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The stuntman's workout: top Hollywood stuntman Henry Kingi Jr. shows you how to become strong and muscular without any fancy equipment

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2003 by Ian Cohen

Henry Kingi Jr., one mean hombre, has developed quite a reputation for tackling some of Hollywood's most daring stunts in a litany of current feature hits: The Scorpion King, Blade, Assassins and xXx. He attributes much of his success and longevity in the business to his dedicated fitness regimen. "If you're going to put your body to work for you, you have to work for your body," he says. "My career and overall well-being rely heavily upon my ability to respond to constant physical pressure. I would have a very difficult time walking away from the majority of stunts I perform if I didn't stick to a regular fitness routine--one that most anyone can do."

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WHAT YOU GET--WHAT YOU NEED

The goal of Kingi's workout is to increase strength, lean muscle, flexibility and endurance. After incorporating his cardio and weight-training exercises into your fitness routine, you may not develop an urge to have your noggin beaned by a barstool, which served as Kingi's introduction into stunt work, but you'll be in much better condition and much more able to excel at the activities you already enjoy, or to pursue those that are a bit more hazardous.

You can perform this stuntman workout in your own home. All you need are a couple of adjustable dumbbells, a jump rope, an adjustable bench, and about an hour's time three times a week. That's not much considering the rewards you'll reap.

THE EXERCISES

CARDIO

ROPE JUMPING Your feet should only come one or two inches off the floor when you jump, while the rope should swing about 10 inches over your head. Shoot for somewhere between 120 and 170 revolutions per minute.

SHADOWBOXING To get the full benefits of this exercise, you need to keep up the intensity for three straight minutes, moving your feet and throwing punches as if you were actually boxing an opponent.

WEIGHT TRAINING

1. FLAT DUMBBELL PRESS (pecs, anterior deltoid, triceps) Holding a pair of dumbbells, lie on a flat bench and extend your arms over your chest, palms forward (1a). Inhale and lower the weight until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (1b). Without pausing, immediately press the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.

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2. INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS (upper pecs, anterior deltoid, triceps) Holding a pair of dumbbells, lie on an incline bench set at 20 to 30 degrees and extend your arms toward the ceiling, palms forward (2a). Inhale and lower the weight until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (2b). Without pausing, immediately press the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3. FLAT-BENCH FLYE (pecs) Holding a pair of dumbbells, lie on a flat bench and extend your arms over your chest, palms facing in (3a). Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly lower the dumbbells down in a wide, arcing motion to each side of the chest, stopping at shoulder level (3b). Hold for two seconds, then contract your pecs and slowly return to the starting position in the same wide arc.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

4. PLYOMETRIC PUSH-UP (pecs, anterior deltoid, triceps) Get in the push-up position with your hands just outside your shoulders (4a). From this position, press upward with as much force as possible so that your hands come completely off the floor and clap (4b) before returning to the starting position (4c). Repeat.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

5. SEATED SHOULDER PRESS (deltoids) Sit on an upright bench set at 90 degrees with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forward (5a). Your elbows should be directly below your hands. Keeping your back flat against the bench, exhale and press the dumbbells overhead in an arcing motion until they almost touch (5b). Do not arch your back when pressing up or lock out your elbows at the top of the movement. Hold for a second at the top, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

6. SHRUG (trapezius) Stand with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides (6a). Shrug your shoulders, contracting the muscles of your upper back (6b). Pause for two seconds at the top, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

7. REAR-DELTOID RAISE (rear deltoid) Stand with a dumbbell held in each hand down by your sides. Bend forward at the hips until your torso is almost parallel with the floor. Your lower back should be slightly arched, your knees slightly bent (7a). With a slight bend in your elbows, your palms facing each other, slowly raise both arms directly out to the sides in an arc until you feel a strong contraction in the posterior deltoid (7b). This should occur as each arm becomes parallel to the floor. Hold for one second at the top, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

8. DIP (triceps) Slide your glutes off the edge of the bench until your hands (hip-width apart) are supporting your weight, fingers forward (8a). With your arms positioned vertically, legs extended out in front, lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (8b). Pause, slowly return to' the starting position and repeat.

The stuntman's workout: top Hollywood stuntman Henry Kingi Jr. shows you how to become strong and muscular without any fancy equipment

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2003 by Ian Cohen

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