Martyn Ford underwent a grueling transformation to play Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat II, released in the US on May 8. The bodybuilder recently detailed the three-hour daily workouts required to achieve his massive physique.

Ford has received enormous love from his fans, not only for his on-screen skills but also for the off-screen preparation that gave him a massive physique. Giving context to that preparation, on May 12, Ford opened up about his workout for this role by sharing a brief glimpse of his exercises.

In the Instagram caption, the bodybuilder actor wrote, “Training for Shao Kahn was INSANE .... 2-3 hours a day, working the ENTIRE body, in a way that really stretched me. What an absolute blast it was to have such a purpose.”

Even in the clip, he was seen doing mountain climbers on an elevated platform.

Additionally, in an IMDB post, he agreed that the action scenes were shot while he was pumped up on coffee. The need to pump up cannot be ignored, as Ford portrays a controlling figure in the American martial-arts fantasy movie based on the video game series.

The English fitness model fell in love with bodybuilding when he was lifting weights in his teenage years, and that dedication has definitely helped him in his role.

Although little data is available on his workout for this role, the Ford 2026 workout routine likely reflects his preparation for the movie.

Martyn Ford’s 2026 workout routine

According to Jacked Gorilla, Ford’s workout routine combines cardio and strength training. He also draws motivation from MMA exercises and routines.

The actor also regularly changes his workout routine, which helps him focus on role-specific movements.

So a weekly workout routine for Ford looks like:

• On Monday, he focuses on the chest, using exercises such as the seated chest press machine and the flat chest press.
• Tuesday is for back, where Ford follows exercises like barbell deadlifts and close-grip lat pulldowns.
• Wednesday is for shoulders, and Ford mainly follows exercises like front dumbbell raises and incline reverse dumbbell flies.
• On Thursday, Ford does a leg workout, including movements like lying hamstring curls and leg press.
• Friday is dedicated to arms, and Ford pumps his arms with standing cable curls and alternating dumbbell curls.
• Saturday and Sunday are mainly for rest and recovery.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil