Game of Thrones’ oft-maligned Jon Snow has found his muscle birthright.
Use Kit Harrington’s scheme to overthrow your metabolism and pack on 12 kilos of strength in five weeks.
Discover your muscle birthright
In case the billboards, trailers, teaser trailers, fan-made trailers, wikis, websites and massive (legitimate and illegitimate) viewing figures have passed you by, Game of Thrones is big . . . very, very big. As such, the cast are going to be even bigger business if they survive the author's regular culling of main characters.
Kit Harington is taking the idea of big business literally. As the lead character Milo in the recently released Pompeii, the 27-year-old Englishman spent five weeks putting on 12 kilograms of very hard-won muscle. If being a bigger man is a huge ask for you, his workout is the start of a new chapter. You're only five weeks away from your big finale.
Play to your strength
In Thrones, Harington's body is almost constantly swathed in layers of coats and furs. That they weigh in at almost 10kg is not the point. It's that underneath that weighted vest stands his naturally slighter physique.
"I'm not a six-foot three-inch guy who can bulk up and just look like an absolute unit, a tank. My body type has a tiny bit of stockiness to it, but it's really quite wiry, so for Pompeii that was the sort of look I had to go for - 'prison fit', like Robert De Niro in Cape Fear."
If, like Harington, you're a "hard gainer" - you train loads and eat as much as you can but simply can't get bigger - you're fighting against yourself. Your most powerful weapon is your fast metabolism, so use it to cut body fat and uncover definition, rather than trying to pack on huge slabs of muscle.
Pick your battles
With all the grim determination in the world, if you're struggling with a fitness resolution, fly the white flag and try something else. The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found enjoying exercise, rather than plugging away at something you don't, raises performance by 25 per cent - science not lost on Harington.
"The physical stuff is very much a part of who Jon Snow is, and over the four years I've got into rock climbing, ice climbing, sword fighting and horse riding," he says.
You're not half a man for trying new things. Just give it your all when you do.
Feat like a Roman
Building hero muscle fast means a lot of reps with the fork - for five weeks Harington was packing in 21,000 kilojoules a day. "I was eating all the time: loads of good carbs, like brown rice and sweet potatoes. And lots of chicken."
Go heavy on flavouring to avoid boredom. Harrington's trainer Dalton Wong recommends Herbamare - a mix of salt and about 15 herbs (buy it at Woolworths and Safeway).
Adapt and thrive
When trying to burn as many kilojoules as possible, injuries will happen. When they do, don't give up and wait for the doom of weight gain to rain down, adapt your training instead.
"I did my ankle really badly about two months prior to the third series of Thrones," says Harington. "I spoke to doctors and physios, but it was the training for Pompeii that got me back to full fitness."
They key to survival is to work within your limits. "Kit's ankle was sore, so we trained in his range," says Wong. "If it hurt on a squat, we wouldn't squat so deep."
Save time, gain strength
Even if the squat rack is your deadliest foe, staying mobile is the key to building a bigger body. "You see the guys on screen and they're in amazing shape," says Wong. "What you don't see is everything else they do to stay in one piece: the yoga, the massage and all the physiotherapy."
That's great if you're being paid to work out. But you're not, so pare back smartly. Harington's workout pairs strength moves with a mobility exercise, for a full-body session that stretches your muscles while building them.
Next time you face your gym nemesis, you'll be a stronger and more athletic enemy.
Bigger & fitter, faster
Harington wasted no time in building his bigger body. Wong's workout pairs strength-building lifts with muscle-stretching moves. Rest for at least 90 seconds after each pair.
LOWER BODY
A1 Wide-Grip Deadlift
3 Sets of 6-8 Reps
It's the heaviest graft first. Grab a bar with an overhand grip. Keep your back flat and arms straight as you lower. Pull the bar up the front of your legs to stand. End by drawing your shoulderblades together.
A2 Split-Stance Cable Row
3 Sets of 12-15 Reps
That hurt, didn't it? This mobility move will fix that. Set the cable to the lowest notch. With the handle in your left hand, step back so your left foot is in front. Pull to your side, wrist twisting so your palm faces your body. Rest, then start the deadlift again.
B1 Zercher Squat
3 Sets of 6-8 Reps
With the bar in the crook of your elbows, squeeze your hands into your chest to lock it in. Drop your hips as low as possible, then force your heels into the ground to push your chest up and your knees out. If you feel faintly heroic, you're doing it right.
B2 Deep Sit
30-40 seconds
With feet just wider than shoulder width, sit in a deep squat position - hamstrings on your heels - for 30-40 seconds. It gets your body used to being in that deeper position and you'll be able to go further when you load up the weight again.
