Last year, I did some stunt work on a feature film called Stuntgirl. Along with some fight scene’s, I also had a small speaking role as a boxer. A couple of month ago, the producer of Stuntgirl, asked me if I was interested in a role in his next feature film, Cavegirls. He didn’t tell me what the role was or how big a part it would be, but I agreed. I enjoyed working with him and his team and was happy to be working with them again. Later that same evening, I got the script. The role was a large supporting role with about 15 scenes throughout the movie. But it was when I got to the character description, I decided I needed to get back in shape. The role was a large bouncer and for the last 5 moths, I hadn’t worked out at all. That along with bartending, I had lost quite a bit of mass and started getting a belly.
It was when I posted on social media that I needed to get back in shape, that I was contacted by a personal trainer from South Africa name Ricardo; owner of Virtual Bodies. Ricardo was interested in training actors and thought that training me would get his foot into the door. We made a plan and started the training about a month ago. His training is catered to each individual person’s needs and goals. My plan is 4 workout days a week, focusing on a body part each session. Each training session is to muscle failure and then the focus is on recovery and growth. The exercises also change weekly, to keep things interesting and to not allow the body to get used to it. The nutrition plan has changed quite a bit since we started. Since I bartend and walk about 20,000 steps a shift, I need about 3500-4000 calories to grow and I need to consume about 200 grams of protein. The results after just a month have been great. The picture on the left is before I started training with Ricardo and the one on the right is after a month.
We have two more months before the fitting and I suspect I’ll be a good size for the role in March.
If you’re looking for a personal trainer, I highly recommend Virtual Bodies. He keeps me motivated and knowing that he is expecting me to video call him for the sessions, makes me consistent in the gym. His girlfriend is also a trainer and the other half of VB, so if you’re a woman looking to train, they have options.
Simon Shih 