John Boyega is in the gym training hard, but not for any one particular part. With his turn as Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy in his rearview, Boyega is ready to take on new roles that demand even more from him, both as an actor and as a purely physical presence.
“As an actor, it’s important to maintain your body,” Boyega told the MH crew when we caught up with him at the Physique Warehouse in the UK. “We never know what job is next most of the time, so in preparation for these roles that come your way, it’s good to keep your body in shape.” More specifically, though, he says that many of the roles he’s considering have much more of “an element of physicality.” He’s settled on a few specific goals for his training: shred fat, get lean, and add muscle.
Boyega puts in plenty of work to achieve those goals, taking on five to six sessions in the gym per week with his trainer, Tim Blakely. These workouts aren’t filled with fancy moves or tons of high-tech equipment; Blakely says that the training is simple. “There’s no smoke and mirrors. It’s nuts and bolts hard work—consistency.”
There are some days that Boyega enjoys more than others, however. “Leg day is the worst day,” Boyega told MH in his new cover story interview. “All the training that I do is about detail, posture, and getting the most out of each rep.”
Thankfully there were no squats on the agenda when we stopped by to check out his routine. Boyega and Blakely walked us through his go-to chest day workout, a no-nonsense, bodybuilding-inspired session to pump up the upper body.
John Boyega’s Chest Pumping Workout
- Bench Press
3 sets of 6 to 12 reps
- Machine Decline Press
3 sets of 6 to 12 reps
- Cable Fly
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
- Modified Incline Press
3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
- Machine Chest Fly
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
- Dips
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
This article was first published on Men’s Health US.
