When I saw the movie Never back down it was apparent that both Cam Gigandet and Sean Faris had trained a lot in order to get in kick ass shape for the fight scenes in it. Cam has always been in shape, ever since playing a thug in The OC. Sean on the other hand had to play an underdog in Never Back Down and thus his physique is not as polished as Cam’s. Nevertheless, he is in outstanding condition for this role and in this article I will share some principles and tips I learned from the Sean Faris Never Back Down Workout.
His daily regiment consisted of weight training and up to six hours of fight practice
Every morning he would train his moves for several hours. His practice would include jiujitsu, heavy bag punches and kicks to training pads. In this way his punches would look credible and powerful on screen.
His second workout consisted of muscle building exercises with free weights
In the afternoon he would do compound exercises such as deadlifts, military presses and barbell squats. Sean would also train his shoulders with dumbbell lateral raises. This was done so his developed shoulders would add additional impressiveness to his physique. Complete shoulder development ads a certain athletic or super hero look to your body.
His trainer made sure he used no weight belt in the barbell exercises. In this way he had to learn to keep the natural arch in his lower back. What this accomplished is that Sean only worked with weights he could handle with proper form. As a bonus his abs got a great workout from the stabilization of the heavy weights.
Sean’s training did not go without injuries
His ankles were injured from excessive rope skipping. He had to do this in order to be in fighting shape. Plus, jumping rope is a great way to lose fat.
Another injury he sustained is a dislocated thumb from all the punching and wrestling as well as a back injury.
His coach in the movie, actor Djimon Hinsou, threw him on the mat on his back and Sean hurt his spine. The crew had to film non-fight scenes until Faris healed up.
Sean Faris Never Back Down Workout Tips
He learned a couple of valuable lessons from the grueling training for Never Back Down. One tip he has is that it helps to vary your training every 3-4 weeks. In this way the body is subjected to different stimuli and the gains never seize. Another lesson he learned is to take it easy – consistent small gains add up to big changes in a few months. Sean also states that it is essential to train with proper form and don’t swing the weights around. In this way the muscles are stimulated and injuries are avoided – something Sean learned the hard way.
Sean Faris Workout 