Heated Rivalry has turned into one of the biggest surprise hits in years, catapulting its stars to global fame in just a few short months. The series, a gay romance set in the world of professional hockey, is heavier on relationship building than it is on high-octane sports thrills, but that doesn’t mean the actors had it easy. In fact, they had just a few short weeks to get in pro athlete shape before they started filming the Canadian TV series, which streams stateside on HBO Max.
François Arnaud plays Scott Hunter, a veteran hockey player and captain of the fictional New York Admirals, who begins as a side character before revealing in episode three that he has a secret of his own. In a new interview with Men’s Health, Arnaud walked through his workout routine, which begins far from the gym.
“For the longest time I think I was afraid of working out too much, and now, this year in particular, my whole outlook on it has changed,” he said. “I’m like, ‘I want to look like I’ve never read a book.'”
The Canadian actor said that he doesn’t divide his lifts into specific days. Rather, he gets a large portion of his activity through running, where he racks up the distance equivalent of a full marathon every week across multiple runs.
When it’s time to hit the gym, he opts for a full body routine.
François Arnaud’s Full-Body Workout Routine for a Pro Hockey Body
In the interview, Arnaud walked through his full routine, hitting abs, back, arms, and shoulders.
- Warm Up: Francois starts off with arm circles and a sun salutation before transitioning into the World’s Greatest Stretch. If you’re not familiar with the last one, Men’s Journal has you covered.
- Abs: Arnaud’s favorite ab exercise is leg lifts, something he’s found hits the right spots for his build. “I’ve found that for my body type it’s the only thing that makes a difference,” he said. “I try to keep my legs close together without bending them.”
- Back: Next up was pull ups, a classic back exercise. “I try to go nice and wide and try not to go too high because I get super tense,” he explained. “I do three sets of 10.” Just make sure you’re using the right technique.
- Triceps: He kept things simple, with a cable tricep pressdown, hitting 8–10 reps each time.
- Biceps: A classic bicep curl is all Arnaud needs. “I keep it real simple,” he explained. “I used to do a variety of different exercises and different positions and I never found it makes a difference so I keep it straightforward.”
- Shoulders: He finished things off with dumbbell lateral raises at 30 pounds per arm.
He finished off with some sage advice for gym-goers. “Even when I’m tired, even when I feel like I won’t accomplish anything, just show up, do a little bit,” he said. “Worst case scenario I’ll just do like sauna and cold plunge and a smoothie.”
You can check out Arnaud’s full Men’s Health workout video below:
