Amazon Prime Video’s long-awaited Road House remake finally hit streaming platforms this week after months of hype online. Starring Hollywood veteran Jake Gyllenhaal alongside UFC titan Conor McGregor — who, apparently, was told to “turn down the crazy” for the role — the film has been greeted with enthusiasm by die-hard fans of the original and younger viewers drawn to its star-studded cast alike.
While Hollywood transformations are nothing new, every once in a while an actor takes things to the next level. Safe to say that one such actor is Jake Gyllenhaal, whose Road House metamorphosis has left fans and fitness enthusiasts in awe. Known for his chameleon-like ability to chisel out his body for roles, Gyllenhaal has outdone himself this time, appearing in the most shredded shape of his two-decade career.
WATCH: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House Physique
To properly portray MMA-fighter-turned-formidable-bouncer, Dalton, Gyllenhaal had to both look and move like a UFC champ. Taking over a year of dedicated training, an expert team, and a workout regimen that pushed even this toughest of actors to his limits, Gyllenhaal’s trainer has finally revealed all.
Together, Jason Walsh and Gyllenhaal got the star’s weight down from 205 pounds (93kg) to a very lean 184 pounds (83.4kg), all while somehow building muscle mass. Beginning with a baseline conditioning phase followed by a hypertrophy phase and then a sport-specific phase to hone the UFC-style movement patterns necessary for the role, it’s safe to say that long-term structure was the key to success here.
Naturally, nutrition played a critical role, with the actor forgoing sweet treats in favour of a very closely curated meal plan that kept him lean while maintaining his hard-earned muscle mass. While the meal plan is yet to be realised in full, one interesting dimension is that Gyllehnaal had some digestive issues with dairy-based whey protein so instead switched to a custom-crafted plant-based powder that has now been released as Rise311.
The centrepiece of Gyllenhaal’s training was a gruelling core circuit designed by Walsh, performed two to three times a week, that sculpted the actor’s superhero abs. You can see this in full below…
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House Workout
Here’s a breakdown of Jake Gyllenhaal’s workout routine for his role in Road House:
Main Movements
- Mobility Drills: mobility sticks were used to increase range of motion and prepare for training.
- Proteus Motion Machine: used for warming up joints and establishing proper movement patterns.
- Isometrics: inverted row holds (3 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off) to increase strength and stamina at different joint angles.
- Heavy Sled: heavy sled pushes and pulls to challenge the body with a heavy stimulus.
- Safety Bar Squat: heavyweight movements like the safety bar squat to maintain muscle coordination.
- Forearm Drills: grip drills reduce a common limiting factor in heavy lifts.
- Offset Loaded Bag Drills: offset loads prepare for MMA-specific movements.
- Floor Press: variations of classic strength movements, like the floor press instead of the standard bench press, keep the routine fresh.
- Chain Pushup: as above… plus it makes you feel cool.
- Suspension Trainer Push-Pull: cross-lateral loading exercises, such as a TRX band row and dumbbell press, which are crucial for MMA fight training.
- Push-Pull Rips: to maintain balance and mimic punching movements.
- Climber Sprints: Finish workouts with conditioning in the form of VersaClimber sprints, a low-impact, full-body machine that quickly ramps up the heart rate.
Killer Core Circuit (2-3 times a week):
- KB Overhead Carries (60 meters): Press a pair of kettlebells overhead, engage abs and glutes, and walk forward.
- Front-Rack KB Carries (60 meters): Hold kettlebells at shoulders, keep abs and glutes engaged, and walk forward.
- Zercher Squats (8-15 reps): Hold a barbell in the crooks of elbows, keep abs and glutes tight, squat, pause for 3 seconds, then stand.
- Split-Stance Physio-Ball Chops (8-15 reps per side): Kneel on one knee, hold a physio ball or cable handle, reach up and to the side, then drive toward the opposite hip.