The Intense Training Jameela Jamil Had To Do For She-Hulk
"The Good Place" star Jameela Jamil has left the afterlife of that now-ended NBC comedy and moved on to playing villain and influencer Titania on the Disney+ series "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." When we first meet Titania, it's when she bursts through the wall of a courtroom where Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk is arguing a case.
If you follow Jamil on social media, you know that she's spoken out frequently against diet culture and body shaming, as well as her history with disordered eating. Jamil performed many of her own stunts for the series according to a story on Shape.com, and that required some training.
Exercise is often important for mental and physical health, but that doesn't keep it from being a slog sometimes. One thing we can do, though, is to make it as much fun as possible. Jamil's longtime trainer Al Jackson spoke to the outlet about what he did to help motivate her while keeping it light. He also found ways to help her through her health challenges so she could be the badass Marvel character who loves posting on Instagram and wearing very shiny outfits.
Music, snacks, and movement
Snacking while working out seems like a pipe dream, doesn't it? Imagine doing lunges to reach that bowl of sweets. Jackson said that while some people don't do well with eating while exercising, Jamil does. He explained, "We make sure to have tiny bites on hand to sweeten the deal during tough workouts, without feeling uncomfortable."
If having a bowl of small snacks on hand to satisfy sounds like something that might work for you as well, there are all sorts of things you can try like peanut butter on pears, or nuts and raisins. That's not the only strategy Jackson used to help them have a good time while gaining strength. He used disco to motivate Jamil because they both enjoy the groove.
He added: "We both love cheesy, feel-good music and we love a boogie." That certainly seems to fit her character as well. Look at the shiny tassels and glittery lips on this character. There is definitely some Donna Summer and ABBA on Titania's Spotify playlist.
Feel good and keep moving
Jackson also talked about the mood boost that can come from training:
"The feel-good effect of working out was also a very important factor for us both. The mental health benefits of exercise are often underrated!"
The Mayo Clinic says that regular exercise releases endorphins that boost your mood, and can help break a cycle of negative thoughts. So, we've got snacks, tunes, and happy brain chemicals combined to create a super powered-person who can crash through walls. As Marvel's Stan Lee would say, excelsior!
In addition to being able to do stunts, Jackson told the outlet that the goal for Jamil was to "appear and feel confident, physically comfortable, and athletically capable as Titania." He said they focused on strength and endurance, as well as weight transference and mobility of the hip joints, to help her with her action scenes.
One thing it's important to do when starting a workout (and this means making sure to talk to your doctor before you start) is to take your health challenges into consideration. Jamil has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which Shape.com explains affects "connective tissues in the body ... potentially causing joint dislocation and pain." A dislocated joint would make Titania's super villainy more difficult, so they concentrated on low-impact workouts, strength training, and, he explained, "exercises that helped strengthen and support her hypermobility."
Training for supervillainy
Jamil even found some exercises that she liked. Jackson said that his client enjoys pad work kicks and punches, always a must-have skill for super-crime. The workout was no joke, though. For example, Jackson had Jamil start with full-body stretches, then supersets, which are alternating sets of different exercises and no rest between each. For the first superset, they did reverse lunge/front kick combos, 10 on each side. Then punches with lightweight dumbbells with one foot forward for 30 seconds, switching sides and repeating.
For the second superset, they did a squat, leading to a crawl forward and back for 10 reps, then a side kick with a leg chamber, which is lifting up the knee, kicking out, then back in and down. 20 reps with alternating legs.
For the third superset, you attach a resistance band to a secure spot at chest height, and pull back with one arm, while doing a lunge for 10 reps on each side. Finally, Jackson had Jamil hold the dumbbells at shoulder height and squat for 20 reps. You can check out Shape.com for videos and details.
Now, set that all to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," and prepare to take over the world.
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is currently streaming on Disney+.