Having impressed in a cameo in 2019’s The Gentleman, Bugzy Malone, real name Aaron Davis, will soon be starring in his second Guy Ritchie movie, Operation Fortune. This time he’ll be playing a spy alongside the aforementioned Jason Statham, who Malone has nothing but praise for.
“When you work alongside Jason Statham,” says Malone, “you know he’s a serious physical specimen, so you want to turn up in shape and ready. You don’t want to let the side down, so it was a couple of months of preparation in terms of just being physically fit and built. To be honest, I bring that work ethic into every job. I always try and be the best version of me, and each time I try to be a little bit better too.”
But how exactly did Malone get himself “in shape and ready”? Speaking exclusively to Men’s Health, he revealed the five exercises he values above all others, as well as the workout he uses on his “strenuous” days. We also got our fitness editor, Andrew Tracey, to take a look at the exercises and give us his verdict on them.
Oh, and where exactly does Malone (the movie star) see the work he’s putting in now taking him? “I do feel in the future there will be an action-hero role or some kind of James Bond-type thing because I’m built for this,” says Malone. No pressure.
Press-Up
How:
- Starting in a plank position, slowly lower your chest towards the floor while ensuring your abs are tight and your spine is in neutral position.
- Slowly push back up to the start position. That’s one rep.
Our Fitness Editor says: “Probably the most accessible upper-body movement because you can perform it anywhere and it works the chest, triceps and shoulders, as well as hitting your core. You can play around with different hand widths and angles to target different areas, so it’s also extremely versatile.”
Squat
How:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Start the movement by bending your knees and sitting back with your hips.
- Go down as far as you can and quickly reverse the motion back to the starting position. Keep your head up and back straight throughout the move.
Our Fitness Editor says: “A huge multi-joint movement that specifically targets the legs, but can have an effect on your entire body with added weight. Bodyweight squats are not too taxing, so can be performed daily at high reps, which can also help build cardiovascular endurance.”
Sit-Ups
How:
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent and hands lightly touching your head.
- Engage your core and lift your upper body until your chest almost comes into contact with your knees.
- Return to the start position and repeat.
Our Fitness Editor says: “In recent times many have argued that there are much more effective core exercises and undoubtedly there are. But to say sit-ups are ‘bad’ or even ‘dangerous’ is throwing the baby out with the bath water. Perform with your feet slightly off the ground and focus on ‘curling up’ for maximum ab activation.”
Pull-Ups
How:
- Grab the bar above you with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended. Your hands should be around shoulder-width apart.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together, exhale and drive your elbows towards your hips to bring your chin above the bar. Lower under control back to the start position.
Our Fitness Editor says: “Building your back, biceps, grip and core, pull-ups are seriously functional and a move to keep in your repertoire for as long as possible. Experiment with different grips for a different stimulus and to avoid overuse issues. Gymnastic ring pull-ups are king for longevity.”
Dips
How:
- Grab the bars of a dip station with your palms facing inward and your arms straight.
- Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don’t flare out. Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.
Our Fitness Editor says: “An underrated bodyweight chest builder that rivals the bench press. Some trainees struggle to reach a good depth without experiencing shoulder pain, so play around with different grips and angles, control your tempo and listen to your body.”
Malone’s Full-Body Blast
Bugzy Malone has two workouts that he favours. On a rest or easy day he’ll shadowbox for four or five rounds and follow that with some press-ups. Simple, quick and convenient. “Just because I’m really big into getting something done, instead of doing nothing,” he says.
On a hard and strenuous day, however, and when he really works up a sweat, he’ll skip to warm-up, do four or five rounds of shadowboxing and then jump into the following workout. Like Malone, it’ll also give you a full-body blast.
Part A
5 sets (adding weight each set, rest 2 minutes between sets)
- A1. Barbell lunge x 10 (each leg)
- A2. Barbell squats x 10
Part B
4 sets (rest 60 seconds between rounds)
- B1. Barbell front raise x 10
- B2. Bent-over rows x 15
- B3. Bicep curls x 10
Part C
5 sets (as quick as possible with good form)
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