Will Smith Slims Down For New Role in the Movie "I Am Legend".

Rusty, good article.

I have to commented on your metric onversions though.
6'2" is not 182cm, more like 187-188cm.

Yavor,

You are right…too many conversions for this time of night.

Thanks!

Rusty

As the Italians say, d'accordo.

He's in great shape and agree he suits the lean look. He got pretty big in IRobot, heard he was benching some impressive figures. Looks like a great movie too…

Wow, this movie looks amazing! A little off-topic, sorry.

Oh, yes. Will looks VERY good.

Hey Rusty,

I'm trying to lean down so I've started the one meal a day and have been doing so for almost 2 weeks now. It's great to be able to eat a large amount of food at the end of the day however, I've been feeling really weak and light headed. Also, by the end of the day (about 5-6pm) before I hit the gym, I'm starving and my stomach is in pain. I read in one of your articles "Train your body to burn fat on Demand…" that I might be feeling this way because my body sucks at using it's fat reserves for energy. How do suggest I over come this?

I really think this diet can work for me but at the same time I would love to be full of energy. I have some fruit during the day and I've tried coffee and it only gives me a temporary buzz. Is there anything I can take to give me the boost?

Thanks Rusty.

BTW – Will smith looks great and his new movie looks pretty good too. Can't wait til it comes out in OZ.

Jay,

Why don't you begin with 2-3 meals per day, but make those first two meals really small. You still want to allow yourself to get hungry, but you don't want to get light-headed. To be honest, this method works well for people who train in the evening. You are basically just insuring that your biggest meal is at night after your workout, so all the food you eat goes to use and doesn't get stored as fat. Once that becomes easy, you could decide if you wanted to drop a meal…or just continue eating this way.

That should work well,

Rusty

Will Smith is smokin' on that treadmill! I just signed up for tae kwon do classes because one of my friends has been taking classes regularly for 8 months and looks incredible! I saw her at a dance club and her body looked flawless. She used to have a bit more muscle mass, but now her muscles are really defined but are also longer and leaner looking. When she said she has stopped lifting weights and just does tae kwon do (which includes push-ups, ab work and heavy bag, etc.), I figured I would give it a shot…plus, a woman that knows how to kick some butt is pretty hot!

Jennifer,

You friend sounds smoking! Always a big fan of that. Also…I really like the way bodies look, when people don't only do gym workouts. Soccer, Swimming, Surfing, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Tennis, etc. You and your beautiful Tae Kwon Do friend, will make me a fan of martial arts as well.

Go Canada!

Rusty

I've always liked Will Smith! He's always in great shape and really bad ass!

Wow, he looks great, that trailer really sells him and the film seeing as he's probably going to be in every frame.

Most guys do look better leaner.

Btw Rusty, apparently Daniel Craig is going to be leaner for the next Bond movie too:

“I’m probably not going to bulk up as much as I did last time. That was an exercise that worked and I’m very happy I did it because I wanted to know if I could do it, but I’ve got to do stuff which will be closer to what I’m doing on screen, like running and jumping. I’ve got to do some of that.”

So leaner seems to be the way to go screen-wise. Even The Rock's looks like he's lost weight lately.

I am a HUGE Will Smith fan. I have also followed him since his younger days as the Fresh Prince, my son still watches the reruns every night. He is in great shape and typically always has been. Now consider this, I know it's just a movie, but it appears he's growing his own vegetables and hunting his own meat, sounds like the hunter/gatherer/paleo/intermittent fasting type diet to me. Just an observation, but H/G's are typically long and lean. Let's consider chasing and tracking on the hunt too, hhhmmm……. natural interval training. I just wonder if they considered all that when deciding what his physique should look like for the movie.

Josephine,

I'll have to do some research to see if I can find more info on the upcoming James Bond movie. That last one was my favorite. I thought it was cool that they finally picked a more bad-as looking guy.

Jeff,

I'm sure they made him look lean on purpose. It looks as if he does a lot of running and jumping over obstacles in this movie. He wouldn't be as mobile if he was bulky. Good call on the hunter gatherer look…he does appear to have that physique.

Rusty

Hey Rusty,

I'm 6'3 228 and I consider myself to be slim but I am a little confused with the people saying that they are 6 ft 175lbs and want to lose weight. I really just want to look nice at the beach and in my athletic cut suits for work.

I think the Will Smith, T.O. and Brad Pitt are great looks and are what I am looking to get. But when I see them I see great size and muscle tone how do I get size, tone and lose weight at the same time.

I have been working out thinking I need to gain weight listening to these trainers at the gym in order to get the chest and cuts i want. Do you have any suggestions?

Tee,

Will Smith and Brad Pitt are slim guys with thin frames…the ectomorph build. T.O. is a whole different deal…he has much more muscle mass than these two guys. T.O. also has a larger frame.

