Keanu Reeves is 54 years old, and he has spent the past year of his life filming the third installment of John Wick. In order to play this role, Reeves has to be in superior shape. He utilized a pretty strict workout plan this time around, that is designed to build muscular endurance, while avoiding overworking his body. With so many fit actors in this field of work right now, it took a lot of dedication for Reeves to maintain his success with the John Wick character. The first movie came out in 2014. Five years later, Reeves’ age should have made it more of a challenge to prepare properly. Instead, The Matrix star demonstrated the work ethic that got him this success in the first place.
Keanu Reeves has a large number of action sequences under his belt, each of them going down in movie history. He learned and practiced Chinese martial arts for his role as Neo in The Matrix. The choreographed fight sequences followed the art of Wire-Fu. A short break after The Matrix fame changed into star-powered success with John Wick. Chapter 3 – Parabellum is going to be coming out later this month. Reeves looks more youthful and fit as ever. It’s likely he’s going to receive some impressive accolades from his fans and peers with this movie.
To get in shape for John Wick 3, Reeves hired the famous L.A. trainer and corrective exercise expert, Patrick Murphy. With many physical injuries under his belt, Reeves took on the challenge of perfecting his body for the Wick character. Workouts and diet were main focuses, but there was also the need for set recovery time. This would prevent injuries, help healing and promote better results. Reeves has been very vocal about the John Wick character being very hard on his body. He also took on training for jujutsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo and tactical shooting training. A lot of his training didn’t so much involve exercise or learning new practices. He was essentially being trained as a stunt professional. He trained for almost 6 full months before the shooting for John Wick 3 even began. The results can be seen in the movie.
Reeves’ trainer expressed that movement was really the main focus behind the star’s workout plan. Massive weight training wasn’t the goal. It was more about getting moving each day, building up muscle endurance and achieving a level of stability that Reeves didn’t have before. By the end of the workout, Reeves was tired. However, he also felt really good with what he just accomplished. The filming process was more trying on his body than anything else. Murphy focuses a great deal on providing a very low-risk exercise experience to all of his clients. High-volume exercise with low-impact was what Reeves got the most results from. Rest occurs after the workout has ended; not during the workout. A thousand reps per workout with very little rest might sound like a lot, but Reeves was ready for action. Resistance bands were used over free weights. These bands can be a lot easier on the body; especially the joints.
If you want to get a body like John Wick, you can perform the following exercises with 20 reps each. You want to make sure you take very little rest in between each move. Listen to your body, and only push your body to the level that it can handle. Two minutes rest in between is recommended. Repeat for six rounds total.
- Reverse Lunge Front DB Raise – 6 sets @ 20 reps
- Bosu Lunge Shoulder Press – 6 sets @ 20 reps
- Reverse-Step Resistance Band Row – 6 sets @ 20 reps
- Squat with TRX Shoulder Iso-Hold – 6 sets @ 20 reps
- Banded Lateral Walk Pallof Press – 6 sets @ 20 reps
- Single-Leg Pistol Squat Hops – 6 sets @ 20 reps
Some other exercises that you can work into your routine with the use of resistance bands can include:
External Band Rotations
You’ll want to use a folded towel and fasten your resistance band at the height of your waist. Standing to one side, hold the band in your hand that is farthest away from your body and in front of your belly button. Tuck the towel between your side and elbow, rotating your arm out and to the side of your body. Move as far as you can before the resistance starts to pull you back in.
Single-Arm Lateral Band Raises
Your resistance band should be anchored at ground level. Holding it in one hand, stand to the side so your arm is extended completely. Raise your arm up to your side at the height of your shoulder. Slowly resist moving the band quickly as you move back to your starting position.
Wall Press
Dumbbells can be used to add a bit of weight to this workout. Standing with your back to the wall, bring your arms out wide and then bend at the elbow so you look like a set of goal posts. Use military presses to bring your hands up above your head, while trying to keep your arms against the wall for the entire movement.
Leg Reach and Single-Leg Balancing
While standing on one foot, extend your other foot in front of your body. You’ll want to hover it just over the floor’s surface. Bend the standing leg if you need a little more support. Coming back through the center, extend your free foot out to the side. Coming back through the center, extend your foot out behind you.
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