ActiveWorkoutsHow Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Angela Bassett stays fit in her 60sWant sculpted arms like Black Panther star Angela Bassett? Here’s how she does itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveWorkoutsHow Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Angela Bassett stays fit in her 60sWant sculpted arms like Black Panther star Angela Bassett? Here’s how she does itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Want sculpted arms like Black Panther star Angela Bassett? Here’s how she does it
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Amy Sussman/WireImage)
(Image credit: Getty Images/Amy Sussman/WireImage)
Jump to category:How does Angela Bassett keep fit?What is Angela Bassett’s diet regime?Who is Angela Bassett’s personal trainer?Angela Bassett arm workout
Jump to category:How does Angela Bassett keep fit?What is Angela Bassett’s diet regime?Who is Angela Bassett’s personal trainer?Angela Bassett arm workout
As a die-hard Marvel fan whohatesspoilers, it was always a given that I’d be watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on its day of release. And it’s for this very same reason why I could not, in good conscience, write an article about the fitness regimes of the cast that gave the slightest indication of any potential new Black Panther - if there is indeed one (see what I did there?) - following the devastating passing of the first film’s lead, Chadwick Boseman.
Lucky for me, this tricky task was made all the easier thanks to the awe-inspiring arms of Angela Bassett, who returns as Queen Ramonda for the sequel. Because let me tell you, herinsanebiceps, triceps and delts – along with her Oscar-worthy performance - manage to steal the show Every. Single. Damn. Time she appears on the screen. Best of all, I reckon 64-year-old Bassett (yes, she really is 64!) does a stellar job of proving that when it comes to maintaining muscle tone and keeping fit, age is just a number. But how does she do it? I put on my detective hat to find out.
How does Angela Bassett keep fit?
“I will show up ’cause I don’t want to waste my money”, shetold TV host Laila Muhammad. “I’ve gotta be accountable and know somebody’s there waiting for me because I know myself, and I will talk myself out of going. I go in the morning because my workout quotient will diminish as the day goes on.”
On her actual workouts, which Bassett tailors to work in conjunction with her strict nutrition regime, she said, “Maybe Monday and Tuesday, I’ll do cardio; Wednesday, Thursday, because I’m eating protein, I’ll do strength building; and then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when I’m eating all that [good] fat, then it’s about deep breathing, a massage, and yoga.”
In addition to her consistent gym sessions, Bassett is also a fan of doing outdoor group activities such as walking and hiking with her friends. “It’s about showing up and accountability," she toldBlackDoctor.org. “You have to say, ‘Everyone will meet at 8:15 a.m.’ I know when I have a real plan, then I’m there. If my friends are waiting, that puts pressure on me not to disappoint them.”
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
What is Angela Bassett’s diet regime?
Over the years, Bassett has crafted a strict dietary formula that works for her – and she’s sticking with it. “You can out-eat any exercise routine, so you’ve gotta eat right and clean, at least 80-85 per cent of the time,” she told Muhammad. “Follow a plan, not one that’s too restrictive. I happen to follow one that sort of cycles through [the week].”
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The ‘cycle’ Bassett refers to works in harmony with her fitness regime and involves her eating lots of carbs and fruit on Mondays and Tuesdays when she’s doing cardio and consuming lots of protein and veggies on Wednesdays and Thursdays to fuel her muscles for strength training, with absolutely no fats over those four days. Then, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Bassett says she floods her diet with fat, but only the “good fat, though: maybe coconut oil, salmon, almonds, almond butter, olive oil, that sort of thing."
On top of this, Bassett eats only organic produce and makes sure that dairy, bread, and flour are strictly off the menu, swapping regular milk for almond milk and using Ezekiel bread instead, which is sprouted. This regime might sound strict, but the results clearly speak for themselves. As Bassett toldPorter, “I’m regimented and rigorous about what I’m eating. Diet is 85 per cent of the whole thing for me.”
Who is Angela Bassett’s personal trainer?
While Basset prepared for the first Black Panther film with the movie’s lead trainerCorey Calliet- who was also responsible for getting Michael B. Jordan in peak condition for Creed - the man who has been putting the award-winning actress through her paces for at least seven years is none other than Hollywood PTRob Thompson, whose clients include actress Regina King and TV Host Nischelle Turner.
Now, when I say I’ve spenthourslooking for an Angela Bassett x Rob Thompson workout to find out how he trains her specifically, I mean I’ve spent hours. And the little I’ve learnt from Thompson is that “the work she puts in during her training sessions is remarkable”.
Now, personally, I think there’s a lot more to Bassett’s workouts with Thompson than she lets on, especially when you look at footage of him training other clients. As well as TRX, he’s clearly a fan of boxing, battle ropes and cable machines, all of which are amazing for working the upper body and core at the same time. Better still, even thebest boxing glovesandbest suspension trainersare cheaper and easier to store than a full-size treadmill.
And in a 2019interview with Laila Muhammad, Thompson revealed that working on posture was key for helping his female clients get red carpet ready. “The main thing for sure is posture, making sure the shoulders are in line, definitely working the upper back, the biceps, and, of course, the abs have to be showing, and the legs have to be right”, he said, before demonstrating some key moves including kettlebell swings, TRX rows, and a squat with a row using a cable machine.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Angela Bassett arm workout
But it’s thisfull-body workoutwith former Miss CaliforniaNatasha Alexis Martinezthat I think gives a real insight into how Thompson works in the gym and how he couldpotentiallytrain Bassett (skip to 2:56 to watch from the warm-up). After warming up with two rounds of 50 jump ropes and side steps with resistance bands, the main workout includes:
As you’ll see, Thompson’s workout is intense, fast-paced, packed with variety, and features a lot of compound moves that work the entire body in one hit. In addition, it also appears he likes to come up with moves and circuits on the spot to keep his client’s minds and bodies constantly guessing, which can be a total game-changer if you ask me!
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