Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time

Jake Gyllenhaal, star of Donnie Darko and Brothers, is back in the all-new Jerry Bruckheimer film, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, a not so well off boy from the streets who finds his way into the King of Persia’s court. Dastan is always looking for a thrill making this a ‘comedic action movie’ according to Gyllenhaal.
To become Dastan, Gyllenhaal had to team up with Simon Waterson, a former military pro. According to Gyllenhaal, “The development of the character was massively physical at first, getting in shape and learning parkour, sword-fighting and the mentality of a warrior.” The process of getting Gyllenhaal into Dastan shape was long. Waterson provided Gyllenhaal with two workouts a day pre-production and 45 minute workouts six days a week during production. According to Waterson, “Workouts during production had to be very early due to the intense heat in Morocco.” This type of training is not only for movie stars. To train like Gyllenhaal follow the steps below:
•Morning cardio/strength routine kicks off with a one-hour run with weighted vest, including 20 minutes in the sand. Ten sets of plyrometrics (squat thrusts, press ups, etc.), followed by five 25-meter hill sprints.
•Evening gym-based routine features plyrometric circuit with five exercises in succession, five times through. For example, Gyllenhaal would be asked to do 10 reps each of exercises like squat thrusts straight into a wide pull up (while wearing weighted vest), medicine ball press ups (with one hand on the ground and one hand on the ball, jump-switching hands), overhead barbell squats (with a 20kg bar), and more.
•Waterson recommends choosing one body part daily to train heavily, doing five sets of six to eight reps (chest=bench press, back=dead lift, shoulders=shoulder press).
•To work abdominal muscles, the trainer attacks the midsection from different angles, working it every other day. Waterson likes hanging leg raises and incorporating medicine balls into exercises.
•Every workout includes cool-down and stretching sessions.
•Gyllenhaal’s nutrition plan called for six small meals throughout the day, each including protein, carbs and fats (allowing slow energy release throughout the day). And even when not braving intense Moroccan heat, drinking lots of water is critical.
Waterson suggests starting off with fewer reps and half the cardio, gradually building as one’s fitness level develops. “Have short- and long-term realistic goals,” he advises. “Always do so some kind of workout, even if it’s just 15 minutes — it all counts. Never give up and remember, the most important muscle in the body is your heart.”
To see the final product of Waterson and Gyllenhaal’s training and the production work of Bruckheimer, go and see Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, in theaters May 28th.