{"id":820413,"date":"2026-08-20T23:58:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T23:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/820413\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T23:58:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T23:58:09","slug":"how-theo-james-stays-ripped-in-his-forties-according-to-his-personal-trainers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/820413\/","title":{"rendered":"How Theo James Stays Ripped in His Forties, According to His Personal Trainers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theo James is back for season two of The Gentlemen, and it\u2019s a return to form for the 41-year-old actor: going toe-to-toe with a colorful cast of international crooks while wearing great suits and delivering snappy one-liners. Both charming and boasting an undercurrent of menace, James\u2019 performance in the show makes it easy to see why he regularly crops up as a bookie\u2019s favorite to become the next James Bond<\/a> (though he reckons that ship\u2019s sailed<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The key to James\u2019s physique is a 15-year commitment to boxing\u2014and his coach Shahzad Ali<\/a>. A mixed martial artist turned sometime actor (he has appeared in Guy Ritchie\u2019s sister series, Mobland<\/a>), Ali began working with James in 2011. \u201cI think he just fancied giving boxing<\/a> a go,\u201d says Ali. \u201cIt\u2019s intense, but you get into a flow state that is useful in acting.\u201d<\/p>\n

With middle age and fatherhood acting as new opponents, Theo James prioritizes fitness now more than ever. While Ali keeps the hooks and jabs in check, he also works with strength coach and Third Space PT Ethan Chen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Come out swinging<\/p>\n

According to Ali, James is a quick student in the ring. A decade and a half after they began working together, they\u2019re now giving it all in their sparring sessions, with neither man pulling his punches. Not that you\u2019d hear James bragging about any knock-outs. \u201cHe\u2019s very modest, and he never speaks about his boxing skills,\u201d says Ali.<\/p>\n

These days, film commitments mean the pair might only train a few times a month, but Ali says James never loses a step, even when it\u2019s been a while. \u201cHe\u2019s really built up this resilience over time. Now, he\u2019s at a stage where he defends his ground and when he moves, I\u2019m struggling to catch him.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason so many actors (Marlon Brando, Russell Crowe, Robert De Niro<\/a>) throw themselves into boxing. The ancient art of pugilism requires focus above all else. Let your mind wander and you\u2019re likely to end up with a bloody nose. Acting isn\u2019t quite as brutal, but the intense focus is an obviously transferable skill. \u201cThere are a lot of parallels,\u201d Ali agrees. \u201cYou need to be well prepared. You need to work on your fundamentals, and to perform well, you need to be calm.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s this zen-like state that can help James find quiet in the storm. \u201cDuring pad work I\u2019ll tell him, \u2018Look how controlled and calm you are on set. Bring that to the ring with you. Listen to what\u2019s going on and react to that, instead of trying to pre-empt it,\u2019\u201d says Ali.<\/p>\n

Dealing with an old injury properly<\/p>\n

Not only is James busy with meetings, roles, life, and family, he also finds time to fit in weekly weights sessions with Chen alongside the occasional bout in the ring. \u201cTheo\u2019s very grounded,\u201d says Chen. \u201cHe\u2019s always focused. Whatever I tell him to do in the gym, he does it. But sometimes I have to slow him down and get him to relax, because he wants to excel all the time. He\u2019s non-stop, and I find it quite inspirational.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chen started working with James a few years ago as he was prepping for the action movie Fuze. The brief at the time was slightly less \u2018action star\u2019 and more \u2018beat up dad.\u2019 \u201cHe was dealing with a torn pec, and a damaged back, I think from jiu-jitsu training,\u201d explains Chen, who is an ex-rugby player for the Philippine national team.<\/p>\n

The injuries were so debilitating that James was unable to perform as he\u2019d like in the gym, so he had lost some strength and mass. Chen stepped in, creating a program of isolation and unilateral work<\/a> designed to strengthen James\u2019 weaker right side, and get the nerves firing once more. \u201cSome of it was getting him used to knowing how to use those chest muscles again,\u201d says Chen.<\/p>\n