Patience is key when working to get a banging body, the actor says

Dec 18, 2009 20:41 GMT  ·  By

One of the stars from CW’s hottest series, “Vampire Diaries,” is now on the cover of the latest issue of Men’s Health magazine in all his sculpted glory. Sean Faris had to build 15 pounds of muscle for his role in “Never Back Down,” which he did: but it wasn’t without a lot of pain and learning a very important lesson. One can push one’s body to the limits, but one must also have patience with it, he says.

Faris starred in the 2008 martial arts film “Never Back Down” and, while training for the part, he broke a bone in his lower back because he wanted results faster than his body was able to cope with, he says for the February issue of the magazine. This way, he learned a fitness lesson he will probably never forget, namely that, in order to get in the best shape possible, he must allow his body to adjust to the changes he imposes on it.

“Faris’ secret has little to do with acting and everything to do with training. When you build a baseline level of fitness, your body is versatile enough to meet any new challenge. That’s why Faris (who just started on the CW’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’) sticks to the fundamentals: He works out multiple times a week, gives his muscles a break between sessions, and focuses on building his core. ‘You don’t have to kill yourself,’ the 27-year-old says. But when you walk into that weight room, you have to be ready to work,” Men’s Health writes.

Now, instead of pushing himself to limits his body can’t possibly endure, Faris keeps it simple. He works out in such a way as to make sure his body is prepared for the challenge, but has found the limit he must never cross to avoid accidents like the one in the past. He says of his workout routine that it’s “smart” because he’s set for himself attainable (as opposed to impossible) goals and has learned to be patient when working to achieve them.

“Faris has access to any gym tools he needs, but he prefers the basics: free weights, no belt. ‘Your body should be able to control what you do,’ he says. Without a belt, you have to focus on keeping your midsection tight and your lower back in its natural position (slightly arched) throughout the entire range of motion of each repetition. Not only is this a safer way to lift (provided you’re not overloading your weight), but it also turns every exercise into a core exercise, adding strength and endurance to your midbody muscles,” Men’s Health further says of the actor’s routine.

For more on how to get an enviable body like Faris’, see here for the full Men’s Health piece.