After downing foes Diamondback and Cottonmouth in season 1 of Luke Cage, Mike Colter had to go back to the drawing board for season 2 of the famed Netflix series. Getting prepared wasn’t easy for the actor from South Carolina. He currently lives in Los Angeles but shoots in New York City. Due to his back and forth travel he’s had to compromise the rigor of his workouts. But just like his character he prevails and makes it happen.
Men’s Health spoke with Mike Colter about his grueling shooting schedule and his preparation to become the chiseled Luke Cage.
Finding the time to workout is a challenge enough without having to worry about traveling back and forth between cities. Colter has found a way to stay razor cut despite all of the movement.
“Today’s a workout day, but I don’t know when I’ll work out again, because tomorrow my day is full,” he continued. “I travel to New York City on Wednesday, so it’s very difficult to get my workouts in. If I get two days a week, I’ve got to make the most of them; if I get three days, that’s great.”
His preferred workout when’s he on the run involves
squats, leg press, lunges, shoulders, bench press and of course abs. This circuit helps him to hurl his enemies through metal doors and smash car hoods with no problem. While he’s not able to go as hard as he would like to in the gym due to time constraints he’s still able to be effective. One of the reasons why is his post-gym preparation.
It comes down to three essential things in his mind. Stretching. Diet. Sleep.
Stretching
When you’re in a rush to get a sweat, stretching is probably one of the last things you want to do. It just seems like one more thing to do in an already busy routine. Colter has found great wealth in taking the extra few minutes to give the body what it needs.
“People don’t really realize how much stretching and cooling down the muscle matter,” Colter said. “The first thing I want to do is skip the stretch because I’m usually in a rush. But ultimately, it’s one one of the most important parts. It doesn’t take that long to get a good stretch. But people skip the stretch.”
Stretching increases the
blood supply to your muscles and to the rest of the body as a whole. It also increases the nutrients that are available which is essential post-workout. This helps to eliminate soreness as well that come as a result of an intense session in the gym. Colter prefers to use the foam roller when stretching after a workout.
“The foam roller is your friend.”
Diet
Improving your diet has been shown to increase the productivity of your workouts. What sense does it make to work your tail off in the gym if you don’t receive the full benefit of it. Eating foods rich in the wrong things can counter the effects of productive lifestyle choices. Studies have shown that a great diet gives you more energy, mental focus and helps to regulate blood sugar.
“[People] skip the diet part,” he added. “If you work out really, really hard and you don’t put the fuel in the tank, you’re basically wasting your time. The muscles are not going to respond if you don’t put in the carbs and the complex carbohydrates that you need to recover.”
Sleep
A good night’s rest is the icing on the cake. Your body needs rest after being active on all cylinders. Harlem’s finest Luke Cage says that you got to get it in wherever you can when it comes to the shut eye.
“You need seven, eight hours preferably, of recovery time in sleep,” he said. “Even if you can’t get it all at once, you got to find a way to nap. Like, I get on a plane and can only get six hours, then I have to get another hour. I have to.”
Daunte Henderson, founder of the MADEMAN Foundation, author, and educator based in Chicago. You can follow him at @brotherhenderson on IG
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