Crank Up Your Core with Jason Statham's Six-Pack Workout
Abs work might seem like the one part of your training that would be easy to do at home. But a few minutes’ planking and crunching won’t build the deep-core strength that has served Jason Statham well in his careers both as a Commonwealth Games high-diver and an occasionally shirt-averse actor. Rubbing broad shoulders with the likes of Arnie and Sly might be Statham’s new normal, but his physique is as achievable as it is aspirational, free from the colossal heft of the aforementioned action heroes in their prime.
And that’s fortunate for your home body plan. Statham’s training – programmed by PT Logan Hood – uses a clever combination of isometric holds to fire up the core and functional moves that melt calories. Both of these can be adapted to build an awe-inspiring physique with minimal kit. Nameless henchmen, beware.
Hold Steady for Statham’s Six-Pack
With a series of static holds and metabolically demanding bodyweight moves, you can create a core workout that builds strength and ratchets up your heart rate. It’s your first step to HD abs.
You'll work through each of these moves in sets – for example, in set A, perform each move in order, with 10 secs rest between them, then repeat. After four rounds, you move onto set B.
A1/ Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk
4 sets of 30sec, 10sec rest
Pick up a pair of heavy dumbbells. Pull your shoulder blades back and down and tilt your pelvis forward to work your core. Walk for 15 seconds, return, shake it off, move to the parallettes.
A2/ L-Sit on Parallettes
4 sets of 30sec, 10sec rest
Parallettes are a smart investment, but if you don’t have any, set up two sturdy chairs just wider than your shoulders. Take your weight in your arms, crunch your knees up to your chest, then extend your feet. Hold, drop, shake it off, and move on.
A3/ Bodyweight Squat Hold
4 sets of 30sec, 10sec rest
Stand tall, your hands behind your head. Squat, but not all the way: sink until your thighs are parallel with the floor. When your legs burn, contract your core. Rest, then move back to the DBs for round two.
B1/ Bear Crawl
8 sets of 15m, no rest
Drop onto all fours, with your hands beneath your shoulders, then brace your core and lift your knees an inch from the floor. Crawl forward, with the opposite hand and foot moving together. Keep it slow and steady, ensuring that your back remains flat.
B2/ Crab Walk
8 sets of 15m, 30sec rest
Don’t drop after the bear crawl. Flip your body to face the ceiling. Keep your feet under your knees and tense your glutes as you walk to keep your hips in line with your body. Retrace your steps, rest and then bear crawl again.
The Cool-Down
Statham has a full-size gymnastic trampoline that he uses to practise 10 minutes of freestyle aerial work. In addition to fine-tuning your motor skills, the trampoline is supposed to be good for your lymphatic system, speeding the removal of toxins. Not enough space in the garden? Sub in skipping intervals.
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more delivered straight to your inbox.
Need some positivity right now? Subscribe to Esquire now for a hit of style, fitness, culture and advice from the experts
You Might Also Like
