Actor Hugh Jackman is famously jacked for his starring role in the "X-Men" movies, and underwent grueling workouts, diets, and even dehydration to stay lean and muscular for the screen.
In a recent interview on Dr. Peter Attia's podcast, Jackman said part of the secret to Wolverine's impressive physique was a technique he learned from a bodybuilder to use lighter weights as a warm up.
When he was training for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Jackman said his trainer decided to shake things up by inviting a professional, natural bodybuilder to work out with them for a week.
The actor was taken aback when the bodybuilder started his session with lighter weights.
"I assumed that to be in his shape, you have to just smash it. He starts super light on everything and builds up, like it's fun," Jackman said.
The strategy helps get the mind and body ready when it comes time to lift heavy, he said, and it's a strategy he still follows in his workouts.
"[It's] a great thing I learned from him that I use to this day," Jackman said.
"By the time you're doing your third or fourth set, you actually really want to lift because your body has gotten used to it ... you just want to go and rip it."
It's always a good idea to warm up before exercising, and one of the best strategies to do so is by performing easier versions of the same movements in your workout, according to personal trainers. That might mean using less weight or no weight at first.
Using lighter weights helps ensure you're working the targeted areas of the body, especially smaller muscle groups such as the arms, personal trainer Bryan Goldberg previously told Insider.
Going too heavy on the weights can prompt you to "cheat" by using momentum or compensating with the rest of your body, which can mean that the muscles you're trying to build get less work and less growth.
The best way to get the most out of your muscles is to challenge them with increasingly heavy weight, a technique called progressive overload, according to personal trainers. So, even if you start light, adding a little more weight each session can ensure you get the results you want in the gym.
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