How Paul Mescal came together for ‘Gladiator 2’ (+ a hand workout to try)

Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal said last year that he spends “all day, every day” thinking about the Roman Empire. Clearly.

Last updated on July 1, 2024

“Aren’t you fun?” Yes, we definitely are. Gladiator 2the much-anticipated sequel to director Ridley Scott’s 2000 Oscar-nominated historical epic hits theaters on November 22, 2024 in the United States.

The sequel stars indie love Paul Mescal, who earned big time for his role as Lucius Verus. In a flurry of new promotional photos released on July 1, 2024one thing is clear – Mescal’s Verus had access to a dumbbell or two.

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We were already excited for Scott’s next directorial turn in a historical epic, but after seeing how much work Mescal has put into his role, we’re positively giddy. BarBend about to examine how Mescal transformed his body Gladiator 2 and give you a workout for the warrior’s hand to boot.

Meet our expert

This article was written by BarBendSenior staff writer Jake Dickson. Dickson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and has a decade of personal coaching experience as a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Accredited Coach.

Paul Mescal Gladiator 2 Body Transformation

In Dec. 2023, Mescal chatted with Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as part of it Varietyof the ongoing “Actors on Actors” series, which pairs Hollywood unlikely duos for a series of back-and-forth chat interviews.

A physical strength of character is required.

Paul Mescal for The Hollywood Reporter, 2023

When Portman prodded Mescal about how he prepares for his role in Gladiator Mescal then talked about how many protein shakes he’s ditched: “It’s a big departure from everything I’ve done before.”

• People who do strength training require higher than average amounts of dietary protein. (1)
• A commonly cited figure for those who enjoy bodybuilding workouts is to consume 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. (2)
• So, if you weigh about 180 pounds and shoot to gain muscle, aim 130 to 180 grams of protein each day from either whole food sources or whey protein powders.
• You can also Checkout BarBendeasy to use protein intake calculator to find out how much protein you need based on your body type and physical activity levels.

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However, Mescal is surprisingly mum about the specifics of his workout routine 2. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier in 2023, Mescal remarked on the current state of body transformations for men in Hollywood blockbusters:

• “With movies like this, sometimes there’s an emphasis [bulking up] … Of course There’s a physical toughness that’s required of the character, but beyond that, I don’t care … Sometimes I watch movies and I’m like, ‘That person doesn’t seem real.’

ONE Gladiator 2 Arms training for testing

Mescal is official about one thing—Hollywood certainly holds its leading men and women to larger-than-life standards. But does this mean that a true “body strength” physique is out of reach? We don’t think so.

The After the SUN The star has certainly built muscle up front Gladiator 2, which is evident throughout the film’s promotional photography. If you’ve been inspired to pick up a short sword after seeing Mescal in action, we recommend caution.

But if you want to build and tone your arms with functional arm exercises, we’ve got you covered. Give this a spin. All you’ll need are a few pairs of dumbbells and your own body weight:

• Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 4 x 8
• Dumbbell skull crusher: 3 x 12
• Don’t be so mean + Diamond Push-Up: 2 x AMRAP, as a superset

Hammer curls are a variation of the biceps curl that targets the brachii and brachii. muscles that make your arms look thicker from the front.

The dumbbell skull crusher works your triceps on the back of your hand, and studies have shown that doing triceps exercises with your shoulder flexed builds more muscle than other options like the cable push. (3)

We love a superset to finish things off, so do a chin-up or two (which stress your biceps instead of just your back) and a tricep-focused push-up variation.

Gladiator 2 is released on 15 November 2024, in the UK and a week later November 22 in the United States.

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bibliographical references

1. Tagawa, R., Watanabe, D., Ito, K., Ueda, K., Nakayama, K., Sanbongi, C., & Miyachi, M. (2020). Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass gain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition reviews, 79(1), 66–75. Advance electronic publication.
2. Iraki, J., Fitschen, P., Espinar, S., & Helms, E. (2019). Nutritional Recommendations for Off-Season Bodybuilders: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 7(7), 154.
3. Maeo, Sumiaki & Wu, Yuhang & Huang, Meng & Sakurai, Hikaru & Kusagawa, Yuki & Sugiyama, Takashi & Kanehisa, Hiroaki & Isaka, Tadao. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is significantly greater after elbow extension training performed in an overhead and neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science. 1-26. 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279.

Featured Image: Aidan Monaghan, Cuba Scott, Paramount Pictures/ @vanityfair on Instagram