Kevin Hart has always been in great shape, but like Harrison Ford and our very own founder Luc Weisman, it’s the way he’s managed to take his fitness to a whole new level during his 40s that’s arguably the most impressive thing about his training regime. This week, he shared a video on his socials that contains all the knowledge you need for getting shredded in middle age.
Effectively a hype reel designed to show off his newly-chiselled rig ahead of his upcoming tour, the video is a short but sweet tour de force through Hart’s workout plan, showing him smashing out a very wide range of exercises, shirtless for much of the process. If your missus is nearby, send her on her way lest her head get turned and take a look below, before we deep dive into what we can learn from…
Nutrition
The Cut
The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the video is just how lean Hart is — despite also being packed with muscle. If you want this kind of physique, getting your nutrition right is always the most important and usually most punishing step.
You’ll likely need to partake in a ‘cut’ by maintaining a strict calorie deficit over an extended period of time, just like Zac Efron did before filming Baywatch. Here are some general nutritional guidelines to follow, but bear in mind that nutrition varies from person to person:
- Calculate your calories: To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than your body burns. Calculate your daily calorie needs and subtract 250-500 calories per day to create a gradual calorie deficit.
- Eat plenty of fibre: Fibre-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help keep you feeling full and satisfied during a cut.
- Stay hydrated: Adequate hydration is essential for optimal health and can also help curb hunger and cravings.
It’s important to note that a successful cut requires patience and consistency. It’s not advisable to try to lose too much body fat too quickly, as this can lead to muscle loss and other health problems. Aim for a gradual, sustainable rate of fat loss, and be sure to listen to your body and adjust your nutrition plan as needed.
The Bulk
After this, you may then want to begin controlled bulk in order to pile on some muscle. We’d suggest focusing on weight loss first but, should you want to begin this next phase, we suggest going for the Iron Claw method rather than the Tom Hary Bane Bulk…
Movement
Warming Up
In one of the opening clips of the video, you can see Hart doing what appears to be a bodyweight split squat with a resistance band wrapped around his back and shoulders.
While we don’t get a long enough view to see exactly what he’s doing with it, the takeaway message is clear: focusing on stretching, warming up, and mobility work both before and after an intense workout is crucial for keeping injuries at bay as you get older. Don’t sleep on this.
Resistance Training
We can broadly divide Hart’s resistance training into three sections: compound movement, isolation exercises, and HIIT-style weighted movements. A careful balance of all three is necessary for a well-rounded physique and overall health.
Compound exercises: We don’t see Hart execute any of these in full, but at one point he looks to be gearing up for a pretty nice deadlift. Doing compound movements like deadlifts — but also bench presses, squats, and many more — is crucial for building strength across multiple muscle groups at once. They develop an overall strength before you hone in with…
Isolation Exercises: The vast majority of the movements we see Hart undertake are isolation movements that hone in on individual muscles. While compound movements build rounded strength, if you want to make any given muscle — for men, this is usually the main “show muscles” like your biceps, triceps, side delts, or traps — blow up, you need to isolate them. The rope pushdown we see Hart doing is a perfect example.
HIIT-Style movements: Finally, we see Hart getting sweaty with some more high-intensity weighted movements. The star jumps combined with an overhead press are a great example, as are the hanging leg raises that give him that killer six-pack. Doing weighted movements at high speed is a fantastic way to develop muscular endurance.
Cardio
Finally, we arrive at the dreaded cardio section of the workout. Hart may look damned good doing it, but most of us hate stepping up to a treadmill or elliptical. Sadly, it’s absolutely vital if you want to shed a few extra pounds and — far more importantly — keep your aerobic fitness up to par.
It doesn’t need to take forever and you can include a nice mixture of faster sprint work along with low-intensity jogs to make your training more interesting but, however you want to do it, you do have to do it. Don’t just take my word for it; the scientists agree.
So there you have it. Kevin Hart isn’t just a funny guy he’s a devoted demon in the gym too. While you may not have access to a top-level PT or all the gear that Hart does, there’s no reason why you can’t get started on the road to middle-aged shred.