Fitness

A Killer’s Workout

Get a full-body burn in just 30 minutes with this actor's ring-inspired routine

By: Michael Kelly, as told to Grant Davis; Photograph: M. Sharkey
Published: November 2008   [ Updated: Feb 20, 2009 - 6:20:49 PM ]

Get part of Michael Kelly's favorite workout! Audio download courtesy of Bas Rutten. To learn more about the MMA fighter and get more of his workouts, visit basrutten.tv.

I learned about former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten through Rudy Reyes, one of the Marines who inspired the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. To help me get into shape for my role as a captain on the show, Reyes, who plays himself, drilled all of us with 30-minute audio workouts narrated by Rutten. I thought I was in pretty good shape—I ran cross-country in Michael Kelly, 39, plays Captain Bryan Patterson in Generation Kill and stars as detective Lester Ybarra in Changeling, Clint Eastwood's new film. college, I've completed a marathon, and my wife is a personal trainer—but I barely finished that first workout. The routine strung together various moves used in mixed martial arts at a heart-pounding pace. Not only did it trump the cardio workout I got from running, but it also taxed my major muscle groups.

Rutten's workouts have since made me stronger and faster than I've been in years. What's great about the routine is that all I need is my iPod, 30 minutes, and a flat surface. My favorite routine is called "Three-Minute Rounds," which you can download above. In each round (there are seven, with one-minute breaks between each), Rutten calls out moves and numbers, which designate combinations for you to do. Twist your torso with every punch to add power and to get a better core workout; always keep your hands in front of your face, just as if you were fighting someone; and put everything you've got into each move, even if it means you can barely do a single push-up in round seven. This workout will blast your cardio and strengthen your muscles, and you won't even have to step into a gym. Here's how it works. 

Start Position Face a mirror and get into a fighting stance by keeping your weight on your toes and your arms up, with your fists protecting your face. If you're right-handed, lead with your left side.

Jab Quickly fully extend your forward fist at face level and then retract your arm. Throw a jab when Rutten says "One."

Right Straight Throw a punch at face level with your dominant fist. Step forward with your lead foot as you extend your arm, and then return to the starting position. Do this move whenever Rutten says "Right straight." Anytime Rutten says "Two," throw a left jab and immediately follow it with a right straight. During a combination like this, explode from one punch to the next and then go back into a fighting stance, just as if you were in an actual fight.

Left Hook Punch across your body with your lead fist as if you were aiming for your opponent's chin. Step forward with your lead foot as you throw the punch. Do this move whenever instructed. Sometimes Rutten will give a combination like "Two and a right straight, left hook." Translation: Throw a left jab, a right straight, another right straight, and end with a left hook. When Rutten says "Three," throw a jab, a right straight, and a left hook.