Just when it seemed that Covid-19 had sunk its claws into every industry, leading us all to become home-bodies that rarely ventured outdoors to engage with the world, Tom Cruise gave the green light to release Top Gun: Maverick in cinemas. Suddenly, any feelings of trepidation or nervousness were replaced instead by a childhood sense of wonder and awe, coupled with a healthy serving of nostalgia. The success of the film is impossible to overstate, having toppled box office records and brought in a staggering $1.5 billion worldwide, becoming the 13th highest-grossing movie ever made.
But while Top Gun: Maverick certainly saw Tom Cruise reprise the role that made him a Hollywood star and sex symbol for men and women alike, it also introduced the world to a slew of new actors who are set to become Hollywood’s leading men. And when it comes to Glen Powell, with his buoyant charisma, laid-back cool and chiseled good looks, his is a future that looks impossibly bright.
Though audiences saw just how ripped Powell was in the film – yes, we’re talking about that beach football scene, it turns out even Powell understands that there’s a difference between the action movie physique, and the rom-com physique, which demands absolutely everything from its star. Set to star in an as-yet-unnamed R-rated romantic comedy opposite Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, Powell is now looking to get in the best shape of his life. “I’ve got to have my shirt off a lot, so I’ve got to look good.”
Just as he prepared for Top Gun, Powell has enlisted the services of his long-term trainer, Ultimate Performance’s Eddie Baruta, to help him get in “gnarly shape.” As Baruta explains, Powell’s new program is one that will focus on upper-body, while also not forgetting the legs as Powell has to look good running on a beach “like a proper man.”
In a recent video, Powell showed followers exactly what goes into a workout session under Baruta’s watchful eye. He begins with bodyweight split squats, before jumping on a hip extension machine and performing around eight reps to “just get things going.”
Next, Powell grabs a set of dumbbells and performs split squats again. According to Baruta, the proper technique involves pushing the hips forward to keep them engaged. Powell then moves onto hip extensions, while grasping a weight across his chest. Once these moves are complete, he heads to the bench to start a set of decline barbell presses, followed by lat pulldowns.
As he begins to fatigue, Powell uses the rest-pause principle, which Baruta explains as a great technique to intensify the exercises by increasing the amount of time Powell’s muscles spend under tension. “This is a technique you use towards the end to get more quality reps when fatigue sets in,” he says.
Powell then performs a set of unilateral farmer’s carries, then bench knee raises and sled pull and pushes. At the end of the workout, an exhausted Powell is blasted by Baruta: “I expect a lot better from you next time.”
To this, Powell can only tell his trainer: “Jesus man, it’s a fucking rom-com.”
