Hollywood hunk, Luke Cook knows that he could get the call at any moment to shoot with his shirt off, so the Australian tells M&F that he is constantly training, but because he’s not exercising for power or sporting performance, the actor instead aims to sculpt a Hollywood physique that is worthy of his art. For those who hope to follow him into film, this workout is for you.
Obviously, Luke Cook, star of CW’s Good Cop/Bad Cop, cares about what he’s putting into his body. Those abs are showing because he’s just as dedicated to his nutrition as his workouts. But in order to make each muscle pop, this 6” 4 and ¾” talent goes heavy with volume, so that he can get in and out of the gym between shoots. Cook also aims for 10,000 steps per day to keep him lean. But in order to look beach ready even in winter, Cook crushes his weight training for maximum movie magic.
Beginning with an incline bench press, Cook taxes his shoulders heavier than with the standard flat bench while still hitting his pecs, triceps, and deltoids. Bench presses help to build wider shoulders and a full chest, and will also provide a great contrast that will make the waist appear narrower.
Next up., Cook’s experience shines through here as he roundly completes 5 sets of 6 weighted pull ups. For many, this will seem as attainable as making it as a Hollywood star, but you can make your own adaptions or re-writes here. Simply reduce the number of reps and sets and build up your ability along the way. And, if you can’t do a single pullup, with or without additional weight, practice with the assisted pull up machine or with resistance brands to prime yourself for success.
Cook tells M&F that he sets the bench up with an incline of 45-degrees for support while he executes his single arm dumbbell rows (also known as chest supported rows). The bench reduces the load on his hamstrings and glutes so that he can remain upper body focused, working his lats to widen his back while also hammering his rhomboids, traps, and deltoids to help create boulder shoulders.
“I’m a fan of supersetting,” explains Cook regarding his choice of finisher. “Working between two different body parts at the same time because I want to get in and get out. I’m busy and I’m a father of two boys!” Understandably, Cook keeps his rest times short at between 90 seconds to 2-minutes, in order to keep the intensity of his sessions up. This superset of the day involves a seated pec fly (again reducing the load on his lower body) and a reverse fly for his upper back and shoulders. Cook predicts that with suitable urgency, you should be able to blitz through this workout in around 40-minutes. Ready? Set? Action!
