TO PLAY THE role of Prince Adam (better known as He-Man) in Masters of the Universe, actor Nicholas Galitzine says he had to put on “as much size as possible.” And he knew it would involve plenty of work. “I was pretty fit when I was playing rugby,” he says. “But I’d never packed on that amount of size in so little time.”
So Galitzine, 31, went to work, training with LA-based fitness guru Jason Walsh. Walsh, who’s also trained the likes of Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, and Jake Gyllenhaal, focused on the basics with Galitzine, and described him as “really cool” to work with. “Nick played rugby, so he’s got some athleticism,” says Walsh. “But he’d never really lifted like this before.”
Walsh added that he appreciated how well Galitzine listened to his wisdom. “Usually [guys] come in with their own mindset. It’s very macho,” Walsh says. “They say I know how to do this, I know how to do that. I didn’t need to do that with [Nick], which was really cool.”
Up to five days a week, he and Galitzine paired up at Walsh’s West Hollywood gym to hit the basics: squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, rows. The pair had less than three months to add He-Man-level bulk to Galitzine’s frame, and those basic moves were key.
That led to a training regimen that focused on two ideas: Classic exercises and isometrics (think: Planks, dead hangs, and holding the bottom position of a squat or pushup). These, Walsh said, were better than marathon workout sessions or jumping too early into ultra-heavy weights. “I wanted him to understand good technique and movement patterns,” says Walsh. “Every week we progressed all that stuff. It’s very basic—but it’s also critically important.”
The isometric holds offered plenty of benefits. First off, they were a quick way to master full range of motion, and to build grip and core strength. They strengthen your tendons and connective tissue, says Walsh, helping prepare the body for the demands of rapid transformations and stunt-heavy shoots. They’re also a great way to teach the basic form points of each exercise, creating awareness in the most challenging positions of a move.
“The guys that just go in and just start doing bodybuilding type stuff, they’re going to be injury prone,” says Walsh. “Do the basics. Get functional, get resilient, and learn how to recover. These are your tools, you know?”
By building up smartly, Walsh ensured that Galitzine would show up on set jacked, pain-free, and ready for action.“People want to go zero to 60,” says Walsh. “You’ve gotta learn how to go 10 miles an hour first.”
None of that means Galitzine’s workout was easy. Try out this total-body session from Galitzine’s training block, which blends those iso-holds with supersets and a vicious circuit at the end. Take it on after an ultra-brief warmup (think: 1 minute each of planks, reverse lunges, and jumping jacks).
WORKOUT
Directions: Do the moves in order. Rest about 90 seconds to 2 minutes between each superset.
Zercher Squat Superset
4 sets
This one blasts quads, glutes, and hamstrings. The overcoming isometric primes your quads to attack the Zercher with proper technique and helps you own the bottom position of every squat rep.
Isometric Zercher Squat
Stand holding an unloaded barbell in the crooks of your elbows, abs and glutes tight, feet slightly wider than shoulder width, near a secure squat rack.Then lower into the bottom of a squat.
Have a training partner set both spotter arms about 6 inches above the bar. Begin to ascend from your squat, driving the bar into the spotter arms. You won’t be able to budge the rack; despite this, continue to contract quads and glutes and try to drive the bar upward. Hold for 8 seconds.
Zercher Squat
Reset the rack properly, then load the barbell with weight in the rack. Once again remove the barbell from the rack, holding it in the crooks of your elbows, abs and glutes tight, feet wider than shoulder-width.
Bend at the knees and hips, lowering into the bottom of a squat. Hold for 1 second, then stand, squeezing your glutes. That’s 1 rep; do 6.
Row Superset
4 sets
This superset blasts your midback muscles and provides underrated challenge for your abs and glutes, too.
Isometric Inverted Row
Lie on the ground on your back, inside a squat rack, chest directly under a barbell set safely in the rack. Reach your hands straight up toward the bar (which should be positioned a few inches above the maximum length of your arms. Grasp the bar using an overhand grip. Keeping your abs and glutes tight, pull your torso and legs off the ground, so that only the backs of your heels are on the ground.
This is the start. Now, bend at the elbows and shoulders, pulling your ribs toward the bar. Hold for 8 seconds, then lower.
Pendlay Row
Stand with a loaded barbell close to your shins, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and push your butt back, lowering your torso until your hands can grasp the bar tightly with an underhand grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades, and make sure your shoulders are slightly higher than your hips.
Tighten your abs and glutes. Pull the bar off the ground and row it toward your ribcage. Lower back to the ground. (Aim to keep your torso as steady as possible as you do this.) That’s 1 rep. Do 8.
Chest Superset
4 sets
This final series blasts chest, triceps and shoulders. Make sure you use a dumbbell at least 20 pounds lighter than your pressing weight for the iso-hold.
Dumbbell Bench Press Iso-Hold
Lie with your back on a bench, abs and glutes tight, dumbbells held directly over your shoulders. Bend at the shoulders and elbows, lowering the dumbbells to within an inch of your chest. Hold for 8 seconds.
Dumbbell Press
Lie with your back on a bench, abs and glutes tight, dumbbells held directly over your shoulders. Bend at the shoulders and elbows, lowering the dumbbells to within an inch of your chest. Press back up. That’s 1 rep; do 8.
Dumbbell Complex
5 rounds
This total-body complex attacks your shoulders and raises your heart rate, too. Using 20- to 35-pound dumbbells, do 6 reps of each move, then rest for 1 minute. Do 5 rounds. Aim to get through each round without putting down both dumbbells.
Upright Row
Stand holding two dumbbells at your hips, abs and glutes tight. Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, lift them upwards. As they near shoulder height, row pull them back and squeeze your shoulder blades, as if doing a row. Lower with control. That’s 1 rep.
Dumbbell Snatch
Stand holding two dumbbells at your hips, abs and glutes tight, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Push your butt back slightly, holding the dumbbells between your legs, arms relaxed.
Stand explosively (you may rise onto your toes as you do this), and while pulling both dumbbells upwards. Keep the weights close to your body as you do this. As the weights approach shoulder height, powerfully punch them overhead, straightening your elbows and standing tall. Lower with control. That’s 1 rep. (Struggling with this one? Do 6 single-arm snatches on each side instead of working them with both arms.)
Overhead Press
Stand holding two dumbbells at your shoulders, abs and glutes tight, knees bent slightly. Press the dumbbells overhead, straightening your elbows. Lower back to your shoulders. That’s 1 rep; do 6.
Bent-Over Row
Stand holding dumbbells at your hips. Push your butt back slightly and lower your torso until it’s at about a 45-degree angle with the ground; keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you do this. This is the start. Keeping your abs and glutes tight, row the dumbbells to your ribcage. Lower with control. That’s 1 rep; do 6.
Dumbbell Snatch
Finish things off with one more round of dumbbell snatches.
Andrew Heffernan, CSCS is a health, fitness, and Feldenkrais coach, and an award-winning health and fitness writer. His writing has been featured in Men’s Health, Experience Life, Onnit.com, and Openfit, among other outlets. An omnivorous athlete, Andrew is black belt in karate, a devoted weight lifter, and a frequent high finisher in triathlon and Spartan races. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.
