Will Smith’s workout has been in the spotlight for many years, ever since the actor transformed his body for the movie Ali. Will constantly stays in top shape. For certain roles, such as the aforementioned movie Ali, as well as I, Robot, Hitch and Bad Boys, Smith kicks it up a notch and gets into even better shape.
The Will Smith Workout for Ali
For the movie Ali, Will Smith had to get in fighting shape worthy of the character he played in the movie – none other than Mohammed Ali himself. So Smith trained six hours a day, Monday through Friday.
Will lifted weights and boxed and did “road work.” This means lots of miles of outdoor running early in the morning. All the training paid off. He gained 35 lbs of muscle going from 185 to 220. Will Smith is a tall guy, so for him to look like a boxing heavy weight on screen he really had to increase his strength and muscle size dramatically.
Will Smith’s Workout in Bad Boys 1 and 2
Will Smith acted in the Michael Bay blockbuster Bad Boys early in his career. In the movie he is clearly in shape, however he just looks lean and tall but def not muscular and buff.
In Bad Boys 2, however, this was about to change. Following from his successful role in Ali, Smith was still very muscular with a big chest, arms and shoulders.
Will Smith Gets Buff in I, Robot
For the movie I, Robot, which unfortunately had pretty much nothing in common with the sci-fi book of the same name (except the title), Smith once again got in exceptional shape. This time he worked with trainer Darrel Foster.
Foster was a boxing and fitness trainer to champion Sugar Ray Leonard before preparing Will for Ali.
In the above picture Smith is training his side delts with a very light weight to focus only on the shoulder. Most people make the mistake of using too much weight in this exercise.
They trained Monday through Friday, focusing on 1-2 muscle groups per workout. Will also did “road work” as well as boxing once again. To get his body fat levels lower so his muscles would show, he slightly lowered his food intake. Thus he managed to go from 12 to 7.5 percent body fat which is a pretty decent shape.
Will Smith – Top Shape in Hitch
The movie Hitch is a great example of the kind of shape Will Smith likes to stay in. This was not an action movie so he wasn’t really required to be buff.
Nonetheless, Will was still sporting decent levels of leanness and muscle tone. The cool thing is that the movie shows him actually working out (going for a run). I guess this would motivate some people to get off their butts and go workout.
Will Smith’s Workout in I am Legend
For I am Legend, Will Smith once again got in top shape. This time however, he focused on getting leaner and meaner – like a spec ops officer. He actually went from 205-210 lbs to 185-190.
Here we have Will Smith doing pullups to get in fighting shape, much like George Clooney. In an interview he said that for him getting lean is easier than say bulking up like he did for I, Robot and Ali.
Please bare in mind, that behind the back pullups as the ones he is doing in the pictures above can be unhealthy for your shoulders. If in doubt, avoid them. Some people (particularly the stronger ones who are also relatively light) may get away with doing them but as a general rule, avoid them.
Here is a workout that is specifically aimed at the look of a Hollywood action star:
- Visual Impact Here the emphasis is on achieving a balance between muscular development and muscular hardness and density. A cool trick that is revealed in the workout is how to make your skin super tight around your muscles. This is pretty much aimed at the body Will Smith got in I am Legend.
I always thought ‘Bad Boys’ (1995) was the first movie in will’s career where you noticed muscle mass on his frame. In some scenes, he looked muscular to me. For example in the “chase scene” where he saves martin lawerance from being hit by the car.
Great post! Will Smith is definitely one of the best celebrity fitness role models. He’s got a strong work ethic that carries over into many areas of his life, and it is inspirational. Thanks for the overview of his transformations.