Jean-Claude Van Damme is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s most charming stars. The actor was born in Brussels on October 18, 1960, and started practicing martial arts at an early age. The action star’s birth name is Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, and his Belgian roots and distinctive physique earned him the memorable nickname “The Muscles from Brussels.” Although we know him as a karateka, Van Damme had no significant success in this field. That’s why he decided to move to LA and seek his fortune on the “Walk of Fame.” He became passionate about bodybuilding at just 16, and fitness training helped him make significant progress in his acting career, as the film industry quickly noticed and appreciated his physique. His famous splits also played a significant role in his professional breakthrough.
Read more: Fitness Icons: Sylvester Stallone
Film Career
Van Damme’s most successful films include the cult classics Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Universal Soldier and Timecop. If you grew up in the 90s, you couldn’t have missed these films, as they are absolute classics of the action genre. In them, the actor shows off his martial arts skills, impressing men with his flawless technique and women with his charming smile and sculpted physique. Perhaps this is why Van Damme has been married five times, including twice to the same woman, Gladys Portugues, with whom he is still in love today.
Over the years, Jean-Claude Van Damme has continued to exercise and focus on intense training to keep his body in excellent shape. He trains hard at the gym at least 6 times a week, focusing on a variety of exercises with heavy weights. He follows a very careful diet and pays attention to the balance of different nutrients. Thanks to this combination, Jean-Claude Van Damme looks impeccable even at the age of 57. He prefers to train early in the morning, splitting exercises for different muscle groups across separate days.
Read more: How to Best Prepare for a Gym Workout
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s training program is quite similar to that of most professional bodybuilders. He focuses on free-weight exercises with few sets and reps, compensating with heavier weights.
Upper Body Exercises
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s upper-body workouts start with chest exercises. The actor relies on dumbbells and a bench—flat and incline bench presses are must-do exercises in his routine. The action star does 4 sets of 8–10 reps.
To build his broad back, Jean-Claude Van Damme never skips wide- and close-grip pull-ups—4 sets of up to 10 reps, with extra weight attached to his legs. Another essential exercise for this muscle group is T-bar rowing, also for 4 sets.
Read more:
The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Every Part of Your Body
Bar Exercises: What Are They and What Are Their Benefits?
The actor also trains his arms and shoulders hard. For strong and Well-defined biceps Van Damme never skips barbell curls, but he does more sets here—5 sets of up to 12 reps. Concentration curls are also a must for the actor, who does 3 sets of up to 10 reps. For his shoulders and well-defined traps, Van Damme focuses mainly on behind-the-neck shoulder presses (5 sets of 15 reps) and dumbbell lateral raises. The exercise is simple but very effective, and the actor does 4 sets of 8–10 reps.
Lower-body exercises
As a prominent martial artist, particularly in karate, Jean-Claude Van Damme has well-defined muscles in his lower body. That’s because he places a strong emphasis on leg training. Barbell squats are among the exercises that are always included in the action star’s training program. He does 5 sets of 20 reps.
Read more: Leg Day: What You Need to Know About Leg Training
Squats are simple exercises, but they’re highly effective for shaping the glutes. Van Damme is also a fan of the leg press, which helps shape the thighs and maintain their size. Deadlifts are another exercise the actor never skips. Jean-Claude uses heavier plates for this exercise, so he does 3 sets of 10–12 reps to avoid putting unnecessary strain on his back.
Read more: 5 Types of Squats for an Amazing Butt
Calves are another muscle group that the Bloodsport star trains hard. For this, he relies on very simple exercises that nevertheless have a big impact on shaping this small but important muscle group for any bodybuilder. Van Damme does standing calf raises and uses the calf machine. He performs 4 sets of 15 reps for each exercise.
Ab exercises
You can’t become an ultimate sex symbol without a perfect set of abs. Well-defined abs are undoubtedly an asset for any man and professional actor. To build a great six-pack and keep the years from taking their toll and adding weight around his midsection, Jean-Claude Van Damme sticks to standard crunches—3 sets of 25 reps.
Read more: TOP 5 Ab Exercises
Hanging leg raises also help shape the lower abs, and the action star never skips them in his workout. He does 3 sets of up to 15 reps. For greater effect, you can add extra weight to your legs.
Over the years, Jean-Claude Van Damme has established himself as a true action star. He even inspired his daughter Bianca to take up sports and martial arts. She is proudly following in his footsteps and growing in popularity. But perhaps that’s only natural when your father is an inspiration not just to you, but to entire generations..
Some of the actor’s most memorable words include: “I’ve had my successes and my falls. I’ve walked rough roads and been battered by strong winds. They made me who I am today. Now I stand here before you. What you see is a perfect body, legs that defy the laws of physics, and a mind that reigns over division.”
Read more: Fitness Icons: Arnold Schwarzenegger