Movies lied to me when I was a kid. When I joined the Army, I had dreams of being an Army Ranger. Too many movies made me think I could be a special operator and maybe even get myself a great nickname like the GI Joes. Instead, I told one of the sergeants of my aspirations, and he flat out said I wouldn’t make it. Not that I couldn’t do it, but that they wouldn’t let me. I was too big. 6’5″ and 220 pounds was going to require too many calories. You see, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne Johnson made me think that the elite soldiers needed to be hulking giants. Or world-class martial artists like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, or Jean-Claude Van Damme. And since I couldn’t do a roundhouse, I decided to follow the more practical path of the everyman like Bruce Willis, Nic Cage, and Tom Cruise.
You see, special operators need to be agile. They need mobility. That is why Chris Hemsworth adopted a workout with that goal to prepare for his third turn as Tyler Rake in his new Netflix film, Extraction 3.
Each time you put the muscle back on, your body has that muscle memory and wants to hang on to it, so you just have to be well underfed and over-trained to get it off, and it’s exhausting. – Chris Hemsworth
The focus
The main focus of a workout plan to prepare you for a mission like Rake’s in the previous movies is dropping mass and gaining a lean frame capable of quick, explosive movement and the ability to take a beating. Leaning out is about low weight, high reps, and a nutrition plan that requires a calorie deficit. Most any fitness instructor or bodybuilder will tell you that taking the weight and the mass off is much harder than putting it on.
Since the majority of the work will take place in the kitchen, you should also consult a nutritionist for a food plan that will help you with your goals. But for the workout itself, there is a simple (notice I didn’t say easy…) calisthenics workout that can get you into shape the way it did for Hemsworth.
The workout
So how do you get the body of an elite soldier like Tyler Rake?
- 3-minute boxing round – Since this workout is focused primarily on leaning out and becoming agile, you should start with cardio. Burn some calories, but ditch the treadmill and do it with something more interesting and fitting for a soldier. If you don’t have access to a boxing gym, you could shadowbox, just getting the cardio in.
- 50 deep bodyweight squats – You should never skip leg day. Deep squats strengthen your base and create range of movement for the knees and hips, something Rake needs when carrying the weight of a mission.
- 40 sit-throughs – One of the downsides of bulking is many guys lose their mobility. You’re lucky if you can get them to stretch. These are a great way to create agility and keep you mobile.
- 20 reps per side – One thing about Tyler Rake, he can take a beating. And for Hemsworth to perform the stunts, he needs to have strong joints and protect his back. Adopt this movement to allow you to face your day-to-day.
- 25 floor push-ups – No self-respecting soldier goes without doing some push-ups. While they are great for building upper body strength, they also improve your posture and core stability, which is great for anyone who needs to aim a weapon.
Since this is no equipment and all bodyweight, you can do it anywhere. And you should do it 3-4 times a week, 3-5 rounds with a 2-minute rest in between sets.
The effect
You may not need to be an elite soldier like Tyler Rake. But the truth is, a physique like his is much more practical to maintain. It is better for your style (fit is king when it comes to dressing well); it is better for your longevity (especially without the bullets flying at you). And when you turn on the movie in 2027, you don’t have to worry about your partner sighing when Hemsworth appears shirtless on the screen because they will be too distracted by your own physique. Extraction 3 is set to hit Netflix next year, so you still have a little time to catch up to the Australian actor before the bullets start flying.
