Charles Bronson’s Brutal Bodyweight Workout

Hollywood action physiques have changed over time. In the past, you would see names like Stallone and Schwarzenegger in action movies, while today names like Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill take their places.

But before these modern icons, there was a generation of hardmen who maintained a much more compact but chiseled physiques. They maintained their muscle mass and stayed lean all year long by doing mostly bodyweight exercises, before personal trainers were were a thing.

Charles Bronson was one of these tough guys, an actor who faced serious challenges early in his life. He started working in a coal mine at a young age, and his difficult past shaped him into a strong person. 

He became a famous star relatively late in his life, earning around one million dollars for each film he made. He often played tough characters – like a police officer, fighter, inmate and soldier.

Bronson’s body looked impressive at that time, especially to people interested in bodybuilding. He was carrying just the right amount of muscle mass and was also very lean, which gave him that tough guy – fighter look.

Mr. Bronson maintained his figure over the years, in contrast to contemporary actors who gain weight for a job and then starve themselves to death for the next role. This shows his admiration for what he accomplished, which is a characteristic of a natty person.

Bronson used legendary Woody Strode’s workout to stay in shape while filming on location, although he often used his own bodyweight workouts using push ups, pull ups, running and boxing.

Woody Strode was a former football player before he became famous in Spartacus (1960).

Woody developed a simple workout routine which consisted of bodyweight exercises only. He claimed that this routine helped him build twenty pounds of lean muscle, which was unusual for the time.

The routine included these exercises:

• 1,000 push-ups
• 1,000 bodyweight squats
• 1,000 sit-ups

Although this workout looks simple, the volume of work is enormous and should not be attempted by someone who does not have the capacity. Instead a regular gym goes should start with 100 push ups, squats and sit ups, and build up from there.

Bronson also worked with heavy bags (boxing), did pull ups, climbed ropes. In fact, people that knew him say that rope climbing was one of his favorite exercises – this is why he had strong and lean arms.

Here’s a sample routine inspired from Bronson’s own daily workouts:

Morning Routine

100+ Push-ups (broken into sets)

100+ Sit-ups

100+ Bodyweight Squats

Pull-ups or chin-ups (as many as possible)

10–15 minutes of shadowboxing or jump rope

Evening Activity:

A long walk, bike ride, or a swimming session

Bronson believed in consistency and hard work over complexity. His physique was the result of a blue-collar mindset — the kind you’d expect from a former coal miner turned Hollywood star.