I am 6'3" and got up to over 225 pounds for a few years. Like you, I still had a slim and muscular build. The problem was that pants didn't fit me well at all, I had to buy wide legs dress pants and couldn't fit into normal jeans.

What is funny is that once I dropped down to 185-190 I looked much better in clothes. When I was at the beach my body had a more aesthetic look to it. Very defined without looking excessively muscular. I also gained back a lot of athletic ability that I lost from gaining so much muscle.

If you have a really large frame…like "The Rock" then the 220 range might be about right. If you have a more moderate frame, then your physique will probably look better at a much lighter weight. Brad Pitt was 155 in the movie Fight Club, but was 20 pounds heavier for Troy. He looked great in both movies, but I think he looked better in Fight Club.

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Thanks for the reply Rusty!! How would you recommend for me to not only lose the weight and gain muscle at the same time. What you are saying makes more sense to me then the trainers at my gym.

My concern now is since i would like the Hollywood look how do I go about it since I am a slim 228 looking to gain muscle mass and density while at the same time lose fat.

Thanks for your help and the very informative site!!!

Tee,

Losing weight while gaining muscle is a tough combo. You are probably more likely to drop body fat while maintaining muscle mass. Then once you get extra lean and ripped, then you can gradually add mass if you want to.

A good rule of thumb to get lean while maintaining mass is to either gain or maintain strength while dieting…I have a full post on that here:

Low Calorie Diet

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Rusty,

I thought Will Smith looked great in the film and he is now my fitness role model. I have the classic ectomorph body and its always been a challenge for me to gain weight/muscle. Two years ago I started lifting heavy with low reps and I've gone from 185lbs to 206lbs. (My high has been 210lbs.) I'm 6'4" tall. My waist has gone from 33/34" to 36" My body looks good with the exception of the fat around my lower abs.

How do I achieve a flat stomach without reducing my muscle mass? Is it even possible?

L

Lue,

You will probably lose a bit of muscle mass in your quest to get leaner, but you will look like you have actually gained muscle. Getting lean creates that illusion. If you are 206 and cut down to 195, you would probably looked very defined.

The main thing is to maintain your strength while dieting and doing cardio, to minimize muscle loss (this is another big reason I don't advocate high reps when leaning down).

Rusty

Saw the movie last night. He is definetely leaner as compared to Bad Boys 2 for example.

He looks lean in clothes. That being said, in shirts his back and arms still look big.

hey i saw the movie last night. seeing will smiths new body was very inspiring. id like to get really lean but i have trouble finding a model for my body type. i am not an ectomorph. i am more of an out of shape mesomorph. 6'1" 245lbs. 40" waist. im muscular and look like i used to play football or something but i look terrible on hte beach. id like to be around 215lbs. i think id need to be around 205 to get the abs to really pop like will smiths. i need some words of wisdom. should i be on low calorie diet? 2150 calories. or is that still too many?

Yavor,

Yeah…his arms look big, but not excessive at all. He fits his clothes extremely well.

Trevor,

As a mesomorph, you will maintain good mass no matter what you do. I recommend that mesomorphs spend 80% of their time on cardio and 20% of their time lifting.

I also think you could get away with closer to 1,500-1,800 calories until you hit 205, then bump it back up to 2,000 to maintain.

Good role models for you…The Rock, Matthew McConaughey, Terrell Owens, Laird Hamilton

No problem with being a mesomorph, just spend less time in the gym lifting.

Rusty

Hey rusty…Great stuff..always a fan….quick question

Im 6ft 170…in shape…guy..but seriously..how is it even possible too get that cut.." i am legend" that pull up scene is insane..thats what im tryin too get too..Got a trainer but the guy is no help….how the heck do is get that cut!

PS..THx for the help!

Dale,

Get to where others consider you pretty cut and either hold that weight for 6-12 months or lose 5 more pounds over 6-12 months. Often times to get really defined, your skin has to shrink a bit around your smaller body size. I get more defined every year and have stayed at the same weight for the past 3-4 years.

Also, at times it takes months to lose that last 3-5 pounds that keep you from getting ultra-defined. The best way to look great is plan WAY ahead for a vacation or event. You can't prepare early enough in my opinion.

Rusty

oh wow..thats totally different from what they told me too do…lol funny…..thx rusty!

Ps..happy new year~

Dale,

The personal trainers in my gym aren't even defined. It is like they are on a permanent "bulking" cycle! You will get really defined if you work at it over a much longer period of time than most people recommend. Want the best abs of your life? Get down to 6% body fat and hold it there for 6 months.

It really is that simple!

