Jennifer Lawrence isn’t ready to take part in the ‘Hunger Games’ in real life. It is known for its healthy lifestyle that does not involve diets (as she told Glamour, “You can’t work when you’re hungry, you know?”), but she’s not kidding when it comes to training for a film role.
He signed on to prepare for “X-Men.” Personal trainer Dalton Wong (also Amanda Seyfried’s trainer) and who she now credits with “changing her life.”
He even collaborated on the foreword to Wong’s book The Feelgood Plan, writing: “Dalton Wong changed my body for this film, but it gave me the knowledge I needed to change my life. I could never go on a diet. Dalton taught me how to eat, exercise and live a delicious but healthy life. “I will always be grateful.”
I’ve been wondering what these skills are since the book was published, so I was definitely excited when Wong agreed to train myself. He then shared with me the complete J Law training, which I completed three times a week for two weeks. Here’s everything I learned and my results.
1. Always incorporate posture exercises
Wong and I did a 40-minute full-body workout together, consisting of: a dynamic warm-up, three posture circuits, two metabolic circuits and a cool-down (full breakdown below). I’ve followed training plans that include a few “postural adjustments” here and there, but never one that includes three full postural sections. When I ask him why he does this, Wong says: “Postural work is very important to prepare the body and prepare it for subsequent movements; “It helps you stay in shape.” I’m particularly conscious of the flexion in my shoulders, and Wong assures me that his exercises will help me correct the problem. Pull my shoulders back and in,” he tells me.
Your posture work is not just limited to the upper body either. Two sections are specifically aimed at this Hip alignment; We do a variety of resistance band movements, including alternating knee-in-knee-out movements and squats. The exercises are simple enough since Wong is there to point out when one or both knees give out, but I often forget this and have to keep an eye on it in the mirror when I’m training alone.
The fourth time I do the exercise I really notice the difference. Of course, I’m more aware of how rounded my shoulders are, and when I think about my alignment (hips locked, shoulders back and in) and anything else that makes some exercises more difficult, at least I know I’m doing them correctly make.
2. Full body training can be more effective than partial training
Studies show that each muscle group has time to recover, which aids the hypertrophy (growth) process as muscle fibers are able to stitch themselves back together before training (and breakdown). I’m not loyal to them, but it’s something I’ve dealt with before and it seems like basically everyone on IG does them, so I’m surprised when Wong tells me this Full body sessions can be just as effective.
Since then, they have provided you with greater profitability You train all muscle groups in a single session. “When you break your workout down into body parts, life can get in the way, meaning that if you miss a few days of training and don’t train certain body parts, your body could become unbalanced,” he explains. He’s right, I can often do that. I don’t train everything. What I propose in a week.
Over the course of these two weeks, I manage to follow Wong’s plan of three workouts per week, and I’m pleasantly surprised that I never feel too sore the next day of training.
However, in an ideal world, Wong tells me that the week of J Law education it would be like this:
- Day 1: Pulling exercise for the lower body
- Day 2: Upper Body Push Exercise
- Day 3: Pressing exercise for the lower body
- Day 4: Upper body pulling exercise
- Day 5: Horizontal pushing and pulling exercises
- Day 6: Vertical push-pull work
- Day 7: Rest day
He warns that there were times when they were unable to stick to the previous plan J Law would do full body sessions, including the same one he suggested to me. As for the science, a 2016 meta-analysis of all existing research showed that full-body training could be 48% more effective for building strength than a push/pull/leg routine.
3. Cover all movement patterns if you want to build strength
For those who prefer doing split exercises, Wong says it’s not just about body parts. “I concentrate on movement patterns, i.e. pushing and pulling, horizontally and vertically,” he explains. For example, a horizontal pushing exercise could be a push-up, while a vertical pulling exercise would be a dominance exercise. This enables you Strengthen the body for all daily movementswhich will contribute to your overall strength,” says Wong.
4. Workouts don’t have to be long to be effective
Wong’s workout lasts about 40 minutes, and that’s what he told me All of J Law’s workouts lasted between 30 and 55 minutes.. That’s music to my ears. I’ve never liked spending hours in the gym, and J Law’s transformation in “X-Men” is proof that that’s not necessary.
In fact, one study showed that people who exercised for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, lost more weight and body fat than those who exercised for an hour a day. In fact, the study showed that those who exercised for an hour a day actually gained weight. I give you my word that I sweated profusely after each 40 minute session.
5. You can get results without cardio training
Something that surprised me is this Wong’s training plan for J Law is purely strength training. When I asked him if he had ever done cardio, he said, “No, I didn’t have time.” Don’t get me wrong, I know firsthand that strength training can cross over into cardio (try it a big leg workout without getting out of breath), but I still assumed that J Law would at least do a pure cardio workout.
However, Wong’s complete workout involves two metabolic circuits. I ask if they can be considered cardio exercise. “They’re similar in that they increase your heart rate but also build strength at the same time,” he says. These sections also include two laps on the Versaclimber; for the uninitiated, this isn’t much different than a Stairmaster, (but potentially more intense in my opinion.) This was easily the most strenuous workout for me, and I can see how it meets the cardiovascular demands.
6. Equipment is not required
There were times when I didn’t feel like going to the gym to work out, but Wong assures me that there are simple equipment modifications that allow me to continue working all the muscle groups I need. This is what he recommends:
- Box – swap it for a chair or bench
- Cable rowing – swap it for a dumbbell or heavy water bottle
- Sliders – swap for a towel on a non-slip surface
- Versaclimber – Choose a high-intensity exercise, such as burpees
My results
After two weeks, I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m not even more exhausted. I followed Routines with three strength exercises per week and I had no choice but to reduce them because I felt very tired. The difference is that Wong’s training doesn’t tax my nervous system as much; They don’t involve as many compound exercises, which recruit more than one muscle group at a time and therefore require more effort from your nervous system to activate them all. Wong’s training gets I train all my muscle groups sufficiently to feel a discharge without being so strenuous.
Interestingly, during Wong’s workouts, I experienced more wear and tear than usual with heavier compound exercises, but less muscle soreness (DOMS, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) afterwards. Wong tells me this is because I’m able to perfect my form better without such heavy weights during sessions, so I’m really hitting all the little muscles that I don’t normally reach, which is probably why I haven’t suffered from DOMS is that I did the same workout over and over again so my body got used to it.
Something I would do in the future is change my training. Doing the same workout three times a week became tedious after the first week, but it helped me become comfortable with each exercise, especially while controlling my posture.
I can understand why J Law said Wong changed his life: Your workouts are completely different than anything else I’ve tried and they really work. Some tips that I will put into practice in the future:
- Add at least one postion section to maintain shape
Don’t focus so much on cardio - Full body training can be more effective than partial training
- A 30-minute workout is enough
- Working out at home can be just as effective as working out at the gym.
Kudos to Wong for his advice!
Bridie is the fitness editor at Women’s Health UK. She spends her days sweating over new workouts, fitness introductions, and the best home fitness gear so you have everything you need to get fit. Her work has been published in Stylist, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, among others. She’s also a part-time yoga teacher and has a habit of nodding off in the middle of Savasana (not when she’s teaching, I promise).
