If Russell Thomas is giving ex-athletes vibes while playing Vice President Eli Winter on Tyler Perry’s The Oval, it’s because the chiseled actor made the UCLA Bruins football team before moving to the sequin city. While many actors put themselves through extreme last-minute preparations when called upon for shirtless scenes, Thomas uses his Division I experience to stay in shape. The 6’3″ athlete-turned-actor from Los Angeles is always evolving his fitness routine, however, he’s learned to compliment those basic football workouts like the bench press with more functional movements in order to maintain longevity, as he explains in M&F.
“The only school I wanted to play for was UCLA,” Thomas says, reflecting on his football past. “UCLA is very highly regarded in my family and to be given the opportunity to continue. I made the team and was on the team for about four years, it was just a great honor.”
Going from high school to playing at UCLA meant Thomas would have to find “a whole new level of discipline,” he says. Thomas was tall and fast, perfect for a wide receiver, but adding muscle required extra care. “This has always been a challenge for me,” says the ultra-thin star. “I’ve always had a hard time putting on muscle. I remember pretty much my whole time at UCLA, we’d weigh in every morning, and I was always 187 pounds, which is a good weight, but I wanted to be more like 215. Every day I’d be 187, 187, so I’d tell them, ‘No need to laugh.'” “And, really, it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve been able to put on a little more muscle. I’m closer to 205 to 210 pounds right now.”
Russell Thomas has moved from the gridiron to the big screen
It was through football that Thomas was able to progress into acting through stunts. “My first jobs in the business were doing stunts as a football player,” he explains, appearing on The Gridiron Gang movie, starring Dwayne Johnson and popular TV series, Friday Night Lights. “I got to work on film sets in my football gear and run using my athleticism to kick-start my career,” says the accomplished actor. These days, Thomas is the leading man himself and showed off his physical physique during a dark scene in episode fourteen, season four of The Oval. Luckily, Thomas wasn’t caught off guard by the requirement to go shirtless thanks to his sustainable fitness routine. “I don’t want to go through all that,” she says of the crash diet for scenes. “I’d rather be ready to be ready.”
How Russell Thomas combines old and new exercise techniques
Bench Press: “The bench press is kind of like the quintessential soccer training exercise,” says Thomas. However, instead of raising the ego for a one-rep max, the actor now chooses endurance. “I have to keep it, but I try not to go too crazy with it,” she shares. “Instead of trying to cut more weight, you’re doing as many reps as possible, and that shows a different level of strength.”
Kettlebell Work: One area of training that is newer to Thomas is the use of kettlebells. “Because I’ve been doing the same things since I was playing football,” he explains of the motivation. At his local gym, the star attends several classes a week where he can learn new disciplines and techniques. Between these classes, he also works independently on areas he believes may need further attention. “It was really fun learning to use kettlebells and how they challenge your body differently,” he explains, noting that standing rows and split squats are some of his moves.
While Thomas jokes that he loves and hates the squat as much as the kettlebell, the rewards make it worth repeating. “Single-leg training is really beneficial for balance and challenges the muscles in a different way,” she explains. “Plus, you can focus a lot more on muscle without having to put as much weight on your frame.”
Weighed freight: One of Thomas’ favorites is bending it to grab a few bar plates and do Farmer’s Carry-style walks. “What I’m discovering is the importance of grip strength, as I’ve always been weak at pull-ups,” reflects the star. “That’s why I like to really focus on carrying those 45s. I want to carry one in each hand and I’ll make a really long trip around the gym, just to make sure I get that grip strength and endurance.” The actor reports that his pullup game has improved drastically since incorporating this move.
Bag work: For an intense mix of strength, flexibility and cardio, says Thomas M&F that he likes to throw himself into kickboxing rings. “Doing different kinds of kicks and then doing calisthenics is a great workout,” explains the actor, who can work up a sweat while shedding fat at the same time. “It’s high energy, we have music and it’s one of those things where you work out with a lot of people so you get that kind of benefit from the community and the intensity, it’s one of those classes that I really enjoy going to. It gets the heart rate up!”
Russell Thomas learned to lean towards protein
Since the star takes a mostly plant-based approach to his diet, Thomas says M&F that he’s learned from the experts that focusing on protein is essential to staying in shape. The actor shares that going plant-based has lowered his blood pressure, but he also has more injuries, so he’s expanded his diet to include Greek yogurt, eggs and some meat for extra amino acids. Right now, Thomas says his diet consists of about 50% vegan meals, with the other half consisting of “fish occasionally, chicken very rarely, and red meat even more rarely. I’ll allow myself to have it, but it’s not part of my regular diet. If I think about it that way, it’s a lot easier to maintain for a long time.”
While Russell Thomas is still stealing scenes as Eli Winter, the star explains that his desire to pack on muscle and pick up those kickboxing techniques is about bringing the same authenticity to future roles as he did in the past with football. “In the same way that a role might come up where you might be asked to take your shirt off, another role might come up where you might be asked to fight!” excites.
The sixth season of The Oval is currently airing on BET. To follow Russell Thomas Instagram, click here.
