A long time ago, Jeremy Allen White was known as the smart-ass kid from Shameless, but now he’s making headlines thanks to a Calvin Klein underwear campaign that sent X into a frenzy. (To be fair, there are hundreds if not thousands of tweets about White’s role in The Bear before his Greek God transformation — apparently, “Yes, Chef” is the new “daddy.”)
But White didn’t bulk up so he could frolic around in underwear; he did it for his new role in The Iron Claw, a movie depicting the true story of the Von Erich brothers, legendary professional wrestlers.
If you’re wondering how White transformed his physique, he credits his progress to calisthenics.
What is calisthenics?
Calisthenics is just a fancy-sounding word for bodyweight exercises. In an interview with GQ, White said that calisthenics was his go-to workout regimen for building muscle and achieving transformation.
He ran, jumped rope, and did calisthenics exercises like push-ups right before the shoot. He also ate a lot of fish.
This seemingly simple (and effective) workout routine dates back to the Greek era. It comes from the words “kalos,” meaning beauty, and “sthenos,” meaning strength.
To do calisthenics, all you need is your body and a willingness to push yourself to your limits.
How to get a body like Jeremy Allen White at home
If you’re trying to make a transformation of your own, calisthenics is the way to go. You don’t need expensive gym membership or bulky equipment taking up space in your home.
All you need is time and dedication. With calisthenics, you can work out anytime, anywhere, using just your body weight. You can build strength, tone muscles, and improve your overall fitness by following a consistent calisthenics routine and incorporating exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, and planks.
Here’s a sample calisthenics workout routine to help you get started on your journey toward a body like Jeremy Allen White:
- Warm-up: 5 minutes of jumping jacks, jogging in place, and dynamic stretches to prepare your body for exercise.
- Main workout: 30 seconds of push-ups followed by 30 seconds of squats, 30 seconds of lunges, 30 seconds of burpees, and 30 seconds of plank. Repeat the sequence for 3-4 sets with a 30-second rest between each set.
- Cooldown: 5 minutes of static stretches to stretch and relax your muscles.
You don’t have to push yourself to the max every time you work out. If you want to tweak the workout above, go for it. The point of calisthenics is to push yourself at your own pace and gradually progress over time.
As you get stronger and more comfortable with the exercises, you can increase the intensity or duration of each exercise, add variations or combinations, and even incorporate additional equipment such as resistance bands or a pull-up bar.
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