Doom Patrol's Joivan Wade on how he keeps looking superheroic

John Franich • Nov 09, 2021

British actor Joivan Wade has arrived in the DC Universe as the iconic cybernetic human Victor Stone in Doom Patrol. But, even if it's only on the small screen, playing a superhero is hard work.

Lelund Duround Thompson

When Joivan Wade auditioned for DC's Doom Patrol, it featured a section he wasn't used to for, say, Doctor Who. “You do a tape, you do dialogue, etc, but they said we need him to stand up half-naked to see what his body type is, if he's muscular enough,” he recalled, “and that's when I realised this isn't just based on my acting ability.”

Acting in the superhero age is now as much of a feat of athleticism as it is a feat of drama. Joivan Wade is no stranger to this, as he's now playing former Teen Titan cyborg in the new TV show, which also stars Timothy Dalton, Matt Bomer and Brendan Fraser.

Luckily, Wade is no stranger to keeping trim. He used to play football – and wanted to go professional – until he went to the Brit School and would work on his fitness in the school gym instead. But it's all gone into hyperdrive now that he's a caped crusader.

“I see, now, why, the training is important,” he explained. “I do stunts, apart from what could potentially kill me, I do everything else and so even doing those things, if I wasn't as physically fit as I am I wouldn't be able to play the role essentially.”

That being said, being bulky is great for Doom Patrol, but it might not be great for Wade's other roles. Is it safe, I asked, to be oscillating wildly in muscle mass just for work? “If you have the right people around you you're going to be OK,” he said, “but if not, yeah, it's very dangerous.” Luckily Wade is not the kind to do things by halves: an entrepreneur, a performer and an athlete, I wanted to know how he manages to keep organised, jacked and learn all his lines at the same time.

Sunday

“Sunday is when I prep. We've got great catering on set, so I can get three-four meals a day, but when I'm training I eat five meals a day. So I meal prep usually a fish dish throughout the week that I can take out to accompany my meals.

I just like to do as much of nothing as possible. Reset my mind. I have my businesses back in the UK that give me an opportunity to plug in and make sure everything is going all right back here and plug in with the team back home and let them know I'm still alive. I use that day to chill out, try and get as much as I can done, but mainly just resetting my mind and chilling.

No carbs when I'm not working, so on Saturday and Sunday I don't eat any carbs 'cos I'm not burning any, I'm not working out. A high intake of fibre and salads to stay lean.”

Monday

“I train five times a week, usually three-four times with my personal trainer. That's an hour, hour and 15 minute session, depending on when I'm shooting. Usually I'm training in the morning before I go to work and if I've got a 5am call I'll train at 3.30am or 4am or after I finish work and the schedule permits – three days a week with my trainer, two days with myself. Each day I'm training a different muscle group: Monday is back, Tuesday is chest, Wednesday legs, Thursday arms, Friday shoulders. Within that session I'm doing cardio as well as weight training. I'm trying to achieve muscle mass as well as staying lean.

It gets difficult when we're shooting really early, if I've got a 6am call because of my make-up and aesthetics that takes an hour, hour and a bit, so if I've got 6am on camera I need to be there at 5am, which means I need to leave at 4.15am, so I'll be up at 3.30am so I'll train at the end of the day. But if I'm not at 9am then I'll train at 6am and then head into work.”

Tuesday

“If I'm scheduled to come in after breakfast, I won't eat on set for a good six hours. I'll need to eat something in the morning, then eat something in there.

Sometimes we're on call for a day, so we feel like we're off. Based on that it feels like I can meet at a different time with my PT, then we'll get called in at the last minute – ‘It's raining, we've got a rain cover, we need to bring you in in the next two hours.’ In that situation I hadn't trained in the morning, I was going to train in the evening, then I've missed that training day. On the next day I'll do a two hour session to make up for everything I missed out on. But yeah, usually you can pick up on what's going to happen. If you know we're shooting Monday through Thursday, you look at the schedule, you know we're on location rather than the stage, then you know if it's going to rain we're not going to shoot that and then you backtrack and say OK I need x number of sessions this week because next week I'm probably gonna be shooting. It's fluid, it chops and changes, but you get the pattern after a while.”

