Robert Pattinson has long been the subject of speculation when it comes to his training, fitness and physique. Most recently, rumours circulated that he relied on nothing more than a 5lb dumbbell and a Bosu ball for his workouts. However, not one to be fooled by viral social media posts, we dug a little deeper into his current training, and it's safe to say he's probably not lifting baby weights.
After The Batman first came out, Pattinson went viral when he joked that he didn't train at all to prepare for filming. More recently, ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Pattinson reflected on his Batman training in an interview with GQ.
'I worked out every fucking day. Even after that, I still look like I didn’t work out. I worked out twice a day at, like, three o’clock in the morning.'
He added: 'I'm like, It's just because I said it in an interview. I was trying to sound cool!'
The 40-year-old also revealed that he has a home gym, which he is currently using to prepare for The Batman: Part II, due to begin shooting in the near future. It's fair to assume he'll be following a well-rounded programme of strength and conditioning.
Robert Pattinson's Real Batman Training
Speaking to Men's Health around the release of the first film, Pattinson's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, Rigan Machado, also shed light on what his preparation actually looked like. The pair trained together for three months before filming, with Machado explaining that Pattinson wanted to better understand how martial artists think and move, rather than simply build muscle.
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'I train exclusively in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,' Machado said. 'It's a lot of repetitions of movements, but Rob learned it very fast. He’s the most focused person.'
Training started fairly cautiously before ramping up to three or four sessions a week lasting between an hour and 90 minutes. Each workout began with a warm-up of running or jumping jacks, followed by repeated Jiu-Jitsu drills, technical practice and stretching. According to Machado, the goal was to develop the movement skills and mindset needed to convincingly play Batman.
'He wanted to get some insight into how martial arts athletes think, and how they do it,' Machado explained, adding that Pattinson was 'very talented' and possessed 'abilities which are very rare.'
The Bottom Line
Regardless of the discourse surrounding his physique, Pattinson's comments serve as another reminder that celebrity transformations rarely tell the full story. Behind the viral interview clips was months of structured training – just perhaps not with a 5lb dumbbell and a Bosu ball alone.
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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
