There is a warrior woman on screen. She did indoor skydiving because she was afraid of heights.
Thuso said that he challenged himself to do it. I was laughing all the time. I would like to do it again because it was frightening. I don’t want to be afraid of heights anymore. She laughed in the face of her fear.
Thuso uses that same determination in her work. If you watch a few scenes of The Woman King, you’ll know it’s true.
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She needed it to strengthen her for The Woman King. African female warriors in the Kingdom of Dahomey were the inspiration for the film. The all-women army of the West African nation was called the Agoji.
Thuso would have to fight with her co-stars or at least hit all the stunts that make the battles feel real. She had to pass a fitness test in order to get the role.
She showed the ability to land the role. Thuso says that he was freaked out after he went home. I was confused and huffed and puffed. Danny thought he could bring me to a place where I could do my own stunts.
Thuso trained to be a woman warrior.
Thuso started with mixed martial arts.
Thuso began training on her own after getting the part. I decided to take Muay Thai classes because I didn’t want to start from the ground up. She worked out all the time leading up to the film.
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She was already taking Muay Thai classes. She built a strong fitness foundation in the two months leading up to the production.
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Every day, military classes were held at House of Champion. Private sessions were added twice a week in May and June of 2020.
She added weapon workouts and choreography.
Thuso and her castmates increased their training after pre-production began. She says they did kicks and punches and jumped after working with the machete. It wasn’t just about learning the choreo which was the top of my list. The pros leading training were Peter Iacangelo, Kensi Emory, and Noah Fleder.
She had months of practice to pay off. She says she’s more confident in wielding a weapon or just strength.
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Thuso accidentally increased the training volume for everyone. She said they were supposed to do martial arts for two hours a day. I asked for an extra hour because it’s difficult for me. They just made it for everybody.
We used to train for two to three hours a day.
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She focused on building strength with a personal trainer.
Her main targets were her legs and body parts. Thuso says that the goal was to make everything tighter. During the three months of pre-production, Thuso trained with Mclain, who is behind the strong arms of Viola.
They trained for 90 minutes on a daily basis. Mclain says that every session began with the lower body to build the base for at least 30 to 40 minutes. The upper body is where we usually work on three different muscle groups. The last 15-20 minutes of the session would be devoted to strength.
The intervals were not straight. Mclain sets the timer for 40 seconds work, 12 seconds rest, and 3 sets for each movement. The lower-body exercises may include jump squats with barbells or kettlebells, jump lunges with or without weights, and step-ups with or without weights. The schedule was likely to include shoulder presses, bicep curls, lat rows, and pull downs.
The core burners wrapped up the work before a light stretch to avoid sore muscles.
She did aerobic work to increase agility and speed. That made a difference for Thuso. Thuso says that he finally had some definition within his arms. I was able to push harder than what was required because I was not tired quickly.
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“She shows up to every session, never a minute late, no excuses, ready to train, even though I know she may be exhausted,” says Mclain, “she shows up to every session, never a minute late, no excuses, ready to train, even though I know she
It paid off. Thuso says that he struggled to lift two and a half pounds at the start. We’re lifting up to 30 pounds now.
They strengthened our bodies so they were injury-proof.
Thuso added sprints to improve her form.
Thuso wasn’t used to fighting scenes requiring sprints. She says she’s more of a long-distance runner. I had to learn how to do that, and I looked like I knew what I was doing.
She worked with a running coach for an hour when she didn’t have strength training.
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Thuso prioritized recovery to stay healthy.
Thuso used a massage therapist for the cast. She says that they had a therapist who came to them once a week. I went to a physical therapist for myself.
Thuso had a hot and cold recovery period. I did both cryotherapy and the sauna when I could.
She still maintains her martial arts and strength training.
Thuso isn’t logging those marathon three-hour workouts on the reg, but she is still following a similar regimen. Thuso says she fell in love with everything they were doing. She recuperated and resumed sessions with Mclain.
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Thuso works out at 7 a.m. every day. “We’re supposed to do an hour, but it can easily be one and a half hours or more because she’s so passionate about it.” Mclain is always challenging me.
Thuso has been working out for a long time. Thuso gained good core strength which allows me to get more creative with the workouts. I always try to make it more enjoyable.
The sword is hitting something. Lie down on the mat with knees bent. You should hold a weight over your head. There are two Lift your shoulders, squeeze your abdominal muscles, and swing your arms to the side. There are three. Go only halfway up. A full sit up is not what it is.
She dislikes the gym so much that she makes her more likable. Thuso doesn’t like battle ropes. I’ve never liked them. I don’t like them very much. I will probably dieloathing them. Not a long way behind on that list? Lunges, squats, and jumping Everything that needs to be done. She admits she really hates.
She doesn’t skip them. Mclain says that Thuso’s role is to pretend to not enjoy the session even though she likes it.
Thuso is a goal driven, disciplined person. Thuso practices the movements until she is perfect. I love that she is who she is. I’m very proud of her and how far she’s come. She is a fighter.
Thuso makes a statement. Is there any and all stunts? I’m prepared to leave.
The fitness editor at Women’s Health has more than a decade of experience in health and wellbeing journalism. She likes to explore with her husband, daughter, and dog.