Aaron Pierre | Train Like | Men's Health - video Dailymotion

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'Rebel Ridge' Actor Aaron Pierre | Train Like | Men's Health

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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.

Aaron Pierre | Train Like | Men's Health

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