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Actor Kit Harington rose to fame with the iconic role of Jon Snow in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. It is a part the 29-year-old must be in good physical shape to play. After all, Jon Snow must battle White Walkers while wearing 100-pound fur coats. Kit Harington and celebrity trainer Dalton Wong actually focus on compound exercises that imitate his character’s moves on the show.
It’s not the first time Kit Harington has displayed his strength and muscle for an on-screen role. He spent five weeks putting on muscle for the lead character Milo in 2014’s ancient disaster film Pompeii. Harington built muscle fast thanks to a 5000-calorie diet.
That being said, Kit Harington’s Jon Snow exercise routine is more than just building muscle. The slightly stocky Harington also performs exercises that give him the mobility to swing a sword around his head.
Kit Harrington at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in L.A. 01/30/2016. Credit: @Parisa.
Kit Harington’s Complete Workout Routine:
Harington and Wong’s complete Game of Thrones workout routine includes a lot of full-body movements instead of typical isolation exercises. Harington performs lots of cable routines that allow for a fuller range of motion. Wong also focuses on a strength-training workout that helps hone the largest muscle groups in the star’s body, including his legs, glutes, and back. Harington performs 45 minutes to an hour of deadlifts, lateral lunges, pull movements, and upper body push-ups.
The Jon Snow workout and warm-up:
Warm-Up: For the warm-up you will position your hands and knees on the floor, and thread your left hand to your right side and allow it to hover an inch above the floor. Lift the arm toward your left shoulder and face the ceiling. You should feel your chest open. Repeat on the right side, and perform 10 reps in total. This warm-up is called thread the needle. Other good warm-up exercises include the lunge stretch and knee hugs.
The Workout: The Jon Snow workout will include a heavy set of dumbbells that weigh around 20 to 30 pounds. For instance, the pendulum lunge requires the person to hold dumbbells at your sides, and taking a big step backward with your right foot then lowering your right knee to the floor. Your weight will be in your left heel, then take a step forward with your right leg and bend your knee to hover just above the floor. You will repeat on your left leg, and alternate with the exercise for about a minute. Other dumbbell exercises include a kneeling curl and press, lateral dumbbell lunges, and weighted push-up rows.
Kit Harington’s Balanced and Wholesome Diet:
Kit Harington doesn’t get his Jon Snow body with workouts alone. He also follows a super-strict, calorie-controlled diet. His balanced and wholesome diet is 45 percent carbohydrate, 33 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. In addition, he consumes supplements like fish oil, magnesium glycinate, and casein protein.
Harington includes cheat days in his diet to help manage cravings and control his metabolism. Regular consumption of a low-calorie diet will slow your metabolism. Cheat days also challenge your metabolism to digest fatty and processed foods.
Kit Harington doesn’t cheat very often, which is why he is able to maintain his solid muscle mass for Game of Thrones. His healthy diet complements the full-body movement workouts well, putting the big-time actor in the best shape of his life.
Sources:
Morton, D., “Train Like a Bastard with Kit Harington,” Men’s Health website, June 21, 2016; http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/cover-model/train-like-a-bastard-with-kit-harington.
Umpierrez, A., “Kit Harington’s ‘Game of Thrones’ Workout,” Men’s Journal website; http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/articles/kit-haringtons-game-of-thrones-workout-w199299, last accessed Aug. 16, 2016.