UPPER BODY
C1 Commando Chin-Up
3 Sets of 8-10 Reps
Stand looking down the chin-up bar. Grab it with one hand in front of the other, palms facing in. Pull up and left, right shoulder touching the bar. Repeat on the other side.
C2 Shoulder "W"
3 Sets of 10 Reps
Bend over like a bent-over row, holding a barbell at arm's length. Row up slowly until your elbows and ears line up. Turn your wrists up to your ears and do a shoulder press. This will help you squeeze your shoulderblades together for more chin-ups in the next set. Rest and repeat the chin-ups.
D1 Chest Dip
3 Sets of 8-10 Reps
Jump up onto the dip bars and hover with your arms straight and your shoulders above your hands. Flex your knees and hips slightly. This is the easy bit. Bend your arms and flare your elbows out. When you feel a stretch in your chest or shoulders, push up. That's the hard bit. Go straight on to your reward.
D2 Swiss-Ball Pec Stretch
30 Seconds
This is a nice lie down. Sit on a Swiss ball, then roll forward so it sits in the centre of your. With your arms in a crucifix position, let the weight gently stretch your chest. This elongates the muscle and prevents that "gym gorilla" look. Rest, then go back to the chest dips.
FULL-BODY FINISHERS
E1 Weighted Crunch
3 Sets of 10-12 Reps
After all that, hit the deck. But hold a five- to 10kg weight plate across your chest and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Curl up slowly using your abs rather than momentum, until your back is 45º off the floor. Reverse until you're on your back again.ck to the chest dips.
E2 Cobra Pose
3 Sets of 3 Reps
That done, put the weight down and roll onto your front. Put your palms on the ground close to the sides of your chest. Straighten your arms and push up your upper body, arching your back and stretching your abs. Your legs should stay rooted to the floor. Hold for five seconds, then relax before repeating.
F1 Incline Press
3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
A final two-pronged attack on your chest means you leave the gym feeling bigger. Set an adjustable bench at a 45º incline and lie back with a pair of dumbbells held just above your shoulders. Push straight up. You're only one move away from victory. Unfortunately, this next one's a killer.
F2 Push-Up
Perform to failure
Sounds simple but doing as many reps as you can both stretches out the chest muscles and adds an extra strength-building set to the end of your workout. Make sure your shoulders are over your arms, then sink as low as possible before pushing back up. It hurts, but you'll feel far less sore in the morning.
By menshealth
Use Kit Harrington’s scheme to overthrow your metabolism and pack on 12 kilos of strength in five weeks.
In case the billboards, trailers, teaser trailers, fan-made trailers, wikis, websites and massive (legitimate and illegitimate) viewing figures have passed you by, Game of Thrones is big . . . very, very big. As such, the cast are going to be even bigger business if they survive the author's regular culling of main characters.
Kit Harington is taking the idea of big business literally. As the lead character Milo in the recently released Pompeii, the 27-year-old Englishman spent five weeks putting on 12 kilograms of very hard-won muscle. If being a bigger man is a huge ask for you, his workout is the start of a new chapter. You're only five weeks away from your big finale.
Play to your strength
In Thrones, Harington's body is almost constantly swathed in layers of coats and furs. That they weigh in at almost 10kg is not the point. It's that underneath that weighted vest stands his naturally slighter physique.
"I'm not a six-foot three-inch guy who can bulk up and just look like an absolute unit, a tank. My body type has a tiny bit of stockiness to it, but it's really quite wiry, so for Pompeii that was the sort of look I had to go for - 'prison fit', like Robert De Niro in Cape Fear."
If, like Harington, you're a "hard gainer" - you train loads and eat as much as you can but simply can't get bigger - you're fighting against yourself. Your most powerful weapon is your fast metabolism, so use it to cut body fat and uncover definition, rather than trying to pack on huge slabs of muscle.
Pick your battles
With all the grim determination in the world, if you're struggling with a fitness resolution, fly the white flag and try something else. The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found enjoying exercise, rather than plugging away at something you don't, raises performance by 25 per cent - science not lost on Harington.
"The physical stuff is very much a part of who Jon Snow is, and over the four years I've got into rock climbing, ice climbing, sword fighting and horse riding," he says.
You're not half a man for trying new things. Just give it your all when you do.
Feat like a Roman
Building hero muscle fast means a lot of reps with the fork - for five weeks Harington was packing in 21,000 kilojoules a day. "I was eating all the time: loads of good carbs, like brown rice and sweet potatoes. And lots of chicken."
Go heavy on flavouring to avoid boredom. Harrington's trainer Dalton Wong recommends Herbamare - a mix of salt and about 15 herbs (buy it at Woolworths and Safeway).
