By Russ Howe
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'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
Barbell deadlift x 20 reps - as heavy as possible without losing good form.
Front squat x 20 reps - using a barbell.
Dumbbell bench press x 20 reps - on a flat bench.
Power clean x 20 reps - focus on explosive power.
Kettlebell Swing x 20 reps - using a kettlebell or a weight.
You form your own individual circuit either by choosing six of the moves above or inserting your own into any of the six available slots. As long as the focus is on a full body workout, the exercises can be changed as much as you like. Push through all six exercises before taking a 3-4 minute rest period and then going through it again. Aim to get through about 5 rounds in total.
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'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
Barbell deadlift x 20 reps - as heavy as possible without losing good form.
Front squat x 20 reps - using a barbell.
Dumbbell bench press x 20 reps - on a flat bench.
Power clean x 20 reps - focus on explosive power.
Kettlebell Swing x 20 reps - using a kettlebell or a weight.
You form your own individual circuit either by choosing six of the moves above or inserting your own into any of the six available slots. As long as the focus is on a full body workout, the exercises can be changed as much as you like. Push through all six exercises before taking a 3-4 minute rest period and then going through it again. Aim to get through about 5 rounds in total.
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:
Today's writer: Russ Howe PTI is a very popular online personal trainer based in England. You can pick up the full body training routine he used for the jason statham workout via his blog today.