To be able to deftly switch between weapons and fighting styles in 'John Wick', Keanu Reeves had to be in top physical condition. He enlisted L.A.-based trainer and corrective exercise expert Patrick Murphy to help to get him into shape—which presented a big challenge, as the actor isn't young, with a lengthy injury history to boot.
"Playing that role is very hard on his body," Murphy said. The key to the program was building up Reeves' muscular endurance without overtaxing his body. Murphy's philosophy is to create the safest environment for his clients with high-benefit, low-risk exercise programming. "He wasn't lifting crazy heavy weights—it was getting his body moving, getting his muscular endurance and stability—it was just a mindset," Murphy said. "He would leave the gym exhausted, but feeling great. Where his body got beat up was in all those scenes [filming the movie]."