Rusty

that makes sense.." bulking cycle" hear that everyday…There always trying too get me too eat! well im at 11..lol looks like i got aways too go. thx agian rusty…

Dale

Hi Rusty,

great site this! just discovered it a few days ago.
I've always been a massive Will Smith fan and just saw I am Legend the other day. I was totally blown away by that 'pull up' scene and treadmill scene. He looks awesome at that weight.

Very inspiring for a follow ectomorph like me. I'm 6'2 and currently 187 pounds (down from 195 since Oct07). I still have a bit to go re. getting super toned but i'm on my way.

thanks again

Jason

Jason,

Will Smith is a great role model for you. He has a very good build for his height. You sound like you are making great progress! Keep reading.

Cheers,

Rusty

I am truely big boned with 7.5 wrists, 18 inch neck and 18 inch calves. I am 5'11" @ 195 10.5% bf. This down from 217 in july. Oh by the way, i wo 5-6 times a week and am a youthful 55 yo. If I was built like WS I would have to weigh 160-170 I would lose lots of hard earned muscle mass.

Hi Rusty,

cool site i found it today just what I've been looking for..
I'm 5'10 194 most of it body fat I know geting close to how will smith looks is going to take a LONG time i want to start the procces, can u give me advice on loosing body fat and gaining muscle? thnx!!

Jesse,

My biggest tips:

1) Don't touch any type of calorie 4 hours before your workout
2) Drink a cup of black coffee or a few cups of green tea right before your workout
3) Do 30 minutes of lifting, followed by 30-45 minutes of cardio
4) Make sure at least 20 minutes of your cardio is high intensity interval training.

Besides that, dig in to my site…read the comments…there is a lot to learn here.

Have a great one!

Rusty

I am 6'5", and have a naturally thin frame, like Will Smith, although I am a few inches taller than him. I like the thin, muscular look, better than the huge, bulky look, which is opposite of what a lot of people, guys, specifically, are after.

I read somewhere that Will Smith runs 5 miles per day, 6 days per week, as well as does weight training. I am about to start a workout routine like this, as well as completely reform my diet, which hasn't been good, as of late.

Chris,

Cardio done properly creates a very attractive body. Most guys who get strong in the free weight area, don't do enough cardio…and most people who are good at cardio don't lift enough.

The trick is to do a good balance of lifting and cardio. Once you gain enough muscle and you get a bit older, you will probably increase the cardio like Will. I do much more cardio now than I did 10 years ago. Guys who are 40+ and do a lot of cardio, look MUCH better than guys who are 40+ and just lift weights. The same holds true for women.

Rusty

Hey

Im 6ft 2 " (188 inches) just as will smith, i am rather skinny but have been lifting weights for about a year now, right arm used to be 10.4 inches when tensed now its 12.5". is this good progress ??

Also whats a better workout for you arms, pull ups and chin ups or lifting dumbells ??

Also anyone got an idea to how big will smiths arms are in i am legend ?? cause they look huge. Hes my ideal role model all round

Thanks !

iain,

You have made great progress. My best estimate for Will Smith's arm size is around 16-16.5 inches…which is about the same size as his neck.

As far as building bigger arms. Make sure you work your triceps as well. Get stronger at pressing exercises to add mass to the triceps…like bench press, military presses, and dips. Get stronger at "pulling" exercises like rows, chinups, and dips to add mass to your biceps.

Include 2 direct bicep exercises as well. To build size in your biceps I believe their is nothing better than standing straight bar curls…ideally with an olympic bar. Follow that up with some form of dumbbell curl.

You can count on your arms growing for about 2 more years just as a natural result of getting stronger. Focus on gaining functional strength while staying lean and you will wind up looking like Will Smith did in I Am Legend.

Rusty

Cheers i will keep that in mind
This forum is great i was impressed you actually replied to me as other forums i have been on havent bothered. Thanks for that !

So will smith is roughly 16-16.5" you think, i would say ats a pretty good estimation. Is that considered big ?? For example what would arnold schwarznegger arms be ? just so i can use a comparison between the two.

Once again thanks for the tips

iain,

Arnold and other Mr. Olympia bodybuilders typically have around 20" arms. This is massive!

Rusty

Wow at does sound big !

Ok so you suggest i stick with both biceps and triceps exercises. I have been doing roughly 3 sets of 5 slow reps of chin ups every second day. Also superset my chin ups with push ups. I just try them to failure really or do 10 push ups then 1 min rest and repeat. Is this the best way to go ?
And im trying to take in protein as much as possible even though im not so sure how much i should consume daily ?? Any ideas as a guide ?

