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Last Word Ray Liotta

How has being in your 60s affected the way you exercise?

I work out more. I work out five days a week. I’m 61 now so I really need to unwind the damage I’ve done over the years. You need months to do that. I have a trainer and we do a lot of massage and stretching. I don’t lift a lot because of an old injury – instead we do circuits geared towards getting lean, always with jumping rope. We’ll always start with three minutes of jumping rope, which is a motherfucker.

When did you notice you had to change how you trained?

Right around 60. It’s unbelievable what happens to you when you hit a certain age. Even if you’ve been consistent in training, issues will suddenly come up. I’ve had to stop running so much. If I do run it’s hard for me to stop because I really love doing it. I love the runner’s high.

You’ve gone from criminal to cop in your new TV series Shades Of Blue. How did you prepare physically?

Doing the series can be such a grind. Anywhere from 12- to 15-hour days. But you just do what you have to do. Acting is one thing that helps you forget it. But press tours wipe me out. I had to go to the pharmacy when we landed and I felt like I was walking in molasses, my legs were moving so slow. I came [to the Corinthia Hotel in London] and just passed out.

Ever since 1986’s Something Wild you’ve been known for playing intense characters. How do you prepare for that?

I work out before scenes. Then I did push-ups all day. Now, I keep weights in my trailer and use the coffee table as a bench. But truthfully, I just want to be able to move without being hunched or limping. Your priorities change as you get older. I tell my trainer, “Take it easy, I just want to look good in jeans. I’m not competing for the Olympics here”.

When were you at your fittest?

Probably high school or college. I ran all the time. I was never one of those cut guys – I would have a six-pack only because I was always skinny. Really, what it comes down to is diet. You can exercise all you want but it’s your diet that really [makes the] change.

Have you always tried to look after yourself?

I love working out. I’ve been doing it since seventh grade [around age 12]. I used to be addicted to running and I think that did a lot of damage. I played a lot of sport, basketball and soccer. I prided myself on always being first when doing laps. I was just able to run. I had good lungs, I guess.

Do you bring that fight to the set opposite Jennifer Lopez in Shades Of Blue?

I’ve taken that competitiveness into my acting. I look at it as a competitive thing, like a one-on-one basketball game. It’s probably not the best thing to do [laughs].

Did you challenge co-stars Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci to bench press competitions when shooting GoodFellas ?

Well Bob was always up too early for me. He was getting ready for Cape Fear and he was all ripped up in it so he was doing extra training. I don’t think Joe did though… That’s what I’ll do too. I’ll get up an hour or two early to work out before being on set. But as soon as I get home at 7pm I’ll order room service and then boom, I’m gone, so I can get up at 5am.

Did you not join De Niro in the gym?

Well I remember throwing my back out during GoodFellas. In the scene where I lifted a girl and threw her, my back went. My mom also had cancer while we were filming so [the stress of] that made my back even worse. If you look at certain scenes I’m all hunched over.

What happened to the girl?

You know, I’m sad to say, I think she passed away. Years later somebody told me, “Remember so-and-so? She passed away”.

Oh… I was hoping you’d say she just got a couple of bruises.

Well in the scene, nothing happened. She just landed where she was supposed to land and that was it…

And years later she died…

And years later she died [laughs]. Wait, why are you laughing about that? He’s horrible, this guy. He’s nasty. He’s mean. Don’t laugh. Don’t write that we laughed that she died. I’ll track you down, motherfucker. I can still run.

Shades Of Blueis on Sky Living, Wednesdays at 9pm

Models Greg Cornthwaite, Daniel Ventura

Do you follow a traditional body-part workout split, training each muscle group around once a week? It’s a legitimate tactic, and with the right training programme you’ll add muscle size at a decent rate. But if a decent rate is too slow because you want to make big muscle gains as quickly as possible, this month’s main Men’s Fitness workout is for you. When you do this four-times-a-week training plan, you’ll work your chest and back twice each week, while working your biceps, triceps and shoulders directly and indirectly twice a week too. This additional workout volume can help you transform your torso by adding lean muscle mass where you want it to create a V-shaped torso that screams health, strength and fitness.

HERE’S HOW THE PLAN WORKS

This month’s four-week workout is made up of four sessions a week. Workout one targets your chest and back; workout two, your legs and shoulders; workout three, your chest and triceps; and workout four, your back and biceps. This approach means that all your major upper body muscles get trained directly or indirectly twice a week, and it’s this increased gym time and increased training volume that will prompt these muscles into growing bigger quickly.

Each workout is made up of six moves, split into three parts. The first is a superset comprising two big compound lifts, and you’ll do five sets. The second superset is done for four sets and the number of reps increases. The third set is a single exercise but the reps are even higher. This approach will work your more of your muscle fibres to a greater stage of fatigue by taxing them with a mix of heavy-weight, low-rep sets, moderate-weight, moderate-rep sets and light-weight, high-rep sets. Simply do the workouts in order, sticking to the sets, reps, tempo and rest periods detailed, and transform your torso with more muscle mass across the board.

TEMPO TRAINING

To get the full effect from these workouts, you need to stick to the four-digit tempo code for each exercise. The first digit indicates how long in seconds you take to lower the weight, the second how long you pause at the bottom of the move, the third how long you take to lift the weight, and the final digit how long you pause at the top. The accumulated time under tension increases your heart rate to burn body fat and break down muscle tissue so it’s rebuilt bigger and stronger. Keep each rep smooth and controlled so your muscles – not momentum – do the work, and move through a full range of motion.

YOUR FOUR-WEEK MUSCLE PLAN

Here’s how each week is structured

WORKOUT 1 CHEST AND BACK

WORKOUT 2 LEGS AND SHOULDERS

WORKOUT 3 CHEST AND TRICEPS

WORKOUT 4 BACK AND BICEPS

WORKOUT 1 CHEST AND BACK

1A BENCH PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2110

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding a barbell with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and press your feet into the ground, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.

1B BENT OVER ROW

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Hold a barbell using a shoulder-width overhand grip just outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly, then bend forwards, hingeing from the hips and keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up towards your sternum, leading with your elbows, then lower it back to the start.

2A CHIN UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 30sec

Hold a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2B INCLINE FLYE

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Lie on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand above your face, with your palms facing and a slight bend in your elbows. Lower them to the sides, then bring them back to the top.

3 DIAMOND PRESS UP

Sets 3 Reps 15

Tempo 2110 Rest 60sec

Start in a press-up position but with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond. Keeping your hips up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor. Push down through your hands to return to the start.

WORKOUT 2 LEGS AND SHOULDERS

1A BACK SQUAT

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2010 Rest 30sec

Stand tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and core braced, squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Drive back up through your heels to return to the start.

1B OVERHEAD PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the top of your chest with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up and core braced, press the bar overhead until your arms are straight, then lower it back to the start.

2A BARBELL SPLIT SQUAT

Sets 4

Reps 6 each side

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Stand tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up, take a big step forwards with your right foot, then bend both knees to 90°. Drive back through your right foot to return to the start. Repeat for six reps, then switch legs and do another six reps with your left foot.

2B BARBELL HIGH PULL

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 1010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip and straight arms. Keeping your chest up and core braced, pull the bar upwards, leading with your elbows, until it reaches chin height. Then lower it back to the start.

3 LATERAL RAISE

Sets 3 Reps 15

Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec

Stand tall, holding a light dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping your chest up, core braced and a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height. Turn your thumbs down at the top, then lower them back to the start.

WORKOUT 3 CHEST AND TRICEPS

1A BENCH PRESS

Sets 5 Reps 8

Tempo 2110

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding a bar with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and press your feet into the ground, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.

1B SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 60sec

Sit on an upright bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, press the weights directly overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start.

2A HAMMER GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Lie on a flat bench, holding dumbbells by your shoulders with palms facing. Drive your feet into the floor and press the weights straight up, then lower them slowly back to the start.

2B DUMBBELL TRICEPS EXTENSION

Sets 4 Reps 12

Tempo 1010 Rest 60sec

Stand tall holding a dumbbell over your head with both hands, arms straight. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows pointing up, lower the weight behind your head, then lift it back to the start.

3 DIAMOND PRESS UP

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 60sec

Start in a press-up position but with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond. Keeping your hips up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your chest down towards the group, then push down through your hands to return to the start.

WORKOUT 4 BACK AND BICEPS

1A PULL UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 30sec

Hold a pull-up bar using an overhand grip with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your lower chest touches the bar. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2B CHIN UP

Sets 4 Reps 6

Tempo 2011

Rest 60sec

Hold a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.

2A BARBELL BICEPS CURL

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010

Rest 30sec

Hold a barbell with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the bar up to your chest, squeezing your biceps as you go. Lower it back to the start.

2B REVERSE GRIP BENT OVER ROW

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Hold a bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip just outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly then bend forwards, hingeing at the hips and keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up towards your sternum, leading with your elbows, then lower it back to the start.

3 DUMBBELL BICEPS CURL

Sets 3 Reps 12

Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec

Hold dumbbells by your sides with straight arms, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps as you go, then lower them back to the start.

TOTAL BOBY TRANSFORMATION

Model Andrew Tracey

Having bulging biceps and a chest as wide as a wardrobe might look good, but if your muscles hinder rather than help your day-today activities, then there’s not much point in having them. Fortunately, it’s possible to build a bigger and stronger body that’s also incredibly efficient moving around in the real world, rather than simply moving metal in the gym. And one of the best ways to build a more muscular and functionally-fit body is through suspension training. The beauty of kit like the KO8 (ko8.co.uk) is that not only can it be used almost any time and anywhere, but it also makes using your own bodyweight as resistance a real challenge.

HOW IT WORKS

“Suspension training is great because it allows you to expand your bodyweight training exercise repertoire tenfold, with kit that takes up less room in your car or travel bag than a loaf of bread,” says MF’s regular outdoor training expert Andrew Tracey (wayofthenomad.co.uk). “And in terms of increasing muscle mass and improving strength and co-ordination, there’s nothing better than getting to grips with moving and controlling your own bodyweight. It simply makes you better at moving through life.”

Find a tree branch, a set of goalposts or any secure overhead bar to hook your kit on, then try Tracey’s upper-body metabolic circuit below. The 30-minute circuit is split into two parts containing three moves each: the first half targets your “pushing” muscles – chest, front delts, triceps – and the second half your “pulling” muscles – back, rear delts and biceps. In each circuit the moves get easier but the reps increase to capitalise on accumulated fatigue to keep your muscles pumped and your heart rate high.

“This technique keeps rest to a minimum, maximum calories are burned, and compounding fatigue causes a cascade of beneficial fat-burning, muscle-building hormones to be released,” says Tracey. Go down this route to find your way to a bigger, stronger and more mobile upper body.

DIRECTIONS

This is a 30-minute every minute on the minute (EMOM) workout. After a quick warm-up, start the clock. In the first minute do five dips, then resting for the remainder of the minute (use the time to adjust the straps). In minute two do ten decline press-ups with your feet in the straps and hands on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten incline press-ups with your hands in the straps and feet on the ground. Repeat this for five total rounds, which lasts 15 minutes.

In the first minute of the second part of the workout do five pull-ups, then again use the rest of the minute to adjust the straps. In minute two do ten inverted rows with your feet on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten kneeling straight-arm roll-outs. Repeat this five times as well.

Model Richard P@WModels

There’s nothing more frustrating than heading to the gym all pumped for your workout, only to get there and discover it’s jammed to the rafters. But a busy gym needn’t be the end of the road in your journey towards a leaner, stronger and more impressive physique. So if you want to burn fat, build muscle or sculpt a solid six-pack, try these one-kit circuit-training workouts for a quick and effective session that doesn’t require much time or much space.

TORCH BELLY FAT WITH JUST A 20KG BARBELL

GET ROCK HARD ABS BY USING A SINGLE DUMBBELL

BUILD LEAN MUSCLE WITH THESE WEIGHT PLATE MOVES

TORCH FAT WITH… A BAR

Strip away body fat faster using just a barbell with this time-saving circuit

HOW DO TO IT

Do the five moves here in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. If you want to make the circuit harder you can add weight to the bar, starting with 2.5kg each side.

1 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

Stand tall holding the bar with a wide, overhand grip. Bend forwards, hingeing from the hips, to lower the bar to knee level. Push your hips forwards to stand up straight.

2 CLEAN

From the bottom of the deadlift, push your hips forward and raise the bar, rotating your elbows to “catch” it at shoulder height. Reverse the move to the start.

3 BENT OVER ROW

Starting from the bottom of the clean, let your arms hang then, leading with your elbows, row the bar in towards your lower chest. Return to the start.

4 PUSH PRESS

Clean the bar up to the front of your shoulders then, initiating the move with a knee bend, push the bar straight up over your head. Lower it back down to your shoulders.

5 SQUAT

After the last push press rep, lower the bar behind your head to rest on the backs of your shoulders. Squat down, then stand back up.

GET A SIX PACK WITH… A DUMBBELL

Sculpt a lean, hard and defined six-pack with this five-move dumbbell circuit that works your core from multiple angles

HOW DO TO IT

Do the following five moves in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. Make the circuit easier with a lighter dumbbell, or harder with a heavier one.

1 SWING

Hold a dumbbell in both hands. Bend from the hips to lower the weight between your legs, then push your hips forward to raise it up to shoulder height. Reverse back down to the start.

2 SIDE BEND

Stand tall, holding the dumbbell in one hand. Keeping your chest up, lower the weight – this will hit your obliques. Complete all the reps, then switch hands and repeat.

3 WOODCHOP

Squat, holding the weight in both hands to one side. Raise it across your body to head height, then back down. Do all the reps, then switch sides.

4 CRUNCH

Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent, holding the dumbbell to your chest with both hands. Use your upper abs to raise your torso, then lower slowly to the start.

5 RUSSIAN TWIST

Start at the top of the crunch but with your feet off the ground. Rotate back and forth, keeping your abs braced. A twist to one side then the other counts as one rep.

BUILD MUSCLE WITH… A WEIGHT PLATE

A weight plate doesn’t need to sit on the end of a barbell to help you add muscle. Try this five-move bulk-up circuit

HOW DO TO IT

Do the following five moves in order, performing 15 reps of a lift then moving on to the next one without rest. After the final move, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat. Do six circuits in total. Make the circuit easier with a lighter weight plate, or harder with a heavier one.

1 SQUAT

Hold the weight plate behind your head, supported on your upper back. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then stand back up to return to the start.

2 BICEPS CURL

Hold the weight plate in both hands with your arms straight. Keeping your elbows tight to your sides, curl the plate up to your chin, then lower back down slowly.

3 OVERHEAD PRESS

From the top position of the curl, press the weight directly overhead, keeping your chest up. Lower back to the start slowly with the weight under control.

4 TRICEPS EXTENSION

From the top of the overhead press, keep your elbows locked in position and lower the plate behind your head. Straighten your arms to return to the top position.

5 HALO

Hold the plate securely in both hands next to your head. Rotate it clockwise around your head 15 times, then go in an anti-clockwise direction 15 times.

FitBrit, the UK’s biggest and best fitness challenge, is back again to find the country’s number one amateur athlete. And this year, it could be you. With three categories to enter – Open, Masters and Team – there’s more reasons than ever to enter the competition and battle to become the country’s champion in the ultimate test of speed, strength and stamina. So if you want to give your training regime new focus and set your eyes on the prize of calling yourself the UK’s fittest, here’s what you need to know.

Crowning glory

The Open category is open to everyone, giving you the chance to compete against the fittest in the country to be crowned FitBrit champion. The Masters event is for you if you’re aged 40 or over on or before Friday 4th November, the final date for submitting your time. The Team category is for groups of four, which must be mixed-sex, although the team make-up can be any combination of male and female athletes.

The individual categories require you to complete all the events in order, while the team effort requires each member to participate in all three cardio events in a relay, completing at least 10% each, and one functional exercise each.

Find out first

The events that make up this year’s FitBrit challenge, as well as details on how to enter, can be found on the Fitness First website (fitnessfirst.co.uk/fitbrit). Make sure you get next month’s issue of MF for your exclusive FitBrit training plan.

THE EASY WAY TO BOULDER SHOULDERS

Master the lateral raise to add serious size to your delts

Photography Glen Burrows

❶ MAKE A SMALL MOVE

WHAT Start each rep by slowly moving your hands out to the sides, then stopping.

WHY Moving the dumbbells slightly places tension on your shoulders. The pause switches off your traps, which will otherwise muscle in on the move, taking emphasis off your shoulders.

HOW Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward from the hips then, keeping your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, use your side delts to raise the weights about 5cm out to the side, then pause for one second.

❷ LEAD WITH ELBOWS

WHAT Raise the dumbbells leading with your elbows, so that they’re the highest part of your arm.

WHY Ensuring your elbows lead the move will again keep the focus on your delts and minimise the stress placed on your rotator cuffs, a small group of delicate but crucial stabilising muscles.

HOW From the paused position, reinitiate the move by raising your elbows up and out to the sides, maintaining that slight bend in the joint. Concentrate on how your side delts feel and contract as the weights are raised.

❸ TURN YOUR WRISTS

WHAT As your hands approach shoulder height, rotate your wrist so that your little fingers are uppermost.

WHY Turning your wrists as the dumbbells reach the top of the move activates more muscle fibres in your side delts, meaning each rep works the muscle even harder.

HOW Once your elbows are at shoulder height turn your wrists as if you were pouring two jugs of water so your little fingers are the highest parts of your hands. Reverse this movement as you lower the weights again.

❹ GO DOWN SLOWER

WHAT From the top of the move lower the weights back to the start as slowly as possible.

WHY Taking your time to lower the dumbbells forces your shoulders to work harder to manage the weight, so you recruit more muscle fibres in order to maintain control. The more muscular damage you do, the greater your growth return.

HOW Keep tension on your side delts as you lower the weights under full control, maintaining focus on how your delts feel. Aim for a two-second lowering phase at first, then increase it over time.