I Worked Out Like Halle Berry For A Day | Rocky Harris

I Worked Out Like Halle Berry For A Day | Rocky Harris

5x Muay Thai World Champ, Rocky Harris, takes us through one day of MMA training, inspired by Halle Berry’s workout regimen for the film Bruised.

Published: May 12, 2022

Topics: Tips & Technique, Training

Author: Raquel "Rocky" Harris

Halle Berry is one of the greatest movie stars of our time. She is also a super fit martial arts enthusiast. At 55 years old, she is in peak physical form and an absolute inspiration to fighters of all ages.

In her most recent movie, Bruised, Halle Berry tells the story of a struggling MMA fighter. The preparation Berry did for this role was intense – and FightCamp Trainer & 5-time World Champion in Muay Thai, Rocky Harris, is going to show us exactly what goes into a day’s worth of production-ready MMA training.

7:30 AM | Conditioning

Conditioning - Dynamic Warm-Up, Roadwork, Tabata

Dynamic Warm-Up, Roadwork, Tabata

An article in Entertainment Weekly said that Halle Berry started her day with two hours of Navy Seal-inspired conditioning until she begged for mercy. FightCamp Trainer Aaron Swenson pushes Rocky’s limits with an intense dynamic warm-up, roadwork, and a bodyweight Tabata workout routine, consisting of 20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of rest. As Aaron says, if you are on the set all day filming fight scenes, you better be conditioned. And don’t forget to stay hydrated! Intense training requires proper hydration and fueling.

10:00 AM | Breakfast

Breakfast for training

Whether you’re training for a fight or a movie role, what’s important is to make sure you’re eating throughout the day. A great energy source Rocky recommends is protein, greens, and eggs to model Halle Berry’s Paleo-training diet.

10:30 AM | Recreating a Fight Scene

Rocky Harris & Carla Esparza Training

With some guidance from the 1st UFC strawweight champion and current ranked #2 fighter in the UFC Carla Esparza, Rocky recreates some of Halle Berry’s moves from the Bruised fight scenes. According to Esparza, the fight scenes in the film are impressively authentic.

Rocky learns some grappling techniques, takedowns, and MMA submissions.

11:30 AM | Snack

Rocky Harris Having A Snack

For her snack, Rocky replenishes electrolytes with some fruit, in this case some assorted ‘Halle’ berries. It’s important for her not to put too much in her body to avoid feeling too full before exercising.

12:00 PM | Workout

Rocky Harris & Jess Evans Workout

FightCamp Trainer Jess Evans says Halle Berry trained for two years before making the movie, so she really put the work in. She’s going to make sure Rocky does too with a mix of Muay Thai training, footwork, cardio, agility ladder training, Tae Kwon Do, and MMA drills.

Jess, who has a background in production, says that training for a fight is different from training for a film because you have a lot more to think about – but you think less about avoiding injury to your opponent. Training for a film fight is more coordinated like a dance than a full-fledged battle.

1:00 PM | Lunch

Rocky Harris having lunch after training

Rocky finishes the rest of the berries from her snack earlier and keeps it Paleo-friendly for lunch. She recommends using that 30-minute window to get in your protein, but keep the carbs low, which helps you maintain your energy during strenuous training.

1:45 PM | Boxing Training

Rocky Harris doing a boxing Workout

Heavy bag training is great for strength, conditioning, and increasing punching power – Halle Berry needs that punching power for dramatic moments in the film.

For Rocky’s bag work, she’s doing a FightCamp workout on the app with punch trackers to keep herself accountable. To up the pressure, she enters VS mode and goes against an opponent on the leaderboard.

2:30 PM | Recovery

Shanie Smash & Rocky Harris doing foam rolling for recovery

FightCamp Trainer Shanie Smash leads an active recovery session with foam rolling, which can be done before or after a workout.

Foam Rolling (Self-Myofascial Release)

Pre-workout (High mode): Activates and wakes up the muscles; gets the blood and oxygen flowing

Post-workout (Low mode): Helps flush out lactic acid and toxins to slow delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

Massage Gun

A self-care must for anyone putting in the work, a massage gun can help reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery.

Compression Therapy

Compression therapy squeezes the leg muscles to redirect the blood flow into your core where toxins are flushed out. Once released, the fresh blood from your core flows back into the legs accelerating healing.

How Can I Get Fit Like Halle Berry?

Ready to put yourself to the test and train like an MMA fighter and Halle Berry? Get access to hundreds of boxing, kickboxing, strength, conditioning, recovery, and stretching workouts that will push you mentally and physically. Download the FREE FightCamp App and train with real professionals from the comfort of your own home.

Raquel "Rocky" Harris

Raquel “Rocky” Harris has won titles in Karate, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. She traveled with Team USA and secured a Gold Medal in her first World Championship tournament. Rocky is an author, screenwriter, fitness model, and FightCamp Trainer. She is also USA Boxing Coach certified.

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