Five movies that'll make you hit the gym

While you won’t have the dietitian, nutritionist and round-the-clock personal trainer that most film stars are given to facilitate their on-set physical transformations, a little aesthetic motivation never harmed anyone. Here’s Esquire’s picks of the movies that’ll have you back hitting the weights in no time at all. 

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THE ROCKY SERIES

All it takes is those thumping first beats of Eye of the Tiger and you’ll soon feel the adrenalin starting to pump and the gym calling. Never has a movie made us feel so overly emotional, yet so manly and convinced that we could take on the world, not to mention a rogue iron-clad Russian, with ease. There’s a part of us that’s in denial the series will ever have to end.

FIGHT CLUB

David Fincher’s 1999 film evoked the hidden side of millions of men who would never even think of embarking in a game of fisticuffs in real life. We could be Brad Pitt if we wanted, and dance circles around Edward Norton in a scummy carpark, we know we could – we just choose not to.

POINT BREAK

Showcasing Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeve at the peak of they physical prowess, whenever we whack it on Point Break has us clamoring to tone up and get fit for that life of surfing and extreme sports. You know, that life? The one you can’t quite bring yourself to let go of?

KARATE KID

A classic David versus Goliath tale, Karate Kid taught us that it wasn’t size that mattered, it was how high you could kick a splits. If the old geezer can do it, so can you.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Proof that anyone, with a little hard work, can get rock hard abs and an impressive bod. Chris Pratt goes from soft comedy guy to superhero status (and teenage girl pin-up) in just one movie.