With The Gentlemen returning for its second season, Theo James is back on screen as Eddie Horniman. At 41, the actor keeps himself in shape with regular strength work, but one form of training has remained a staple in his workouts for much longer.
James has been boxing for around 15 years, working with boxing coach and mixed martial artist Shahzad Ali since 2011. These days, filming commitments mean the pair might train together just a few times a month.
‘He’s really built up this resilience over time,’ Ali told British GQ. ‘Now, he’s at a stage where he defends his ground and when he moves, I’m struggling to catch him.’
Ali says boxing requires the same focus and composure that can prove useful on set. ‘You need to be well prepared. You need to work on your fundamentals, and to perform well, you need to be calm,’ says Ali.
Fortunately, you don’t need 15 years of experience to start boxing. Ali shared the workout he uses with James to develop fitness and agility, with the fundamentals suitable for beginners to practise under the guidance of a coach.
The Boxing Workout Keeping Theo James Fit at 41
‘I’ve been a boxing coach for over 20 years and it’s all about rhythm and flow,’ says Ali. ‘It’s about timing, reflexes and being in tune with your body.’
Skipping x 3-min round
Begin with 3 minutes of skipping to raise your heart rate and warm up your shoulders and legs. Keep your jumps light and controlled, staying on the balls of your feet.
‘It’s great for rhythm, timing and coordination,’ says Ali. ‘It also helps prepare the feet for the movement patterns used throughout the session.’
Shadowboxing x 3-min round
Spend the next 3 minutes working through punches and combinations without a bag or opponent. Keep things relaxed and focus on clean technique, balance, breathing and footwork rather than trying to generate maximum power.
Sparring – 6 x 3-min rounds
James uses sparring to practise putting his skills together under pressure.
‘We work on timing, distance, defence, reactions, counter-punching and head movement while learning to stay composed under pressure,’ says Ali.
If you’re a beginner, sparring should only be introduced under the supervision of a qualified boxing coach once you’ve developed the necessary fundamentals.
Pad Work – 4 x 3-min rounds
Next up are 4 rounds on the pads, focusing on technique and specific combinations.
‘We reinforce what worked well, improve areas that need attention and practise specific drills to sharpen technique,’ says Ali.
Heavy Bag – 2 x 3-min rounds
Finish with 2 rounds on the heavy bag. With fatigue now setting in, concentrate on maintaining your technique while putting some power behind your combinations.
‘By this stage we’re already fatigued, so the heavy bag is mainly about conditioning,’ says Ali.
Cool Down
If you’ve still got some energy to spare, finish with a short abs workout before around 10 minutes of stretching.
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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.