Train like Bradley Cooper

Train like Bradley Cooper
Big screen body transformations are nothing new. In fact, most leading men's contracts now stipulate the precise physique they're expected to attain, mostly geared towards an aesthetic ideal for the obligatory shirts-off scenes. But occasionally – think Robert DeNiro's weight oscillations for Raging Bull, or Christian Bale's terrifying downshift as a sleep-deprived skeleton in The Machinist – actors put their health on the line because that's the only way to embody the man in the script. But while the Academy loves men who sacrifice their physiques for the role – just check Matthew McConaughey's recently groaning mantelpiece – there are fewer nods for those who massively up their intake, rather than slash it. Yet Bradley Cooper's transformation from svelte leading man to hulking warrior Chris Kyle, the US military's deadliest ever soldier, not only saw him pack on 40lbs of muscle but also win a best actor nom at the Oscars. Aloha to muscle Cooper came to Kyle's fatigues from Hawaii romcom Aloha, where his role demanded he avoid any exertion. "The big challenge was he was about 185lbs," says Cooper's trainer Jason Walsh, founder of Rise Movement Studios and the man tasked with turning a lean cardio fan into a battle-ready beast. "He had the structure to be as big as Chris, but he didn't have that size. So how do we get the body to start adapting and absorbing the kinds of stress we were going to put it under without breaking him?" Unlike powerlifters, Hollywood's leading men are expensive. A spasming back or tweaked hamstring would slow Cooper's gains. But it would also delay shooting on a multimillion-dollar movie. Which meant building functional strength was Walsh's prime goal. "No matter who I'm training, I train them to be absolutely strong and healthy as can be," he says. "The budgets on these films are millions of dollars and you can't let them get injured. If they feel great, they look great and they'll have that confidence." The physique was also Cooper's entry into the character of Chris Kyle. Though he'd done some weight training for the A-Team, Walsh's programme was a seismic shift in effort – and results. "He hated the first few weeks. Which is good, he should," says Walsh. "But there was a point where his weight jumped to the 200lb mark. Once I got him to 200lbs, he was all in. "His mentality started changing. His beard started growing in, we were listening to Chris Kyle's playlist that he'd listen to when he was overseas on service. He started getting programmed and eventually it was like he was channelling Chris Kyle." Double shifts Building that much muscle takes time. Time neither Walsh nor Cooper had. So despite the rigors of a worldwide tour promoting American Hustle – "We had to try and make it work, wherever we were travelling" – they hit the gym for two sessions a day aimed at spiking all-over muscle growth as quickly as possible. Mornings were dedicated to compound moves. "Because he came off sleep and was fresher, we'd do most of our multi-joint, strenuous, heavy work. And then the afternoon was more of those bodybuilder, single joint exercises." That meant recovery was vital – foam rolling before and after every session, massages on weekends, and a leap into the Pacific as soon as he'd dropped his last weight. "It's really cold," Walsh laughs. "That's a great tool, it helps with inflammation." Think you can tackle Bradley Cooper's American Sniper workout programme? Follow the four five-day sessions above, adding weight each week as your strength improves to keep the gains coming. Because building Navy SEAL is a war, not a skirmish. American Sniper is out now on Blu-Ray™, DVD and Digital HD Original article and pictures take http://www.menshealth.co.uk/workout-calendar/train-like-bradley-cooper?utm_content=buffer17c40&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer site