Getting fight-ready for Season 2
Jason plays the fighter Young Jun in Warrior, the HBO and Cinemax series based on the writings of Bruce Lee. Ahead of Season 2, doctors told him he was pre-diabetic. He was already training hard on his own several times a week with traditional bodybuilding-style workouts, but was not sure what else he could do to get the result he needed in the time he had.
Eight weeks to an eye-catching physique
Working with his ATP coaches, Jason built a striking physique in just eight weeks, developing his athleticism, mobility and conditioning alongside his physique. As an on-screen performer he wanted to look strong, but he also needed the fitness to get through long days of shooting and fight choreography without running out of steam.
I wanted a Bruce Lee type aesthetic, which felt appropriate given that we were bringing his work to life.Jason
Rethinking food and training
Jason had long believed he needed to eat protein constantly to stop his body breaking down muscle. He trained across several disciplines at once, martial arts, boxing, Thai boxing and running, and ate whatever he felt like. Despite the effort, he had lost definition around his midsection. At ATP the approach flipped: fewer, more targeted sessions and a shift to a low-carb, high-fat diet.
I had recently discovered that I was insulin resistant and pre-diabetic. I needed a personal training gym that would tailor my training and nutrition to factor this in, whilst accounting for the martial arts training I was already doing. It was a tall order but I found ATP excellent in all those areas.Jason
Training built around the role
Young Jun is an explosive, agile fighter, so Jason’s training was tailored around those qualities: FRC mobility work, targeted strength training and aerobic conditioning, with ATP support continuing through the Cape Town shoot. The mobility work helped him recover from old niggles and gave the fight choreographers more to work with. Jason found the process rewarding enough that he completed his own FRC certification before filming began.
I love the equipment, the facilities and the atmosphere at ATP. Put that together with coaching this good, and you have found the real number one in Asia-Pacific.Jason
A calmer, healthier life off screen
Training became a kind of meditation for Jason, a way to blow off steam from the pressures of the film industry, and the move to a low-carb, high-fat diet left him feeling steadier and, unexpectedly, stopped him getting sick. Once he saw how much his sleep affected his training, he started going to bed and waking up earlier.
I feel fantastic. I’m fitter, stronger. I move better than I have in years and my blood sugar is under control. I really couldn’t ask for more.Jason
By the time filming wrapped, Jason had reached the best shape of his life, blood sugar under control and a training system he trusts for the long term.
Coached at ATP Personal Training Singapore
