Still need to shed those last few pounds for your ultimate summer body? Celebrity trainer and model Joey Thurman has all the tips you need to reach your fitness goals. With credentials such as Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Certified Corporate Nutrition Professional, and being a FITchef – there’s no way you can’t win with his help! If you’re a fan of Fox’s TV hit series Empire, you’re going to love what we have to say next. Thurman helped Terrence Howard get into tip-top shape for his infamous role. “Terrence is awesome to work with,” says Joey. He has an intensity and a drive that I love to see, especially in the gym. In just 12 weeks of my program, he lost 25-30 pounds while adding muscle and slimming his waist. He went from a size 38 waist to a loose 34 and will be back in a 32 in no time.” Here is how he helped Terrence Howard get back into shape: True partnership. “I worked out right alongside him,” says Joey. “He told me he didn’t want someone shouting in his face like he was a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Instead, he wanted a partner to workout with, someone to inspire him and keep him motivated and honest.” Two-a-days. “We worked out twice a day when applicable for his schedule,” says Joey. “Once in the morning and once in the evening to maximally stimulate muscle growth, metabolism, and fat burning.”
Sequence is everything. “I would often have Terrence do cardio AFTER weight training to maximize fat burn. When lifting weights you burn mainly glycogen (stored carbs) so doing cardio after weights will pull from your fat as energy,” explains Joey. “I would have him walk/jog in the morning off and on at a low intensity before breakfast, but he was allowed to have caffeine beforehand.”
From jail to jacked. “His training was “prison jacked” based. He needed to look like he was in prison working out so the first few weeks I allowed him more slack on his diet to put on muscle and use the carbs as energy and keep fullness. Once he had that muscle, it was time to cut down his weight and sculpt more, so we cut down his carb intake. He’s allowed carbs before and after weight training, that’s it!”
Eat like an Empire star. “Terrence’s diet consists of a lot of greens, lean protein, and some fruit. The main thing is the timing of the food and carbs to utilize the muscle building potential,” says Joey. “He also drinks lots of water. He also takes supplements including a multivitamin, fish oil, protein powder, BCAAs before, during, and after workout, and protein powder.”
Train like a beast. “We used a unique cyclical training modality where the routines and body parts changed on a weekly basis for him focusing on weak points and ramped things up with MetCon training (metabolic conditioning),” says Joey. “The cyclical pattern saves his joints and promotes maximal muscle growth, metabolism spike, and fat burn. Some of our favorites are walking planks, fire hydrants, plank pushups on a ball, plank bird dogs, renegade kickbacks, and lunges with a lateral raise.”
