In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Adam Driver returned as the powerful and feared Sith Warlord Kylo Ren. After assassinating Snoke, he took over the post of Supreme Leader of the First Order and is commissioned by the returning Emperor Palpatine to finally eradicate the resistance. The epic intergalactic war required many intense lightsaber actions, which required drivers to be more sporty than required for previous roles. But the former navy was up to the challenge and was preparing to fight with London-based trainer Simon Waterson.
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"There is no doubt that Adam's military career has come through in our workouts," said Waterson. The trainer traveled with the performers during the long production period to ensure that they were constantly maintaining their fitness and staying healthy. "I didn't have to push Adam to get tough. He had all this motivation. It was more about slowing him down."
Waterson made the driver guess by doing two or more traditional exercises and combining them with a plyometric transition. The goal was to keep the actor supple while building muscle so that he looked menacing in Kylo Ren's armor.
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in "Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker" Courtesy of Disney Pictures
Adam Driver's Nutritional Principles
The dietary guidelines were simple: high amounts of protein and a moderate amount of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates were necessary to maintain the driver's energy as his costume was heavy and cumbersome in addition to the extensive combat sequences. This also meant that proper hydration was always a top priority. There have been several occasions, such as Driver's shirtless scene, in which he had to recall the carbohydrates and start up the cardio.
Recovery methods from Adam Driver
The shooting days were very demanding for the driver, from the action to the wirework stunts. After days on the set and training, the driver trained dynamically and used trigger point precision tools (think Theragun or Hypervolt) to relieve sore muscles.
The training that Adam Driver turned into Kylo Ren
Waterson had plenty of time to get Driver in shape since the filming took over seven months. This training is part of the pre-production phase, in which the goal was to build lean mass and improve the driver's explosiveness. The inclusion of Olympic movements helped build the driver's chest and arms, which have been featured a number of times in the latest Star Wars trilogy.
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"These workouts were all about the pace and transitions," says Waterson. "The movements should be fluid, like a continuous exercise, without affecting the shape."
Directions: Start the training with a 10-minute dynamic warm-up and then start the adapted superset training, doing 2 to 4 rounds of the entire program depending on your fitness level. Since this is a full body routine, you can repeat up to three times a week with a cardio and core day in between. Check further as to whether you can increase the number of rounds you can complete.
The finisher: Complete the routine with this ultimate burner: 5 sets of 25 off-wheel rollouts with a 1 minute plank between sets.
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now available on Disney +
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