Once again thanks a lot rusty

iain,

If you are 6'2", you probably want to end up weighing between 170-190, depending upon your frame. If you want to gain muscle quickly, you should aim for 150-200 grams of protein per day. This is much more than I normally recommend and you will want to back off once you hit your goal.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

WOW thats a lot of protein especially when i consider that one protein bar i eat contains only 12 grams, however i drink a lot of milk as well so that should help
I have never bought any protein powders or whey, creatine etc.. but i am thinking on buying some whey protein, is there any you could recommend that is good as i dont want to go buying a crap brand.
And thanks again rusty, that was a fast reply
Iain

Iain,

The best of the best protein in my opinion is Myoplex Original by EAS. I buy the boxes of 42 servings and mix with water and ice. If you go to bodybuilding.com you will save a lot of money…you will also get it within 3-5 days (at least I do where I live). The Strawberry Cream tastes the best. It is 42 grams of high quality protein and has a great deal of vitamins in each serving.

Rusty

Ok i will give that a shot, cheers for the advice on that
will i continue with my push ups, chin ups and crunches and consume roughly 150-200 grams protein a day as you suggested then ?
Cheers
And btw how much protein is in each serving of the mypolex original by EAS ?

iain,

They have 42 grams of protein per serving.

You will like this stuff.

Rusty

Great Post Rusty,

As we are talking about fitness studs, check out this guy. I don't remember his name but he's one of the hottest stars in India. And he's a KILLER dancer

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j6xnCtMSBa8

Can you comment on his physique?

Thanks

Sai,

He is in great shape, but the mesh shirt makes me laugh. Some of the dance moves remind me of the Backstreet Boys (not a great thing). He looks like he is in great shape, however.

Rusty

can anybody tell me where can i get the gym-bar that appears in the movie when he is working out? thanksss

Check this out Muaricio …
http://www.pullupbar.com/ or
http://www.amazon.com/P90X-Chin-Up-Bar

hope this helps

I am an 64 kg 5 ft 7 ectomorph… but with big calves… do you think there is any realistic way to slim down my calves ?

Tee…

Terrell Owens is actually an ectomorph. In high school and college he was on the slim side, weighing 185 pounds at 6'3. However, he's bulked up over 40 pounds (mainly muscle) and now he sports a rather impressive physique. Slim guys, who are still muscular tend to be among the most athletic people.

I am 6'2 and currently weigh in at 210 lbs. ( My heaviest weight ever ). I've been as low as 180 . I def. need to drop 20 lbs. to get back to a llean weight. I looked up actors who are my height and who got in great shape for certain movie roles ( Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, Ryan Ryenolds in Blade Trinity, Gerald Butler in 300, Will Smith in I am Legend ). Does anyone know how much these guys weighed in for these roles and what they're Diet and trainig routines were like ? Also, to drop 20 lbs. how many calories and amount of cardio should I do along with weight training ? I was thinking of consuming 3000 calories a day, with 300 g. protein and 300 g. of carbs a day ( no carbs past 7:00 p.m. ), and lifting heavy weights for 30 min. with 20-25. min. on the treadmill or Rowing machine. High Intensity training for cardio. Thanks for the insight and help – Michael

I am 6'5 1/2 and I currently weigh 242.5 pounds. I've been trying to find the right balance between being really big and ripped. My workout routine is:

Mondays: Chest and Triceps
Tuesday: Biceps and Back
Wednesday: 90 minutes of cardio
Thursday: legs
Fridays: shoulders
saturdays: 90 minutes of cardio

things to note: after each sesseion i do 4 sets of 50 crunches and back stretches.

Thats my workout at the moment. The two main problems for me at the moment are my chest and my abs, well the lower ones. my chest is sort of slanty, i want the whole muscle to be even like Wills' but my mid chest area is a lot bigger than my upper chest. and getting ripped abdominals is extremely hard for me. I have a 4 pack but getting the 3rd set is almost impossible. I changed my diet round last week and quit drinking completely for the forseeable future. How do I achieve a flat ripped chest like that?
Also, I don't ever want to use any supplements. Is it possible to achieve a 7% body fat percentage. All my cardio is done in the gym as my knees are wobbly so i can't run outside.

Hi to all! Great article and great info on Will Smith. I find him to be one of the best role models out there.

Ok so here is me.. 6ft. 228 pounds. Due to a car acc and immobilization i gained a lot of weight. Former basketball player and swimmer.
A lot of road to achieve my final goal but getting started strong. Would like to achieve a body like W.Smith has on I, Robot.

How is W. smith on I am legend 182 and looks like that????? When i drop at approximately 193pounds i look sooo slim!! Everyone is like STOP losing weight.

Different body types perhaps? If i try to go like 182 i would look like a corpse, and i'm also 1inch shorter than Smith.
Also my bone structure is kind on the heavy side: my wrists are 8inches.

>What would be a good weight-BF ratio for me to look like Will is looking on I,Robot?

You all take care, and look forward for your reply
Chris

Great stuff here and very motivational! i have some questions but looks like the column is not updated for a long time anyone?

It's very much like.

it has a 185-190 (84-86kg).