One of the things that raised the John Wick film franchise to such immense popularity was Keanu Reeves’ bewildering commitment to the role. After all, if there’s anything these movies get right, it’s the action sequences, and to do that, the actor behind the titular protagonist puts himself under a lot of pressure to stay in shape for the demanding workload.
For one thing, the Matrix star insists on doing most of his own stunts, which, considering the ruin that Wick often leaves in his wake, means that he always has to be at the top of his game. And the kind of workout routine that Keanu goes through with each installment is even more draining than we initially assumed.
Men’s Health magazine recently sat down with Patrick Murphy, one of the people responsible for keeping an eye on Reeves’ diet and workout to make sure that he’s fit for John Wick, and the trainer gave a list of all the exercises that the actor likes to commit to and it’s certainly extensive. Highlights include band rows, band reverse flys, wall presses, push ups, planks with hip rotation and much more.
Though given all the things that producers throw at him with each flick, it’s understandable why he works out as hard as he does. As Murphy explained it:
“John Wick is one of the most physical roles in cinema history,” he said. “The choreography, along with the multiple fight disciplines, tumbling, stunts, horseback riding, stunt car driving, gun training and other various weapons training means KR’s body had been through hell and back.”
Murphy has had to work with a lot of actors throughout his career, but Keanu’s commitment still amazes him to this day, with the trainer saying:
“When KR preps for movies he’s laser focused and fully committed,” the trainer added. “I don’t know where he draws the motivation, but I do know his work ethic is out of this world. He prepares for months during pre-production, and trains throughout the shoot.”
The actor is currently busy with the production of John Wick and The Matrix‘s fourth respective entries, so we can only imagine what he’s going through at the moment. But knowing Reeves and his track record of successful hits over the past few years, it’s a safe bet that the results will be spectacular to behold.
