The full-body workout Jameela Jamil did to prepare for her role in She-Hulk

The full-body workout Jameela Jamil did to prepare for her role in She-Hulk

You won't find clips of intense sweating sessions on Jameela Jamil's social media profiles. Rather, the actress and activist posts a video of herself working out in her pajamas with a snack in her hand. (Read more: Jameela Jamil is here to remind you what the stretch marks on your breasts actually represent)

“Jameela isn’t afraid to make it known that she hates sports in general,” says Jamil’s longtime coach Al Jackson. Jamil has been open in the past about her struggles with anorexia and how an eating disorder has affected her relationship with fitness. (She discussed the topic with Demi Lovato on an episode of the singer's podcast, 4D with Demi Lovato, in 2021.) That's why it was so important for Jamil to find ways to reframe exercise as something fun and good for her mental health as she prepares to play Titania in the Marvel series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, premiering August 18 on Disney+.

An unusual way Jackson motivates Jamil to exercise? Having snacks on hand to satisfy their sweet tooth. “We make sure we have little bites on hand to sweeten the deal during tough workouts without feeling uncomfortable,” he says. "Many [people] don't feel good about eating during exercise, but it works for them." The couple also chats during most of their workouts, and when they're not talking, they're listening to disco music - seriously. "We both love cheese, feel-good music, and we love boogie," Jackson shares, adding that they even did a few "dumb disco workouts" together on Instagram for Mental Health Awareness Month last year.

“The feel-good effect of the training was also a very important factor for both of us,” says Jackson. “The psychological benefits of exercise are often underestimated!”

The psychological benefits of exercise, according to experts

In addition to harnessing the emotional results of training, Jackson's goal for Jamil was for her to "appear and feel confident, physically comfortable and athletic as Titania." With that in mind, they focused on strength and endurance, particularly working on weight shifting and hip mobility so she would be ready to safely perform many of her own stunts.

Jamil's workouts are also guided by the fact that the actress suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a condition that affects the connective tissue in the body, particularly the skin, joints, and blood vessel walls, potentially causing joint dislocations and pain in skin that is fragile and/or stretchy, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with EDS typically have overly flexible joints, and Jamil's joints are prone to dislocation, making high-impact activities risky for them, Jackson explains. “I wanted to include exercises that would help strengthen and support their hypermobility,” he adds, noting that good communication between the two is key to progress and avoiding injury.

Throughout the training process, Jamil not only prepared for her physically demanding role, but also discovered some exercises that she really enjoyed, according to Jackson. "We found that padwork kicks and punches was something she really enjoyed working on, which comes in handy when training to become a Marvel villain." As for the one movement she feared most? Those would be crab walks (aka side steps) done with a mini-loop resistance band, says the trainer.

Overall, Jackson's tailored training for Jamil appears to have had a positive impact on both of them. “It was a great experience to help someone who describes himself as clumsy make such an incredible change,” he says. “She is now undeniably convincing in her role as a supervillain, even with her health problems.”

Curious to see what exactly a typical full-body workout looked like for Jamil while training for her role in She-Hulk? Keep scrolling for her accessible, total-body workout, straight from Jackson.

Jameela Jamil's total body workout

How it works:After warming up with some full-body stretches to prepare for the moves ahead, do three supersets (aka alternating sets of two different exercises with no rest in between). Perform the first and then the second exercise without rest, then rest for a minute before repeating the superset again. Do each superset three times. Cool down and stretch.

What you will need:Light dumbbells and a resistance band that you can securely attach to a fixed point at waist height are optional, but provide resistance to improve certain movements.

Superset 1

Back lunge with front kick

AStart with your feet hip-width apart, then step your right leg back into a lunge position with your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle and your right heel lifted. Distribute the weight evenly between both feet and keep your hands in a protective position on your chin.

b.Shift your weight to your left foot and push your right leg forward into a controlled kick as you let your hands fall to your sides. Maintain a soft bend when supporting the left leg to maintain balance.

CPull back the kick and bring the right foot back to knee height. Pause briefly before stepping your right leg back into a reverse lunge to begin the next rep.

Do 10 reps and then switch sides.

Dumbbell punches

AStart in a protective position with the right foot back with the right heel slightly raised, both knees slightly bent with slight weight distribution to allow natural movement. Raise your hands into a protective position and hold the dumbbells (optional) in front of your chin. Shoulders and hips are angled so that the same side of the body as the front foot points slightly forward.

b.Extend the left arm forward to thrust at shoulder level while the right arm remains in guard position, then switch to cross the right arm forward and the left arm back to protect the chin.

CKeep your shoulders away from your ears and engage your abdominal muscles to support the torso rotation that occurs with each punch. Continue alternating strokes.

Do as many reps as you can (AMRAP) for 30 seconds, then switch stances and continue with your right leg forward and left leg back for another 30 seconds.

Superset 2

Squat Crawl Out with a twist

AStart with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest open, send your hips back as your knees bend into a deep squat, then place your hands on the floor and crawl your hands out to stop in a plank position with your arms straight and your feet wide.

b.Shift weight to left hand as body rotates to right. Pausing in a side plank position on one straight left arm and left side of feet, extend right hand toward the sky and keep hips high and neck long.

CReturn to both hands in a straight arm plank position with feet wide before rotating to side plank with the weight in your right arm. Turn to the left and extend your left hand to the sky.

DBring both hands back to a straight arm plank, then walk your hands back to your feet and go through a squat to finish standing.

Do 10 reps.

Side kick with leg chamber

AStart with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Raise the right knee above the body to tap with the left hand, then extend the right leg to the side to tap at a comfortable height with the foot flexed, the toes and knee pointing forward.

b.Balance the kick by leaning the body away in the opposite direction, keeping the supporting left leg slightly bent for balance, and extending the left arm to the side.

CPull the right leg back to tap again with the left hand before returning to the starting position and repeating with the left leg.

Do 20 reps alternating legs. Rest for 1 minute between sets.

Superset 3

Static Archer Row Lunge

AStart in a prep lunge position with your legs straight and a staggered stance, right leg in front of left leg and left heel slightly lifted. Hold a resistance band attached to a secure point at hip height in your left hand, palm facing down.

b.Bend knees into a deep lunge, then straighten legs and pull resistance band toward side of ribs with upper back, palm facing body and elbow shooting back. Balance the left arm by extending the right arm in opposition. Focus on rotating your torso while keeping your hips square.

CActivate the core to control the left arm and upper body and return to the starting position as the knees bend again into a deep lunge. Continue extending the left arm while bending the knee and vice versa.

Do 10 reps and then switch sides.

Squat with shoulder press

AStart with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells in your hands at your shoulders with your palms facing your ears and your elbows facing down.

b.Send hips back into a squat and keep chest open while keeping hands on shoulders. Then, as you straighten your legs, press your arms overhead in a shoulder press, with your palms facing but not touching, keeping distance between your shoulders and ears.

CAs you bend your knees into another squat, bring your hands back to the starting position at your shoulders in a controlled manner.

Do 20 reps. Rest for 1 minute between sets.