The Jake Gyllenhaal Workout

If you’ve seen Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, you may have thought to yourself.. “Wow. I wonder what it took for him to get shape for the role!” We were curious ourselves, and the level of dedication may surprise you! Check out his full workout routine below…

THE JAKE GYLLENHAAL WORKOUT

When Jake Gyllenhaal signed up to star in the action movie Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, he called on fitness expert Simon Waterson to help transform his lean and lithe body into that of a muscle-bound warrior. “The ultimate goal with Jake’s training was to provide a functional, strong and agile physique which would enable him to carry out the huge workload and stresses he’d have to undertake as Prince Dastan in the movie,” explains Waterson. “My main aim was to build athleticism because his scenes included running, jumping, climbing and sword-fighting – but he also had to look amazing, too.”
So exactly how did Waterson – a former Royal Marine – approach the personal training with Gyllenhaal? Read on to discover the intense daily workout regimen tackled by the Hollywood actor in preparation for the physically demanding role…

5 A.M.
“We’d start the day very early with a strong black coffee and a pre-workout snack of half a banana and some nuts,” explains Waterson. “Jake was staying in London at the time, so we’d drive to Hyde Park to work out on the sand horse tracks, which would mimic the sand of Morocco where much of the movie was filmed. Every workout would start of with warm-up exercises and stretches – and then Jake would put on a 20lb-weighted jacket to simulate the armor he would wear in the movie. He’d run around on the sand for 30 to 40 minutes before spending an hour on cardio exercises including sit-ups, press-up, squat thrusts and uphill sprints. Finally, we’d finish off with some stretches and a cool-down session – and then we’d head home.”

7.30 A.M.
“Jake would eat breakfast around 7.30 A.M. every morning. This would consist of an egg white omelet with a piece of rye toast and half a protein shake with blueberries, raspberries and almonds. After a shower, he’d head off to the studio for the day where he’d work on the pre-production of the movie. He’d be involved with stunt rehearsals, fight choreography, costume tests and script run-throughs before returning home for his evening workout.”

10 A.M.
“It was essential to keep Jake well fueled throughout the day, so he would eat small and often. A small snack consists of anything from a cereal bar to a power bar or half a protein shake and some nuts or dark chocolate.”

MIDDAY
“A typical lunch would be a light meal of brown rice, chicken and a dark green, leafy vegetable like broccoli, steamed asparagus or spinach. Alternatively, he’d have a baked potato with tuna and salad.”

2 P.M. AND 4 P.M.
“Afternoon snacks would often involve crudités like carrots and broccoli or celery with some kind of dip, like hummus or ranch. He’d eat every two hours in preparation for the intense workouts.”

6 P.M.
“We’d tackle a lot of circuit-based training in the hour-long evening session. This involved pull-ups, plyometrics, jumps and sit-ups. We’d use things like kettle bells during these exercises, as well as cables to simulate sword fights. We would end the session with a couple of compound exercises before stretching and cooling down. A compound exercise is an exercise where you use multiple muscle groups and you lift heavy weights. Typical examples of compound exercises are dead lifts, shoulder press and bench press exercises. These would allow Jake to develop muscle tissue, which gave him the aesthetics for the character.”

7.30 P.M.
“If possible, Jake would get a half-hour deep tissue massage after the evening workout. This would help get blood into the right areas to heal and prevent muscle soreness – and to make sure the muscles were ready to work again the next day. For dinner, he’d eat a lean piece of meat or a little bit of sushi. Anything protein-based and lean would work, but if we finished late and it was within two hours of going to bed, it would better to have soup instead. A light soup like chicken and sweet corn soup works wonders because it’s easier to digest while you’re trying to sleep.”

9 P.M.
“I’d always suggest Jake get to bed as early as possible because he’d have to be up before 5 A.M. every morning to tackle another day of intense exercise and work. There was never time for a late night with a workout regimen like this, but Jake put in 100 percent of effort and it all paid off with a remarkable level of fitness and a great movie role. It all worked out in the end.”

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME is Available on Blu-ray & DVD Septmeber 14th!