed out on so much. Every detail of how you do an exercise is key to how you progress and get really good at something. And that translates all the way down, from Olympic lifts through to the gymnastic skills, everything. If I'd have known then what I know now, I'd have gone back to the basics a lot, lot sooner.

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