Aaron Taylor-Johnson underwent specialist military training to prepare for his upcoming film Fuze, in which he plays a bomb disposal expert. It marks a shift away from the traditional strength training he’s relied on in recent years – training that helped him steadily build his physique throughout his career.
Despite Fuze's trailer and promotional imagery showing that the British actor has maintained much of the bulk he added a couple of years ago – with broad shoulders and a ripped torso – he couldn’t spend all his time in the gym for the role. Instead, the 35-year-old attended a boot camp led by an explosives expert, where he learned how to safely dispose of a bomb. It was part of director David McKenzie’s push for authenticity on set.
Military Training
'That experience was a lot of fun, and a real honour and a privilege to be able to do something like that,' Taylor-Johnson told Radio Times at the film's London premiere. 'Because it is interesting where your jobs take you, where you get to experience and work with experts.
'We worked on a military ground – it all had to be very safe and you had to go through different protocols and things like that. It was amazing to understand the process of what needs to be done to dispose of a bomb. It is an extraordinary experience.
'Even though it's high concept and it's a heist movie – a popcorn movie – everybody had to do their routine and work with the relevant people. I worked with an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) specialist, Gugu Mbatha-Raw worked with someone in the police department, and we all had to do our research so that we could do it justice.'
The crime thriller still gives Taylor-Johnson the chance to showcase the athleticism he developed in the gym, after he bulked up significantly for Kraven the Hunter in 2024.
Working alongside trainer David Kingsbury, Taylor-Johnson added serious muscle in just six months by focusing on a structured programme – using an upper/lower split, training four to five times per week, and pushing close to failure on each set.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Upper-Body Workout
A. Bench Press x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
B. Lat Pulldown x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
C. Seated Row x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
D. Cable Preacher Biceps Curl x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
E. Single-Arm Triceps Cable Pushdown x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
F. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press x 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_
