• 2 months ago
'Rebel Ridge' Actor Aaron Pierre | Train Like | Men's Health
Transcript
00:00Hey, Men's Health.
00:16This is Aaron Pierre, and this is how I train.
00:20Let's go.
00:23Training for Terry Richmond on Rebel Ridge was very intense.
00:28Jeremy Saulnier, who is just a tremendous filmmaker, one of the greatest filmmakers
00:33we have today, he ensured that I had everything I needed.
00:36He set up wrestling mats, he set up boxing bags, he set up a whole area where we could
00:41train and prepare, and all of that made me feel as authentic as I could.
00:46When I'm not training for a specific role, I do a combination of weight training, calisthenics,
00:51and a considerable amount of martial arts.
00:53I box and do Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
00:56It is the most humbling thing in the world.
01:00I love being a student, I love being a sponge, absorbing, and putting myself in situations
01:05where I have to evolve and I have to grow.
01:08Situations which give me no other option but growth, so not being stagnant.
01:17Today is bag day, and I usually start with five sets of ten pull-ups.
01:24I love that it gives muscle endurance as well as muscle strength.
01:28I really love to do the pull-ups before I do any of the machine exercises.
01:33I kind of almost like to get to a state of fatigue before I get into the things that
01:40are more controlled.
01:45We're going to get into some lat pull-downs.
01:47We're going to do eight to ten sets of ten reps of lat pull-downs.
01:52I really like to double down on that movement after I've done pull-ups.
01:56I heard once that there's motivation and then there's discipline, and some days you're going
02:01to feel both, but the times when you don't feel motivated, that's when discipline really
02:06needs to kick in.
02:07That's when you need to double down on it.
02:08So I ensure that no matter what my schedule is, no matter what time zone I'm in, frankly
02:13no matter how many hours of sleep I've had, I make sure I get it in because I know that
02:18I'm contributing to my well-being and my longevity by doing so.
02:25Training really helps me, yes as a performer, yes as a storyteller, to sort of be in the
02:32best place possible mentally and physically and spiritually, but more on a personal level.
02:39It just keeps me centered, it keeps me grounded in a positive frame of mind, and I think that
02:44is a key component in regards to my obsession.
02:47Depending on the role, I can change my workouts and my training pretty drastically.
02:54When I had the great privilege and honor to portray Malcolm X, I was on the Stairmaster
03:02six days a week versus, for example, Rebel Ridge, where Terry's an ex-Marine, and I wanted
03:08to be truthful to that and honor that.
03:11So right now we're going to get into some dumbbells for biceps.
03:16Growing up, we used to do what I call 21s, and the first set of seven was from here to
03:22the midpoint, the second set was from the midpoint to the top, and then the third was
03:27the full movement.
03:28Anyone who grew up where I grew up, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and I'm sure
03:32many people around the world know this exercise.
03:34I used to hate it though, because I used to have to do it with the older kids, and I wasn't
03:39as big as them.
03:44Mental health and spiritual well-being is equally, if not more important.
03:48So I really prioritize meditation, I really prioritize communicating what I'm experiencing
03:55with my loved ones and people who I trust and are near and dear to my heart.
04:01I'm all about peace, I'm all about feeling centered and grounded.
04:05I think that is my definition of happiness.
04:16Training goals, I'm just focused on evolution and growing, and definitely longevity.
04:24I want to be training for the rest of my life, so that's really how I try to train, in ways
04:29that I think contribute to my shelf state, really.
04:39Thank you men's health for joining me for my workout and training session, much love
04:44sending good energy, I'm out.