David Harbour's Hellboy Workout Routine | Train Like A Celebrity
- 5 years ago
David Harbour might not be the first guy that comes to mind when you think of weight rooms and muscles. After all, the actor is probably best known for his role as washed-up police chief Jim Hopper in the mega-popular Netflix show Stranger Things, where he'd be more likely seen with cigarettes and donuts than barbells and dumbbells.
That perception changed for many back in 2017, when the first photo of Harbour as comic-book hero Hellboy surfaced online. The character is an equally dour and imposing devil who protects humans from malevolent supernatural forces after being plucked from hell as an infant. To fit the bill, Harbour had to take on some major prosthetics (and a bunch of red makeup)—but perhaps the biggest transformation came to his body. In the early photo, Harbour is clearly jacked, and the trailers and footage of the soon-to-be released movie showcase his impressive muscles.
That body didn't just appear overnight (or come from even more Hollywood dark magic). Harbour trained with superhero-shaping coach Don Saladino, a member of the Men's Health Advisory Board who has worked with other actors like Ryan Reynolds and Sebastian Stan to prep them for roles as comic book stars.
The prosthetics helped Harbour get into character to a certain degree, but Saladino says the actor needed more than makeup to really take on the persona of the rough and tumble demon he was portraying. "He had to feel like he was able to kick some ass, and walk on the set and feel like Hellboy," the trainer shares. By the end of their 9 week program, which was designed to emphasize athleticism and hone functional movement, Saladino says that he had prepped Harbour to feel ready to suit up and run through a brick wall.
We stopped by Saladino's NYC facility to check out one of the workouts he used to get Harbour into Hellboy shape, which he called a Suit Up Saturday routine. If you're expecting to throw around big weights, you be surprised—there are no traditional lifts in this part of the program. Instead, you'll be performing a whole cadre of loaded carries, which Saladino loves because of how they build strength and burn fat.
That perception changed for many back in 2017, when the first photo of Harbour as comic-book hero Hellboy surfaced online. The character is an equally dour and imposing devil who protects humans from malevolent supernatural forces after being plucked from hell as an infant. To fit the bill, Harbour had to take on some major prosthetics (and a bunch of red makeup)—but perhaps the biggest transformation came to his body. In the early photo, Harbour is clearly jacked, and the trailers and footage of the soon-to-be released movie showcase his impressive muscles.
That body didn't just appear overnight (or come from even more Hollywood dark magic). Harbour trained with superhero-shaping coach Don Saladino, a member of the Men's Health Advisory Board who has worked with other actors like Ryan Reynolds and Sebastian Stan to prep them for roles as comic book stars.
The prosthetics helped Harbour get into character to a certain degree, but Saladino says the actor needed more than makeup to really take on the persona of the rough and tumble demon he was portraying. "He had to feel like he was able to kick some ass, and walk on the set and feel like Hellboy," the trainer shares. By the end of their 9 week program, which was designed to emphasize athleticism and hone functional movement, Saladino says that he had prepped Harbour to feel ready to suit up and run through a brick wall.
We stopped by Saladino's NYC facility to check out one of the workouts he used to get Harbour into Hellboy shape, which he called a Suit Up Saturday routine. If you're expecting to throw around big weights, you be surprised—there are no traditional lifts in this part of the program. Instead, you'll be performing a whole cadre of loaded carries, which Saladino loves because of how they build strength and burn fat.