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.
Borrowing from techniques which are not practised in most public gyms, you'll encounter exercises which are usually found in hardcore strength gyms and crossfit conventions, such as the power clean and rope climb. The emphasis is clearly on building muscle which is not only nice to look at but also functional and strong.
The workout is performed as a circuit, with three stages. They are:
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 full body resistance circuit lasting roughly 45 minutes.
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.
High intensity interval training is well known for it's explosive and exhausting capabilities, so by the time you reach the final stage you may already be struggling. Take a few minutes to recover before you begin round three, which consists of six exercises in a circuit. Ensure you pick a good variety here, so as to achieve a full body focus:
Hanging Leg raise x 20
Triceps dips x 20 reps - using a bench.
Rope pull x 5 reps - attach a weight to a rope and pull it towards you from 25 feet away.
Rope climb x 5 reps - climb a rope 5 times.
High Knee Skipping x 30 seconds
Wide-grip pull-ups x 15 reps
Romanian deadlift x 20 reps - ensure correct form.
Dumbbell or barbell squat x 20 reps.
Dumbbell bench press x 20 reps - on a flat bench.
Power clean x 20 reps - focus on explosive power.
Dumbbell Swing x 20 reps - use a dumbbell as an alternative to kettlebells, giving a new twist to a popular old exercise.
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.
While the Jason Statham workout certainly offers the ability to tone you up and build lean muscle, it's primary skill is it's ability to improve your strength and physical performance. Each exercise should be performed with intensity and force, maintaining an explosive but strict form.
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.
Borrowing from techniques which are not practised in most public gyms, you'll encounter exercises which are usually found in hardcore strength gyms and crossfit conventions, such as the power clean and rope climb. The emphasis is clearly on building muscle which is not only nice to look at but also functional and strong.
The workout is performed as a circuit, with three stages. They are:
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 full body resistance circuit lasting roughly 45 minutes.
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.
High intensity interval training is well known for it's explosive and exhausting capabilities, so by the time you reach the final stage you may already be struggling. Take a few minutes to recover before you begin round three, which consists of six exercises in a circuit. Ensure you pick a good variety here, so as to achieve a full body focus:
Hanging Leg raise x 20
Triceps dips x 20 reps - using a bench.
Rope pull x 5 reps - attach a weight to a rope and pull it towards you from 25 feet away.
Rope climb x 5 reps - climb a rope 5 times.
High Knee Skipping x 30 seconds
Wide-grip pull-ups x 15 reps
Romanian deadlift x 20 reps - ensure correct form.
Dumbbell or barbell squat x 20 reps.
Dumbbell bench press x 20 reps - on a flat bench.
Power clean x 20 reps - focus on explosive power.
Dumbbell Swing x 20 reps - use a dumbbell as an alternative to kettlebells, giving a new twist to a popular old exercise.
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.
While the Jason Statham workout certainly offers the ability to tone you up and build lean muscle, it's primary skill is it's ability to improve your strength and physical performance. Each exercise should be performed with intensity and force, maintaining an explosive but strict form.
About the Author:
Further help: Russ Howe PTI is now a very in-demand online personal trainer from the UK. You can learn the full brutally intense routine he used for the jason statham workout via his blog today.
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