Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been pretty busy in Hollywood, both on the big and small screen. You've probably first seen him landing leading roles in DC's Aquaman, the critically acclaimed HBO series Watchmen and he's landed the lead role Jordan Peele's upcoming Candyman. The 33-year-old actor certainly has no problem tackling major roles, especially since he just announced he'll be starring in the Matrix 4 with Keanu Reeves.
While fans can only guess who Abdul-Mateen will be playing in the next installment of the Matrix franchise, there's one thing they'll know for sure: the actor is in amazing shape for whatever the film will throw at him.
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While prepping for his new role, the actor has taken to posting his workout routines on his social media for fans to enjoy--meaning it's a "thirst trap" for the ladies. Even though most of us know he's in great shape anyway, especially after a very revealing moment in Watchmen series (wink, wink), many of the ladies are still drooling over these new videos.
When Abdul-Mateen II broke down his Watchmen workout for Men's Health, he described his training goals for The Matrix. "I want to be able to look good and be cut and lean, but also move and be quick," he said. "That requires its own type of workout."
In the clip, Abdul-Mateen II takes on a series of intense exercises, most of which target his back, pecks, and his backside.
He starts with a round of sprints on a SkiErg machine, which ramps up his heart rate, burning fat and challenging his entire body. Next, Mateen II takes up a med ball for rotational wall slams. He's breaking out of the sagittal plane of movement (front-to-back and up-and-down) to include some transverse plane (side-to-side) and rotational plane (rotational) work, which makes the routine more natural since people move in all three planes in real-life activities.
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While no details have been revealed yet about who Abdul-Mateen II is playing in the Matrix, the actor said in an interview on The Daily Show that he’s excited about the story the movie will tell.
“I don’t always have a six-pack,” Abdul-Mateen II told Noah with a laugh after being asked about physique. “I find myself perpetually in roles that require me to work out. [After] the last day of Watchmen, I stopped going to the gym for months. I just got back into the gym about one month ago; I took a five-month hiatus because I don’t like working out."
Since being on screen so much, you would think acting was Yahya's first love. Acting is actually the second career for this rising star, who obtained his undergraduate degree in architecture from UC Berkeley. After getting laid off in 2010 from his job as a city planner in San Francisco, Yahya decided to follow his passion and attend the Yale School Of Drama. "Being laid off was one of the best things that happened to me," he tells ESSENCE. "I was pretty good at my job and passionate about it, too. But getting laid off just provided an opportunity to go and try something else."
A New Orleans native, Yahya grew up in Magnolia Projects, and later relocated to Oakland, California where he attended high school. Having accomplished so much in his career, the actor says he's trying to "learn how to allow myself to celebrate my success."
The handsome star admits that he's constantly striving for excellence. "I'm pretty tough on myself, but I had to learn to allow myself to celebrate my success," he explains. "I like to work really hard, and I'm not very much impressed with my own self. I'm most impressed when I figure out that I can do something new."
We'll we're impressed and looking forward to what else he has in store.
Shannon Sharpe, 50+ and in the Best Shape of His Life!
As a personality on Fox Sports’s Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe had to stay in shape when he was on the field. But what about now? The Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion is over 50 and literally doesn't have to do anything, but he's in better shape--and some may even say--the best shape of his life now.
“I tell people, when I train I don’t do a Hansel and Gretel workout,” he told Mens Health. “I don’t drop breadcrumbs. I saved nothing for the trip home.”
Turning 50 in the best shape possible means following a strict fitness/lifestyle routine — something that Sharpe excels at with stringent discipline.
“They say that insanity is doing something over and over again, but [expecting] different results,” Sharpe continues. “I do the same thing over and over for the same result — to be healthy and happy at the end of the day.”
Sharpe shared his weekly workout regimen, diet and nutrition plan, and gave us a little more insight about why he goes so hard in the gym, even though his playing days are long over.
Sharpe is up each weekday at 3:15 a.m. to shower and make the 4 a.m. call time in preparation for Undisuputed’s 6:30 a.m. PST start. Before he goes on the air, Sharpe has the same breakfast inside the show’s dressing room every day. “It’s always egg whites, oatmeal, water, and whatever fruit they have, normally pineapple, orange or grapefruits,” he says.
In addition to paying attention to his diet, Sharpe says Tru Niagen gives him an edge in maintaining his condition. The clinically studied supplement boosts levels of a molecule called NAD, which is a lot easier to remember than its formal scientific name of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide.
During his playing days, he returned to his Atlanta home in the offseason and trained under NPC official Ty "Ropeman" Felder and NPC competitor Darrell Monson.
"In college, I started lifting weights and changing my body, and I was hooked. I was like an addict. When my teammates were going to parties at 10 o'clock at night, I'd be in the weight room. Eventually, football was like a byproduct, because I would've rather lifted than play football. Football allowed me to do what I really, really loved to do: lift weights. For me, benching was the thing. In college, you benched three days a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Tuesday and Thursday were for legs. I'm tall with long arms, so you wouldn't think I'd be a good bencher, but I taught myself how to be good, and I was just naturally strong."
Looking "Sharpe" Shannon (see what we did there). Keep up the great work!
