In this week’s WednesdayWorkout we look at how Jake Gylenhaal got in the shape of his life for his role in the smash hit boxing film, Southpaw!
Gyllenhaal’s routine was completely boxing orientated, with the five month preparation period leading up to filming, being all about getting into the mindset and body composition of a real life boxer. The training focused on making sure Gyllenhaal completely understood the world of boxing, in order to allow him to represent the sport to the best of his ability.
Here is a snippet of his routine:
- Pullups
- Plank Walk
- Plank
- Dips
- Pushups
- Tyre Flip
This set of exercises focused on building muscle in Jake’s arms, chest, back, abs and legs. The tyre flip in particular works a number of muscle groups, and with body weight exercises such as push ups, pull ups and dips, not a lot goes unscathed.
Another set of exercises he did were:
- Barbell Bench Press
- Bar Dip
- Barbell Walking Lunge
- Seated Dumbbell Press
- Barbell Squat
- Barbell Deadlift
Gyllenhaal also did lots of skipping as all boxing professionals do. This provided a great calorie-burning HIIT workout!
This set of exercises has a unique focus on compound exercises – exercises which are a singular movement working multiple muscle groups. The deadlift is a compound exercise and is considered one of the best movements in the world by most fitness professionals. It works almost every muscle in your body and is extremely effective at burning calories, during and after your workout.
Jake Gyllenhaal is undeniably in incredible shape, and this is thanks to a strict diet coupled with an intense exercise routine.