How to Do the Will Smith Workout
By Marnie Kunz,
NASM-certified trainer and USATF- RRCA-certified running coach
I am not a big celebrity follower, but recently I stumbled into the Will Smith workout program from his latest YouTube series, “The Best Shape of My Life.” As a trainer and runner, I was instantly interested in his mission to lose 20 pounds in 20 days through a running and strength training program. He is also working on his memoir at the same time, and I happen to be working on a book, so the series really got me hooked. I also like that Will’s trainer, Aaron Ferguson, uses tried and true training principles and advocates for a sustainable, healthy yet challenging program.
Unlike some celebrity fitness programs, Will’s trainer does not use extreme or dangerous diets or fitness fads. His trainer speaks out against fasting in favor of eating enough carbs, protein, and fats, something I also advocate for people I train. Will’s workout program is effective and challenging but doable, as he indeed loses a lot of weight by the end of 20 weeks, and gets in incredible shape in the process.
Will begins his weight loss workout program while writing his memoir, “Will.”
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Here is a look at the Will Smith workout program from the series, and tips on how you can achieve amazing fitness results by using the same principles:
What Is the Will Smith Workout Program?
The most recent Will Smith workout program, which he shows on his 6-part YouTube series “The Best Shape of My Life,” is based on running and weightlifting. Will’s goal, after gaining weight during the pandemic and for his role in the “King Richard” movie, is to lose 20 lbs. in 20 days. In true high-caliber form, he also has the goal to finish writing his memoir, “Will,” in the same amount of time. His YouTube series documents the process, and we see his transformation from having an overweight Dad bod to a seriously muscled, lean, and fit athlete.
Will crushes his goal, losing the weight and showing us how his discipline and drive have pushed him to succeed in life. Will’s trainer Aaron Ferguson devises an intense workout plan that includes running every morning and strength training four times a week. This killer combo of cardio and strength offers maximum fitness benefits as running helps to burn calories and fat while weightlifting boosts metabolism, increases lean muscle mass, and sculpts the body into a toned, fit form.
Will also has a nutritionist he works with and monitors his calories through tracking devices to maintain a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day (except for a few off days where he eats too much or too little). It takes 3,500 calories to lose one pound, so following this principle, Will’s trainer has him on track to lose one pound a week and meet his goal of losing 20 lbs. in 20 weeks.
How to Do the Will Smith Workout Program
If you are wondering how to do the Will Smith workout from his “The Best Shape of My Life” videos, here are the core workouts and training principles to follow:
Run every morning.
Will Smith wakes up before dawn to get in an early morning run for his workout program. Running in the morning is a great way to get your metabolism revved up for the day, burn calories, and improve your cardio fitness level. If you run every morning, keep in mind a few key training principles — progressive overload and the easy-hard principle.
Progressive overload means you add more intensity to your training program gradually. So you don’t want to wake up and run 13 miles if you normally run 2, for instance. Instead, you can build up gradually. The easy-hard principle means you need to take easy days as well as rest days. Will gets burned out from his intense program and winds up skipping workouts to rest and work on his book. You can eliminate burnout by taking one rest day a week and also if you go for a hard run, then follow it with an easy run the next day.
Lift weights four times a week.
Lifting weights offers so many fitness benefits — from boosting your lean muscle mass to speeding up your metabolism and sculpting your body. Will’s program includes two days of resistance training in a row, followed by a rest day and then two more days of resistance training. Here is the breakdown of his strength training workouts:
Day 1: Strength training Arms and Abs.
Day 2: Strength training Legs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Strength training Back and Core
Day 5: Strength training whatever’s left
Day 6: Rest.
Repeat the cycle.
Set Daily step goals.
Will’s trainer challenged him to get in at least 10,000 steps a day, and the ambitious actor at times doubles it, getting in over 20,000 steps. I also recommend daily step goals for my training clients, as this helps improve your daily activity level in general, not just when you are exercising. NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or exercising, and it makes a big difference in our overall health and weight loss goals. Daily step goals help us to move more in our daily life, which is great for improving health and making weight loss progress.
Calculate calorie deficit.
If you have weight loss goals, you will need to burn more calories than you consume. Will’s trainer has him burn at least 500 more calories than he consumes each day, which equals about one pound of weight loss per week since one pound is equal to 3,500 calories. You can use an eating app to help track your daily calories. I have used the Noom app and found it very helpful for weight loss goals and food tracking. As you track your eating, make sure you still eat enough food and calories and focus on nutrient-dense foods that are not processed, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein.
Let me know if you try the Will Smith workout program and how it goes. If you need a personalized training plan with detailed breakdowns and videos for what exercises to do, check out our Runstreet Virtual Training. Happy sweating, Wolf Pack!
Related Posts: Improve Your Running with Progressive Overload, How to Set Up Your Home Gym, Lose Quarantine Weight with These 12 Tips
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.