Wednesday

“If I’m doing press, I usually try and train in the mornings. I find if I don't, and I leave it, I get tired throughout the day. My usual will be eating five boiled eggs, go into the gym, then eat my oatmeal, then get cracking with whatever press I have. I try to meal prep or get a meal prep company or buy a certain amount of meals throughout that day while I'm travelling. It's pretty similar to set life, it's just about working through it really. It just substitutes being on camera for being in a meeting.”

Thursday

“If you're on the stage everything is within a 200m radius. On location it's very different, you're wherever it is and the travelling is different, I can't leave all my meal preps in my trailer, our set might be half an hour away so they'll keep us at set for lunch so I'll have to bring everything, otherwise I miss certain meals. And that's not good: when you start having five meals a day your metabolism speeds up and you start to crave – every two hours you want to eat – and your brain does a similar thing, it starts to react, and so if I don't have that meal I get hungry and your brain doesn't work. Once you get into that pattern you do have to stick to it. Otherwise you're causing yourself harm.”

‘Fraturday’

“Fridays we call ‘Fraturdays’ because we tend to start later on a Friday, which means that you still have to do the 16 hours: if you start at 5pm you're not finishing until the 8am Saturday morning, then you go home and you sleep and by the time you wake up it's 4pm and your Saturday is kinda gone.

On a Fraturday, the fact that you're doing one means we probably worked the Thursday late also. So they've pushed it, we can't be called until 12 hours after wrap time. I might have got in at 3am that day, but still esentially get up after five hours to start my regime and my PT in to train in the morning. If I've gone to bed at 3am, I'll be up at 8am and then I'll train from 8-9am, go through my beats and study for that day and then go into work, but I'll have hopefully prepped everything meals-wise on Sunday, otherwise I'm prepping before that. Because by the time we get in, I'll have missed that breakfast opportunity and sometimes lunch as well.

If I get an evening off, I’m usually just chilling out, you're working so much. I live next to a movie theatre so I go see a movie or chill in my house. Most of the time once you finish working you need to go home and learn lines and beats for the next day. Most of my evenings or nights are filled with learning stuff for the next day. It's 16 hours on set, then an hour or two at home ready for the next day. So that's when the Sunday comes in: chance to prep everything meals-wise and to get everything studied script-wise so you're only picking up a few lines later. Otherwise it can mess up the whole week.”

Newer Post >

Top 5 Leg Workouts

By Joivan Wade • 28 Sep, 2022

There are a lot of different leg workouts out there. Depending on your goals, some exercises may be better for you than others. However, there are a few leg workouts that stand out above the rest. These five exercises will help you build strength, improve your endurance, and get faster. 1. Squats Squats are a great way to build lower body strength. They work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. If you want to make your squats more challenging, you can hold a weight in your hands or put a barbell across your shoulders. 2. Lunges Lunges are another excellent exercise for building lower body strength. They target your quads and hamstrings. To do a lunge, step forward with one leg and bend both knees so that your back knee almost touches the ground. Then push off with your front foot to return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg. 3. Step-Ups Step-ups are a good way to improve your endurance and build strength in your legs simultaneously. To do a step-up, start by placing your foot on a box or bench that is about knee-height. Step up onto the box, driving through your heel to stand tall at the top. Then step back down with control to return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg. 4. Running Running is a great cardio workout that also works your legs pretty hard too! If you want to mix things up, try sprinting for short distances or running uphill to really challenge yourself. 5. Cycling Cycling is another great cardio workout for your legs. It’s low-impact so it’s easier on your joints than running but it still gives you a good workout. You can cycle indoors on a stationary bike or outdoors on a real bike. These are just five of the many different leg exercises out there but they are definitely some of the best! If you’re looking to build strength, improve endurance, or get faster, these exercises should definitely be part of your workout routine.

