Forge A Body Like Jon Snow!

Jon Snow may or may not win the Game of Thrones, but with his charming smile, puppy dog eyes and down to earth demeanour, he sure has won the Game of hearts with millions of GoT fans!

When he’s not busy being the ‘King in the North’, Kit Harington’s character in the epic saga is a sword wielding, white-walker slaying, justice serving badass who may one day save the world aka Westeros. The character itself is played out with such awesomeness that it’s hard not to get inspired, especially when it comes to fitness!

So we got snooping around and with the help of Lord Varys’s ‘Little Birds’ (and a little googling), we figured out some fitness secrets that may help you get ripped just like Jon Snow! Want to know what they are? Read on!

Forging of the Valyrian steel like body:

When your job description includes protecting the entire northern kingdom of Westeros while kicking some serious white-walker asses, you need a body like Valyrian steel! Here are a few exercises that Kit Harington uses to get that body!

Pull-Ups

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Grab the pull-up bar with your palms facing outward and your arms fully extended.
2. Draw your shoulders and upper arm to pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
3. Start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.

Dips

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Stand between two parallel bars with your hands on the bars.
2. Lift yourself above the ground with your arms straight.
3. Slowly lower your body while keeping your torso upright and elbows close to the body. Lower your body till your forearm forms 90-degree angle with your upper arm.
4. Exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.

Inclined Dumbbell chest press

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Lie on an inclined bench with a pair of dumbbells in each hand.
2. Lift the dumbbells one at a time and hold them at shoulder width.
3. Rotate your wrist forward such that the palms are facing away from you.
4. Breath out and push the dumbbell up with your chest till your arms are fully extended.
5. Hold for a second and slowly lower the weight.

Push Ups

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Get into the starting position with your hands about 36 inches apart and legs fully extended. Do not bend your knees.
2. Lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
3. Breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
4. After a brief pause at the top contracted position, lower yourself to the starting position.

Barbell Deadlift

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Grip the barbell with your hands at shoulder width while standing with your feet at hip-width.
2. With your lower back arched, thrust your hips forward while pulling up your torso as you stand.
3. Keep the barbell close to your body while lifting the barbell.
4. Gently lower the barbell to the floor.

Zercher Squat

Warning: This workout is relatively difficult compared to the rest in the list, especially for the beginners. In order to avoid injuring yourself, we highly recommend your trainer’s supervision for the first few sets.

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the barbell between the crook of your elbows.
3. Push your hips back and bend your knees till the barbell touches the thighs.
4. Push yourself back to the starting position.

Pendulum Lunges

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Stand with your feet together while holding dumbbells on either arm.
2. Step your left foot back about two to three feet while keeping the heels off the floor.
3. Bend your knees till your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Press the ground with your left foot and bring it forward.
5. Now bend your knees till the left thigh is parallel to the floor.

Lateral Dumbbell Lunge

Sets: 3

Reps: 10-15

1. Stand with your feet together while holding dumbbells on either arm.
2. Take a lateral step towards your left and lower your body by bending the knee while keeping the right leg straight.
3. Pause for a second and get back to the starting position.
4. Alternate with the right side.

A Feast For The Kings

Research tells us that while building his impressive muscles, Kit Harington’s daily calorie intake was close to a massive 5000 kcal per day!  Made up of 45 per cent carbohydrates, 33 percent protein and 20 per cent healthy fat, his balanced diet often included healthy supplements like fish oil, casein protein and magnesium glycinate.

But Jon Snow isn’t all about boiled chicken and steamed salmon! It would seem that Harington also included cheat days to his meal to not just manage cravings but also control his metabolism. But this doesn’t mean the King in the North binges on junk food! Instead, it is a carefully controlled process with just the right amount of indulgence.

This amazing diet with the gruelling full body workout is what allows Kit Harington to stay in such prime shape and this is what we all should be striving for as well. After all, if some day the Game of Throne guys need some desi extras, you wouldn’t want to miss out just on the account of a family pack, would you?

Disclaimer: The content in this article is purely research based and the workouts mentioned in herein are suggested by Gympik’s expert trainer.