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‘Red Notice’ Director Rawson Marshall Thurber on Fitness Icons and Getting in Shape for His Family

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Rawson Thurber sitting on a bench in the gym


If you don’t know Rawson Marshall Thurber, you definitely know his work—he’s written and directed a string of hit movies, including 2004’s Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and more recent blockbusters like Central Intelligence and Skyscraper. His latest flick, Red Notice, stars Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, and Gal Gadot and is now Netflix’s most-watched film of all time. But Thurber has also found success in a very different arena: the gym. (The photos don’t lie.)

Unlike most Hollywood fitness transformations, Thurber didn’t hit the gym to fill out a superhero costume or show off on camera. Instead, he’s taking the long view—adopting a fitness-focused lifestyle so he can be an active father for his three young kids for years to come. It’s tough work, but worth it.

“That physical engagement with my children just matters to me more than eating a donut,” he tells Men’s Journal.

A little over a year after embarking on his fitness journey, it’s clear the sweat is paying off. We talked with Thurber about his approach to fitness, working out with his wife (“I couldn’t have done it without her”), how the gym compares to Hollywood, and more.

Men’s Journal: When did you first get into fitness?

Rawson Marshall Thurber: Well, I’ve always been athletic. I played collegiate division three football for one year before I hung up my spikes and focused elsewhere. I’ve always loved sports, so I’ve been in the gym off and on for most of my life.

But in terms of this most recent fitness journey, it started while I was in Atlanta making Red Notice. I was talking to my wife, Sarah, and we were sharing what we wanted our goals to be. For me the main goal is to be a healthy and fit father for a long time to come. I started having kids a little later than most, and I want to be in my kids’ lives in a meaningful way for the next 40 years. I thought, “No time like the present to start.”

That was really the main motivator. My wife is also athletic, she used to be a pretty serious ballerina. We decided to go on this journey together, and that’s been the best part of it: sharing this with her. The mission was to get in the best shape of my life, for myself but mostly for my family.

How did you get started?

I had never had a trainer before. To me it was always like, “If you need somebody to count reps for you, then you have a motivation issue.” I just never really saw the value in it. Then I saw my friend Kumail Nanjiani’s transformation, and obviously the world reacted to that with such overwhelming enthusiasm and joy.

When Sarah and I talked about doing this together, I thought, “If we’re going to do this and we want to really achieve, maybe it’s about finding somebody who can be our Sherpa to that mountaintop.”

So I reached out to Kumail, and I said, “Congratulations, so thrilled for you, and what do you think of your trainer, Grant Roberts?” He said, “I love him. Let me introduce you.” That was the key—meeting Grant and having him not just count reps for us, but guide us through the building process and the various stages.

We considered a couple other trainers, but when we met with Grant and spoke with Kumail, it was a no-brainer. He was the right guy for us, he had the right approach, and he understood our goals.

The Riker Brothers

What does your typical fitness routine look like?

Sarah and I, with the help of Grant, have started working out in the morning four times a week for an hour. We put the kids in the car, drop them off, and drive right to the gym and work out.

Obviously, you alternate the parts of the body that you’re working on. Usually it’s either a piece on top and a piece on bottom, or there are alternating muscle groups. So if we were working on our chest, we might do chest then triceps or biceps, something like that. Or we’ll do a shoulder workout with some hamstrings.

Working four days a week allows us to double up on a muscle group. Whatever we want to emphasize, we do twice a week. My wife and I usually have differing opinions on what to double up on. And Grant, because he’s a smart man, will split it. So Sarah would get to double up on legs, and I’d get to double up on shoulders or chest or something else. He keeps it peaceful.

She and I are both very happy with the results. I know this is going to sound corny, but the best part has been sharing this with my wife and doing this together. When she’s tired, I help her rally. And when I’m tired, she helps me rally. We had a close marriage before, but doing this together has brought us even closer.

You’re no stranger to the gym, but does this go-round feel different because of those long-term goals you’ve set?

Oh, completely. Anybody who has kids will tell you that it changes your life in the best way. It changes your priorities: What mattered to you before you had kids does not matter in the same way after you have kids. When I was younger, I was in the gym to get stronger, bigger, faster for whatever sport I was playing. And then after I stopped playing sports, it was about just sheer vanity more than health. How do I look good with my shirt off? But now it’s just become a deeper life goal.

Rawson Thurber using a machine in the gym
The Riker Brothers

Have your kids noticed a difference since you started?

No, they don’t notice. The only thing they notice is when Daddy goes out to the garage to ride the Peloton, that’s pretty much it. Or if I’m on the rowing machine, my daughter sometimes likes to go for a ride.

Do you have a favorite exercise?

I’m a big fan of shoulder work. I really like lateral dumbbell flyes and doing landmine shoulder presses. We’ll load plates on a 45-pound bar that rests at a 45-degree angle. You squat down, pick it up, and press it above your head. And then if Grant wants to get really mean about it, he’ll turn it into a thruster where you squat down and push up with your glutes, then with your arms, so you get the whole body.

