Michael B. Jordan sure got into shape to play Adonis Creed. He put on 20 pounds of muscle.
Just in case you don’t know Creed is a spin off to the award winning Rocky movies in which Apollo Creed (Adonis’ father) gets killed in the ring by the big, bad Russian Ivan Drago.
Creed II follows the story of Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) as he fights Ivan Drago’s son, Viktor Drago – while getting trained by Rocky Balboa.
[bctt tweet=”Michael B. Jordan’s Training Routine for Creed II – https://www.fortisfight.com/michael-b-jordan-creed-training” username=”fortisfight”]
The movie marks more than 30 years since Rocky Balboa (played by Slyvestor Stallone) beat Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV. For fans of the original Rocky movies, this is a must watch.
What’s impressive is the physique Michael B. Jordan achieved when preparing for the movie Creed II. Just take a look at the trailer below to see what we mean.
Michael B Jordan had just come off playing Erik Killmonger in Marvel’s critically acclaimed Black Panther. For Black Panther Jordan had gained muscle and bulked up.
However for Creed 2 he was required to have more of a lean yet muscular physique. A more of a boxer’s physique.
Corey Calliet was the man tasked of getting Jordan ready for Creed 2. He told Men’s Health “My goal with him is to always look better than the last time he was on-[screen],” Calliet said. “We always go until we can’t go anymore.”
He wanted to make him look the part.
An important thing to note is that none of this happens overnight and none of this happens without discipline, dedication and direction. Jordan knew what he wanted and with his team built a physique most boxers would be envious of.
[bctt tweet=”Micheal reportedly would train 2 to 3 times a day in preparation for Creed 2. He would eat 5-6 small meals a day that focused on him getting protein and carbohydrates.” username=”fortisfight”]
Micheal reportedly would train 2 to 3 times a day in preparation for Creed 2. He would eat 5-6 small meals a day that focused on him getting protein and carbohydrates.
So he would eat foods like chicken, pasta, rice, avocado and beef. Nothing new, just the tried and tested foods that are high in protein and carbs.
Calliet said “We knew how to box already, we knew how that felt. This was about actually getting him to look better than the last time.”
They had worked together for the first Creed movie so Michael B Jordan already knew how to box. The training they undertook for Creed 2 involved making him look more muscular yet lean. They focused more on body weight training, calisthenics and light weight training.
Although his official workout routine has not been released we’ve put together a routine of what we think his workout would be based on social media posts made by Michael B Jordan, interviews and other articles.
Michael B. Jordan’s Training Routine
During the filming of Creed 2, Michael B. Jordan had got down to a weight of about 190 pounds (86 kg) and was insanely ripped.
Jordan would train 2-3 times a day for 6 days a week reportedly. And he carried this on for a while.
Some dedication from Michael B. Jordan’s part.
He would usually switch up between boxing workouts and body weight training and cardio. Usually he didn’t do boxing training with weight training sessions, he would have separate days for them.
Each round lasts 3 minutes. Here is an example routine of something Michael B Jordan might’ve done:
One Mile Run
This would build cardio up for Jordan and help tone up his body for that all important boxers physique. It would also get his body warmed up for his workout. You can do this either on the road or on the treadmill. Michael B Jordan would usually go for the latter option.
Skipping (2 rounds)
Skipping not only increases the heart rate but is fantastic cardio as well. There are so many benefits to skipping such as improving timing, hand eye coordination, stamina and endurance. The list can go on and on.
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Michael B Jordan would warm up with skipping to get his blood flowing and to warm his body up. Skipping is a great cardiovascular exercise and can do wonders for your stamina and endurance.
It’s no doubt why boxers do skipping!
Shadow boxing (3 rounds)
This improves your technique and you can focus on where you are going wrong and correct it. Jordan’s trainer would make him do a few rounds of shadow boxing so he can warm up his muscles and see what he is doing right and wrong and give him feedback on where he can improve.
If you don’t have a trainer or someone to give you feedback, try shadow boxing in front of a mirror or recording yourself on your phone or camera. This way not only will you be able to see where you are going wrong but you’ll also be able to see how other people see you. You can look at improving your form and technique this way.
Professional boxers usually do shadow boxing to not only warm up but to improve on their technique. If they have some flaws in an area, they can improve.
Calisthenics (10 reps each x 3 rounds)
Push-ups, dips and pull-ups. Body weight exercises improve muscle tone and can increase muscle mass. Switch between doing 10 push-ups, 10 dips and 10 pull-ups and do as many as you can for 3 rounds.
Push-ups should be the staple exercise to any workout. It works so many different muscles including the chest, shoulders, and triceps. And there’s so many different variations you can do of the push-up that works other parts of the body more such as wide-arm push-ups and diamond push-ups.
Legs (10 reps each x 2 rounds)
Switch between doing box jumps, squats, jump squats and bupees. Do 10 reps of each exercise. Performing these exercises tone your legs and build muscle.
Mitt Work (4 rounds)
Doing mitt work improves your reflexes, reactions and speed. It also gives you a chance to practice your combinations. Many pro boxers do a lot of mitt work with there coaches and there. Michael B Jordan would practice some combinations on the focus pads with his trainer.
Heavy Bag (4 rounds)
Jordan used to do this to get his punching technique right and power right. His trainer and him preferred to do bag work over sparring. He had a different goal so this makes sense. His goal was to look as good as he possibly could.
He would practice his combinations and movement. A great exercise to not only hone your craft but also serves as a killer workout.
Speed Bag (5 rounds)
The speed bag not only increases endurance and but also tones your muscles. Not only does it increase them but it also improves your hand eye coordination, focus and overall punching power.
He would also do a weight training workout which was a normal body split routine.
Situps (1 round)
As a cool down down as many situps as you can do for a full round. Your abs should feel sore as hell when you’ve finished but it’ll be worth it in the end.
Diet
Diet is just as important as training if not even more. While your training breaks down the muscle, what you eat builds it up.
Before the first Creed movie, Jordan weight around about 150 pounds, which is pretty skinny for someone his height. In order to look bigger he had to eat more and bulk up.
This included eating a lot of food such as chicken and beef to bulk him up.
When it came to Creed II he need more of a lean, boxers physique. So he would eat around about 5-6 small meals that were spread out throughout the day.
He would eat highly nutritious food and would include foods high in protein and carbs in his diet. As well as that he would drink a lot of water as well.
An example daily diet plan similar to Michael B. Jordan’s would be:
Meal 1 – Breakfast: Porridge, eggs, milk and water
Meal 2 : Tuna, pasta and fruit with water
Meal 3 – Lunch: Beef/chicken with rice and water
Meal 4 – Pre-workout: Protein shake and banana
Meal 5 – Dinner: Grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables with water
Conclusion
If you’re looking to get in fighting shape then follow this workout routine and do this for 5 days a week for at least a couple of months. In a couple of months you will definitely see results.
Nothing happens overnight and neither did it for Jordan. He worked hard to get the physique he desired while staying committed, focused and disciplined. At times he was training 3 times a day for 6 days a week.
It’s not necessary to train that much, you just have to stay committed, focused and disciplined on your goals.
We hope this helps you and if you require any assistance let us know in the comments below and we try out best to help you out.
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