Train Like Captain America

By Joivan Wade • 16 Aug, 2022

If you’re looking for a workout routine that is inspired by your favourite super hero, look no further than Captain America! His workout routine is perfect for gym-goers who are looking to get into shape and be inspired by the ultimate super hero. Below is a sample routine that you can follow to help you achieve your goals. Warm-Up Before starting your workout, it's important to warm up properly. This will help reduce the risk of injury and ensure that you get the most out of your workout. Try some light cardio exercises such as jogging, cycling or jumping jacks to get your body moving. Strength Training One of the key elements of Captain America's workout routine is strength training. This can be done using weights, resistance bands or your own body weight. The following exercises are a great place to start: 1. Bench Press - Lie flat on your back on a weight bench with a barbell in your hands. Push the barbell up until your arms are fully extended, then slowly lower it back down to the starting position. 2. Bent-over Row - Bend forward from the waist, then pull the barbell towards your chest. Keep your back straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. 3. Deadlift - Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs. Keeping your back straight, lift the barbell up until you're standing fully upright, then slowly lower it back down to the starting position. 4. Seated Shoulder Press - Sit on a weight bench with a dumbbell in each hand, then press them both overhead until your arms are fully extended. Slowly lower them back down to the starting position. 5. Lat Pulldown - Sit with your knees slightly bent and lean against the lat pulldown machine with palms facing forward. Grip the bar with an overhand grip and pull it down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement. 6. Standing Calf Raise - Holding onto a sturdy surface for support, raise yourself up onto your toes and hold for two seconds before lowering yourself back down again. Repeat this motion for as many reps as you can manage. 7. Crunches - Lie on your back on the floor and place your hands behind your head, then curl up until your shoulders blade come off of the floor and hold for two seconds before lowering yourself back down again. Repeat for as many reps as you can manage. In addition to strength training, you'll also want to focus on cardio. This will help improve your overall fitness level and also increase your endurance. A good cardio workout to try is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves alternating short periods of high-intensity exercise with short periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. With these tips in mind, you're ready to start working out like the Captain himself! Start by incorporating a few of these exercises into your current routine and see how you feel. If you find that you're able to handle more, then gradually add more exercises until you have a complete Captain America workout routine.

Why Meal Prep Is Essential

By Joivan Wade • 16 Aug, 2022

One of the best ways to get the most out of your workout is to make sure that you are properly fuelled. When you are working out, your body relies on stored energy to power your muscles. If you don't have enough energy, your workout will suffer. Meal planning is a great way to make sure that you are getting the nutrients that you need to perform your best. By planning ahead, you can make sure that you have healthy snacks and meals available when you need them. You can also pre-portion your food so that you don't end up eating too much or too little. Proper nutrition is essential for anyone who wants to get the most out of their workout, and meal planning is a great way to make sure that you are getting everything that you need. Eating healthy is important for everyone, but it's especially important if you're trying to get in shape at the gym. When you work out, your body burns calories and breaks down muscle tissue. In order to rebuild that muscle, your body needs protein. Without enough protein, your body will continue to break down muscle tissue, which can lead to injuries. Meal planning can help you make sure you're getting enough protein, as well as the other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. It can also help you avoid unhealthy snack foods that can sabotage your efforts to eat clean. By taking the time to meal plan ahead of time, you can set yourself up for success at the gym and in your overall health journey. Meal prepping can seem like a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be! With a little planning, you can make healthy and delicious meals that will help you reach your fitness goals. Here are a few tips to get you started: 1. Start by identifying some simple recipes that you can make in bulk and ones that will stay fresh for several days. 2. Once you have your recipes, make a list of all the ingredients you'll need and do one big grocery shop. 3. Cook in bulk. Double or triple your recipe so that you have leftovers for the week and that all you have to do is heat it up when you're ready to eat. 4. Use meal prep containers to portion out your food. This will make it easy to grab and go when you're short on time. 5. Keep healthy snacks on hand for when you get hungry between meals. Nuts, fruits, and veggies are all great choices. Achieving your fitness goals is all about making healthy choices and being consistent with your exercise routine. However, if you're not properly fuelled, you won't be able to work out at your full potential. That's why meal prep is so important for gym-goers. When you take the time to plan and prepare your meals in advance, you can be sure that you're getting the nutrients your body needs to perform its best. Meal prep also saves you time and money in the long run. Instead of snacking on unhealthy foods or dining out, you'll have a nutritious meal that's ready to go when you need it. So, if you're serious about getting in shape, make sure to add meal prep to your list of priorities.