Game of Thrones heartthrob and Aquaman star Jason Momoa is known the world over for his blockbuster acting skills and proud title as winner of the world’s genetic lottery. However, even Momoa has to put in the work to be ready for the silver screen, and this crazy workout is exactly how he does it.
We’ve long been fans of Jason Momoa: the Hawaiian model turned actor turned heartthrob is a style icon with a long list of smash-hit shows and movies to his name including the addictive if incestuous Game of Thrones. Now, he’s been announced as the lead antagonist in the long-awaited Fast X.
Standing at an impressive 6’4 and having all the macho hallmarks to go with it — including but definitely not limited to a pirate’s beard, traditional Hawaiian tattoos, and even a facial scar — one of Momoa’s most valuable assets is undoubtedly his killer body.
But how exactly did Momoa develop and maintain his superhero shred? Well, some insider knowledge from his longtime friend and trainer Eric Laciste reveals the secret formula to keeping Momoa feeling good and looking even better.
WATCH: The final trailer for the long-awaited Fast X.
The first thing to know about Momoa, however, is that he hates going to the gym. He’d never lifted weights before 2010 and only started doing so to get in shape for the role that was supposed to make him (but turned out to be a monumental flop): Conan the Barbarian.
Rather, Momoa much prefers getting his exercise through high-octane outdoor pursuits wherever possible, finding them significantly more stimulating than hours on end in the gym. Unfortunately for any bidding training partners, he also loves getting up early:
“I get up at 5am and I train hard. I’ve got two young children, so I have to get up early. But I like it. Morning is when I do all my best work. Whenever I wake up, I’m up, I don’t lie there like an idiot. I get up, run up a hill, get some exercise and have some time with my thoughts.”
Jason Momoa
Another thing to bear in mind with Momoa is that he loves a good time. An evangelical proponent of high-volume Guinness drinking, it’s clear that for Momoa he trains to live rather than living to train. Given that we’re big on men’s mental health here at DMARGE, we’re very happy to hear that Momoa’s a proponent of the work-life balance.
In light of all this, Momoa’s trainer knew that the key to getting Momoa into the gym — and, more importantly, keep him coming back — was to keep his workouts short but devastatingly effective. And that’s exactly where the barbarian workout comes into play…
The Workout
Taking only thirty minutes in total but somehow squeezing in over 300 reps to such a short time frame, the premise is pretty simple. First, pick three exercises from the following list. If you’re torn, don’t worry: you’ll rotate between all five across the remainder of the week and should be doing three workouts in total:
- Squats
- Shoulder Presses
- Incline Bench Presses
- Cable Crosses
- Pull-Ups
Once you’ve picked your three exercises, the next step is picking the right weight. In order to make this workout as effective as it evidently can be, pick a weight that’s around two-thirds of your one rep max. Naturally, you should look to increase this very slightly every time you work out.
Here’s how the workout goes:
- Perform 7 reps
- Take a 7-second rest
- Perform another 7 reps
- Take another 7-second rest
- Repeat the above steps for a total of 7 sets of 7 reps
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Perform a 6-rep round, doing 6 sets of 6 reps with 6 seconds of rest between each set
- Finish with a 5-rep round, bringing your total rep count for this exercise to 110
- Take a well-earned breather
- Repeat the entire process with your two other chosen exercises
It may only take thirty minutes, but it’s absolutely brutal and has been known to make grown men cry, scream, and much more. If it can make you look like Momoa and only requires three thirty-minute sessions a week though… What’s not to love?
Be sure to reward yourself with a Guinness or two directly afterwards; it’s what the big man would want.