In his new film Southpaw Jake Gyllenhaal plays a middleweight boxing champion, so it comes as no surprise that a rigorous exercise regime was at the heart of his preparation for filming. The actor recently revealed the vigorous routine he followed to get in shape, including doing 2000 sit-ups a day.
© Photo: Getty ImagesJake Gyllenhaal has revealed his exercise regime for Southpaw
"I knew nothing about boxing when I started really," he told Entertainment Tonight in a video which gave fans a glimpse of his workouts.
"I knew that in order for me to pull it off in any way, I was just going to have to learn how to do it," he added. "When I set my mind to something I just won't stop until I do it. It's something I pride myself on. It's something I hate about myself. By the end I felt like I could do it."
Director Antoine Fuqua admitted that he had urged Jake to train 'like a fighter' in order to play the role more convincingly, including working out over six hours a day.
© Photo: Getty ImagesJake with director Antoine Fuqua
"I said, 'Jake, you have to train like a fighter. I can't have you fake it'," Antoine said, recalling a conversation with the actor where he agreed to undergo the same regime to keep Jake motivated. "'You have to be in a gym, twice a day. Even on Sundays.'"
The gruelling training lasted for five months, and included everything from push-ups and core training to lifting an oversized tyre – Jake reportedly gained 15lbs purely in muscle due to the intensity of his workouts.
Jake did however reveal in a recent interview with Chris Evans that he felt there was too much fascination with how he achieved his toned body rather than the reasons why it was so important for the film.
"There's a misunderstanding about the reasons why I particularly do what I do," he said. "I didn't know how to box before I started this movie and the way we were going to shoot it was as real as possible.And I just tried to spend almost five hours a day learning how to box."
"Over time, you get into shape," he added. "That's the result."
