While most movie star physiques are built purely with the actor's appearance on the big screen in mind, the Jason Statham workout offers a very different take. It is based upon creating a body which not only looks strong, but actually is strong.
It achieves it's status of being so different to 'the norm' by tearing up the old rule book calling for three sets of ten. Most of the exercises included are done for twenty or more repetitions and they are full body, strength based moves which are designed to condition rather than sculpt.
Exercises included in the session may be unfamiliar, as it borrows from various different styles including power lifting and crossfit, meaning gym regulars are often replaced with new and difficult variations to incorporate more explosive speed or power into the move. Functional fitness is certainly a key ingredient, with a large importance placed upon your core strength.
As a circuit, the workout itself consists of three very different stages which combine to form one 60-90 minute gym session, including:
Stage 1: 10 minute cardiovascular warm-up.
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.
Phase one is used as a warm-up phase to prepare your muscles for the both the HIIT session and the body weight circuit which lie immediately after it. With that fact in mind, be sure to choose a piece of cardiovascular kit which will allow you to warm up your entire body. A rowing machine or versaclimber would be an ideal choice. The second phases switches the approach from regular, steady state exercise to 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.
By the time you reach stage three you should already be feeling the effects of this workout. Phase three consists of a circuit involving body weight exercises, compound lifts and functional strength moves. You can fill this circuit with any exercises you choose, so long as you are careful to ensure it offers you a full body workout and doesn't stick to one particular muscle group. However, if you want to workout exactly like your favorite action hero then these exercises would be the group to choose from:
Hanging Leg raise x 20
Triceps dips x 20 reps - using a bench.
Weighted rope pull x 5
Rope climb x 5
Skipping x 30 seconds - high knee version.
Wide-grip pull-ups x 15
Barbell deadlift x 20 reps - as heavy as possible without losing good form.
Barbell Squat x 20
Barbell Bench Press x 20
Dumbbell clean and press x 20 reps.
Kettlebell Swing x 20 reps - using a kettlebell or a weight.
The circuit is formed by choosing six exercises from the list above or entering your own preferred choices into the slots. Perform all six moves without any rest, before taking a 5 minute break at the end of a full round. Try to perform around 6 circuits in total, this should give you an overall workout time of between 60-90 minutes.
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.
It achieves it's status of being so different to 'the norm' by tearing up the old rule book calling for three sets of ten. Most of the exercises included are done for twenty or more repetitions and they are full body, strength based moves which are designed to condition rather than sculpt.
Exercises included in the session may be unfamiliar, as it borrows from various different styles including power lifting and crossfit, meaning gym regulars are often replaced with new and difficult variations to incorporate more explosive speed or power into the move. Functional fitness is certainly a key ingredient, with a large importance placed upon your core strength.
As a circuit, the workout itself consists of three very different stages which combine to form one 60-90 minute gym session, including:
Stage 1: 10 minute cardiovascular warm-up.
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.
Phase one is used as a warm-up phase to prepare your muscles for the both the HIIT session and the body weight circuit which lie immediately after it. With that fact in mind, be sure to choose a piece of cardiovascular kit which will allow you to warm up your entire body. A rowing machine or versaclimber would be an ideal choice. The second phases switches the approach from regular, steady state exercise to 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.
By the time you reach stage three you should already be feeling the effects of this workout. Phase three consists of a circuit involving body weight exercises, compound lifts and functional strength moves. You can fill this circuit with any exercises you choose, so long as you are careful to ensure it offers you a full body workout and doesn't stick to one particular muscle group. However, if you want to workout exactly like your favorite action hero then these exercises would be the group to choose from:
Hanging Leg raise x 20
Triceps dips x 20 reps - using a bench.
Weighted rope pull x 5
Rope climb x 5
Skipping x 30 seconds - high knee version.
Wide-grip pull-ups x 15
Barbell deadlift x 20 reps - as heavy as possible without losing good form.
Barbell Squat x 20
Barbell Bench Press x 20
Dumbbell clean and press x 20 reps.
Kettlebell Swing x 20 reps - using a kettlebell or a weight.
The circuit is formed by choosing six exercises from the list above or entering your own preferred choices into the slots. Perform all six moves without any rest, before taking a 5 minute break at the end of a full round. Try to perform around 6 circuits in total, this should give you an overall workout time of between 60-90 minutes.
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:
More tips: Russ Howe PTI is a very successful online personal trainer from the UK. You can pick up the full brutally intense routine he used for the jason statham workout via his website now.