Adapt and thrive
When trying to burn as many kilojoules as possible, injuries will happen. When they do, don't give up and wait for the doom of weight gain to rain down, adapt your training instead.
"I did my ankle really badly about two months prior to the third series of Thrones," says Harington. "I spoke to doctors and physios, but it was the training for Pompeii that got me back to full fitness."
They key to survival is to work within your limits. "Kit's ankle was sore, so we trained in his range," says Wong. "If it hurt on a squat, we wouldn't squat so deep."
Save time, gain strength
Even if the squat rack is your deadliest foe, staying mobile is the key to building a bigger body. "You see the guys on screen and they're in amazing shape," says Wong. "What you don't see is everything else they do to stay in one piece: the yoga, the massage and all the physiotherapy."
That's great if you're being paid to work out. But you're not, so pare back smartly. Harington's workout pairs strength moves with a mobility exercise, for a full-body session that stretches your muscles while building them.
Next time you face your gym nemesis, you'll be a stronger and more athletic enemy.
Bigger & fitter, faster
Harington wasted no time in building his bigger body. Wong's workout pairs strength-building lifts with muscle-stretching moves. Rest for at least 90 seconds after each pair.
LOWER BODY
A1 Wide-Grip Deadlift
3 Sets of 6-8 Reps
It's the heaviest graft first. Grab a bar with an overhand grip. Keep your back flat and arms straight as you lower. Pull the bar up the front of your legs to stand. End by drawing your shoulderblades together.
A2 Split-Stance Cable Row
3 Sets of 12-15 Reps
That hurt, didn't it? This mobility move will fix that. Set the cable to the lowest notch. With the handle in your left hand, step back so your left foot is in front. Pull to your side, wrist twisting so your palm faces your body. Rest, then start the deadlift again.
B1 Zercher Squat
3 Sets of 6-8 Reps
With the bar in the crook of your elbows, squeeze your hands into your chest to lock it in. Drop your hips as low as possible, then force your heels into the ground to push your chest up and your knees out. If you feel faintly heroic, you're doing it right.
B2 Deep Sit
30-40 seconds
With feet just wider than shoulder width, sit in a deep squat position - hamstrings on your heels - for 30-40 seconds. It gets your body used to being in that deeper position and you'll be able to go further when you load up the weight again.
UPPER BODY
C1 Commando Chin-Up
3 Sets of 8-10 Reps
Stand looking down the chin-up bar. Grab it with one hand in front of the other, palms facing in. Pull up and left, right shoulder touching the bar. Repeat on the other side.
C2 Shoulder "W"
3 Sets of 10 Reps
Bend over like a bent-over row, holding a barbell at arm's length. Row up slowly until your elbows and ears line up. Turn your wrists up to your ears and do a shoulder press. This will help you squeeze your shoulderblades together for more chin-ups in the next set. Rest and repeat the chin-ups.
D1 Chest Dip
3 Sets of 8-10 Reps
Jump up onto the dip bars and hover with your arms straight and your shoulders above your hands. Flex your knees and hips slightly. This is the easy bit. Bend your arms and flare your elbows out. When you feel a stretch in your chest or shoulders, push up. That's the hard bit. Go straight on to your reward.
D2 Swiss-Ball Pec Stretch
30 Seconds
This is a nice lie down. Sit on a Swiss ball, then roll forward so it sits in the centre of your. With your arms in a crucifix position, let the weight gently stretch your chest. This elongates the muscle and prevents that "gym gorilla" look. Rest, then go back to the chest dips.
FULL-BODY FINISHERS
E1 Weighted Crunch
3 Sets of 10-12 Reps
After all that, hit the deck. But hold a five- to 10kg weight plate across your chest and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Curl up slowly using your abs rather than momentum, until your back is 45º off the floor. Reverse until you're on your back again.ck to the chest dips.
E2 Cobra Pose
3 Sets of 3 Reps
That done, put the weight down and roll onto your front. Put your palms on the ground close to the sides of your chest. Straighten your arms and push up your upper body, arching your back and stretching your abs. Your legs should stay rooted to the floor. Hold for five seconds, then relax before repeating.
F1 Incline Press
3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
A final two-pronged attack on your chest means you leave the gym feeling bigger. Set an adjustable bench at a 45º incline and lie back with a pair of dumbbells held just above your shoulders. Push straight up. You're only one move away from victory. Unfortunately, this next one's a killer.
F2 Push-Up
Perform to failure
Sounds simple but doing as many reps as you can both stretches out the chest muscles and adds an extra strength-building set to the end of your workout. Make sure your shoulders are over your arms, then sink as low as possible before pushing back up. It hurts, but you'll feel far less sore in the morning.
By menshealth
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