By Simu Liu knows firsthand what it takes to get into superhero shape. Like Brie Larson or Chris Evans, who entered the Marvel Universe before him, Liu committed to a diligent workout routine to prepare for his starring role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The Kim’s Convenience actor recently revealed how he achieved his fighting form for the film in Men’s Health‘s May cover story and accompanying video.
To become Shang-Chi, Liu needed not only to master martial arts but also to incorporate dynamic workouts that would allow him to maintain range of motion and explosive action. Liu got direction from trainer Bart Kwan, and followed a functional fitness routine. On a typical training day, Liu will start off with cardio, like an airfan bike, to “loosen things up” before jumping into two contrasting exercises, like deadlifts immediately followed by box jumps. The rest of the workout will follow this pattern, with a weighted action followed by weightless cardio. Get a peek at what it takes to train like Liu in the video below, and catch Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters on Sept. 3.
