Sean Penn isn’t just one of the most respected actors in Hollywood – he also boasts one of the most impressive physiques. His latest role as Colonel Lockjaw in One Battle After Another puts his muscular frame front and centre, making it easy to forget that he’s 65. That only makes his ability to maintain such results all the more impressive.
Since bulking up for the 1986 film At Close Range, however, Penn has remained tight-lipped about his training routine. ‘I’ve said before I don’t like necessarily to talk about training routines. It’s actually not too interesting,’ he said in 2015. Despite this reluctance to discuss specifics, some details of Penn’s approach have still emerged over his 40-plus years of training.
Learning From the Best
To add muscle for At Close Range, Penn enlisted Vince Gironda, the high-profile trainer who worked with bodybuilders including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane and Rick Wayne. Gironda was known for his emphasis on discipline, precision and intensity, and his signature 8×8 training method delivered results. Penn fully bought in, and it paid off for the 1986 film.
Strength training has remained a core part of the two-time Academy Award winner’s routine ever since. As he’s got older, Penn has incorporated more compound and functional movements, particularly for physically demanding roles such as ex-Special Forces soldier Jim Terrier in The Gunman. Preparation for that role reportedly focused on heavy compound lifts, including thrusters and power cleans, performed for 5 sets of 5 reps, followed by isolation work using lighter weights and higher reps.
Penn also regularly surfs and runs to complement his training, and has been known to cut back on smoking while filming.
Developing Combat Skills
Away from the gym, Penn has a long-standing interest in combat training, particularly Krav Maga. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the system focuses on practical self-defence and real-world scenarios rather than sport. ‘I’ve been practicing Krav Maga for several years now, not really a sport, more of a close combat technique taught to the Israeli military,’ he said. ‘It’s meant to neutralise and disarm.’
Those skills were put to use in The Gunman, with stunt coordinator Markos Rounthwaite opting for Krav Maga as the film’s primary combat style due to Penn’s experience.
Boxing is another of Penn’s passions. He’s previously revealed that he spent a month sparring with Bob Dylan in a purpose-built boxing ring at his home. ‘Bob Dylan, turns out, is a student of boxing, and I had a 16-foot punching ring at my house and I was friendly with his son,’ Penn told Jimmy Fallon. ‘And at some point, Jesse, his son, said to me, “You know, my dad would like to spar.” Sorry Bob, if I’m talking out of school, but he would show up every morning.
‘That went on for about a month, I think. About seven or eight o’clock in the morning, with his hoodie on and about six bull mastiffs coming out of a VW van. There wasn’t a lot of conversation, it was kind of like “Good? Good.” And we’d spar.’