Do you have a fitness icon? Anyone you really look up to?

Mathew Fraser [five-time CrossFit Games Champion] is up there for me. I’ve made three movies with Dwayne Johnson, so it’s not lost on me that he’s been in the gym once or twice. And then Kumail—the dedication and willpower it takes to make that kind of transformation is really inspiring.

Rawson Thurber carrying weights
The Riker Brothers

How do you stay fit during production?

Actors get plenty of time off to go work out. As the writer-director, you’re never not needed on set; you don’t have any off days. And you’re usually there very early and very late. For me, the only real way to do it was to wake up before call and do something, even if it’s just 15 minutes. Something is better than nothing—that was my motto going in. Even if it’s bodyweight exercises, even if it’s a hundred pushups and a hundred air squats, that’s something.

How does fitness fit into your work as a writer and director? Do those two sides of your life complement each other in any way?

They’re analogous in that, when you’re in the gym, it takes the same level of focus, dedication, and commitment that it takes to write a screenplay. Part of writing a screenplay is consistency. Some days are not your best, just like in the gym. Some days you have a great six-page day, and other days it’s a page and a half and it’s terrible. But you sit your ass in the seat and you grind.

When I’m making a movie, I always try to remember what my goal is and what I love about it. With Red Notice, my goal was to entertain the world. I wanted to give them two hours of laughs and fun, thrills and chills. When you have a big enough “why,” you can manage almost any “how.” When you keep your eye on the prize, you can deal with all the little stuff because you know what your eventual goal is. The same with working out. My big “why” is I want to be a healthy, vital, and vibrant father for the next 40-plus years in my life for my kids. That’s what gets my ass in the gym.

One of your most beloved films is Dodgeball, which is almost an anti-fitness movie—the Globo Gym team are the bad guys. Did you draw on any of your gym experiences when writing and making that film?

I think I’ve been in enough gyms and worked out enough with people who take it too seriously that it was easy to write White Goodman and the Globo Gym Purple Cobras. I always felt more like an Average Joe myself, so that was super fun to write. Having spent time in the gym during my inglorious sports career, you get to see all sides, and I definitely drew on that for Dodgeball.

Red Notice has a lot of really high-intensity fight scenes. Does being fit help you write or direct those action scenes?

I don’t think being someone who focuses on his own fitness helped me write action sequences; I think loving action sequences helped me write them. But the real key factor is having a fabulous stunt team. We had George Cottle for a stunt coordinator, and we had three incredible stunt doubles: Tanoai Reed, who’s the stuntman of the year, Jonny James, who’s Ryan Reynold’s double, and Stanni Bettridge for Gal Galdot. They’re all fabulous, fabulous athletes. Ryan, Gal, and Dwayne are also incredibly fit people. You can’t find more gifted physical actors than those three, I think.

Rawson Thurber lifting a barbell in the gym
The Riker Brothers

Red Notice has been a huge success. Why do you think it resonated with audiences so well?

I think a big reason for Red Notice‘s success has been that the movie itself is really fun. It’s big stars, big action, big laughs—it’s for everybody, and we made it that way. I can’t tell you the number of messages I’ve been getting where someone says, “My husband and I watched it with our teenage kids and we all loved it.” Or, “My wife and I watched it with our parents and our 9-year-olds, and we all loved it.” Those messages are just so heartening. It’s a movie for people who love movies, and it has no agenda other than to entertain. And I think two hours of fun, joy, laughter, and action is what the world wants right now, considering the last couple years have been real, real tough for everybody.

This is your third film with Dwayne Johnson. Have you ever worked out with him?

Never. I’m still waiting on my invitation to the Iron Paradise, but be careful what you wish for. I think if he did invite me, I’m not sure I would go. I get tired just watching his videos.

What’s harder: building a successful career in Hollywood or getting a six-pack?

Having a successful career in Hollywood comes down to three things: hard work, luck, and talent, probably in equal measure. The only one of those you can control is hard work. Getting abs—that is tenacity and hard work as well. But you don’t need luck or talent to get abs. So maybe it is slightly harder to have a successful career in Hollywood.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.


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10 Best Porters to Drink Right Now

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A bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter




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Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

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Barbell Back Squat


The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.

“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.

If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.

Directions

Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.

Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

Circuit 1

Marius Bugge

A. Barbell Back Squat

Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts renegade row
Marius Bugge

B. Renegade Row

Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side

Circuit 2

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing renegade row Dumbbell Bentover Row in gym
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bentover Row

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 
Marius Bugge

B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 

Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 3

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat

Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Marius Bugge

B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Circuit 4

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing pullup
Marius Bugge

A. Pullup

Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Marius Bugge

B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press

Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 5

A. Dumbbell Pushup

Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps

B. Biceps Curl

Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps


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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout

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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout




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