Muscle & Fitness UK – July 2019

JULY 2019/MUSCLE & FITNESS 63

different exercises for each body part,
every session, to keep my body guessing.
I also train martial arts twice a week,
drilling and hitting pads, with one or two
yoga sessions for flexibility. I need my
body to look a certain way on camera,
but then I also need it to be functional
for what I’m doing.

You mentioned yoga, is stretching
important to you?
It’s become so important as I get older.
I always stretched my legs as a martial
artist, but rarely stretched my upper
body. I first started doing it for rehab and
recovery and now it’s part of my routine.
Remember, resistance training with
weights makes your muscles tight,
so it’s important to stretch regularly.

You’re known for a flashy fighting
style, but Avengement is grittier
and more grounded in reality. What
routine did you follow?
I was on location with no gym access,
so I did a lot of bodyweight training
and conditioning, but it worked for the
character as it emulates how he trains in

prison. I did intense circuit style training

with pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges and

anything I could get my hands on. I didn’t

need to do any shadow boxing or kicks

because I was doing more than enough

on set every day! There’s a huge amount

of action in the film.

Now in your 40s, is there any advice

you’d give your younger self?

When you’re a young person, you can

hammer yourself in the gym and get

results. I used to push my body to the

limit every time and train to failure.

There’s a wear and tear your joints go

through that you don’t realise, and you

only feel as you get older! For example, I

don’t do leg extensions anymore because

it puts the ACL under pressure. I’ve had

an ACL replacement and the surgeon

specifically told me not to do leg

extensions. Now, I won’t train to failure

but, through full body workouts, I’m able

to train more, and train smarter.

What’s the best workout you

ever had?

Whilst filming The Expendables 2,

I trained back and biceps with Arnold

Schwarzenegger. It doesn’t get better

than that! I think it was a bit of a

half-hearted workout for him, just

maintenance, but it was very cool,

he’s the man!

Which actors have you been most

impressed by, in terms of their

physicality?

I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of

good people. For me, one of the best

physiques of all-time is Jean-Claude Van

Damme at his peak and he still looks

great now. Hugh Jackman got into

amazing shape as Wolverine and he’s

also an incredible, humble guy. When

we did Doctor Strange, Benedict

Cumberbatch was finishing Hamlet,

sometimes doing two shows a day, then

he’d come to train for our film. He didn’t

have a mask to hide behind so he had to

do a lot of action himself! With people

like Donnie Yen, who I worked with on Ip

Man 4, you’re talking about the “best of

the best” with a wealth of knowledge.

I learned a lot from him. All these guys

have an intense, crazy work ethic.

Any diet tips?

I like intermittent fasting. I’ll eat within an

eight-hour window and fast for 16 hours.

I’ve never been good at measuring food

but, this way, I can eat what I need and

I’m still consuming less calories overall,

which is good for staying lean. I also

enjoy the occasional cheat meal, but you

need to avoid too much sugar and the

resulting inflammation in the body.

Why should film fans watch

Avengement?

It’s packed with fights, so I’ve got it

covered for the action audience, but

there’s much more there. It’s got a great

story and character and it’s a bit off-beat,

but it moves at a fast pace. It’s something

I’ve never done before.

Avengement is out on Digital

Download 17th June and on Blu-ray &

DVD 1st July 2019