Keanu Reeves is no ordinary 61-year-old. Not only has he barely aged since portraying Neo in The Matrix 27 years ago, he’s arguably in even better shape now thanks to years spent playing legendary hitman John Wick. And with a fifth instalment of the franchise announced in 2025, Reeves will need to stay fighting fit as he reprises the role once more.
His training is far from conventional. While longevity is a key focus as he ages, strength training and martial arts remain central to his routine, helping him move well and keep everything looking authentic on screen.
How Keanu Reeves Approaches Training in His 60s
Reeves has never trained with the goal of simply adding size. Instead, his approach has always centred on becoming stronger and more resilient to cope with the repetitive physical demands of action films. That mindset began when he first started working with trainer Denise Snyder, whom he met while filming Point Break in 1991. The pair continued through The Matrix and the first John Wick, before Reeves later enlisted high-profile celebrity trainer Patrick Murphy.
Given the demands of the role, Murphy focused on developing Reeves’ strength using compound exercises performed in circuits, rather than bodybuilding-style isolation work. The aim was to build a body capable of handling high stress without overexertion or unnecessary injury risk.
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‘Playing that role is very hard on his body,’ Murphy told Men’s Health. ‘He wasn’t lifting crazy heavy weights. It was about getting his body moving, building muscular endurance and stability. It was a mindset. He would leave the gym exhausted, but feeling great. Where his body really got beat up was in all those scenes [filming the movie].’
This high-volume approach, built around low-impact exercises, helped Reeves develop the strength-endurance needed to portray John Wick. ‘I would fit in, within the hour and a half, five to six circuits,’ Murphy added. ‘Just think of Keanu Reeves performing a thousand reps a workout, minimal rest, and it was just go time.’
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Restorative Training
That’s not all Reeves does in the gym. To help him cope with the overall training volume, Murphy also incorporated what he calls ‘restorative training’ into Reeves’ routine. This form of resistance training focuses on stabilisation, balance and alignment using cables and bands.
‘The exercises I prescribed influenced posture, alignment and stabilisation,’ Murphy explained.
Martial Arts Ability
This training approach supports Reeves’ martial arts practice, which has become increasingly central to how he moves on screen. Playing John Wick isn’t just acting. Over the course of his career, Reeves has developed real proficiency in disciplines including kung fu, jiu-jitsu, wushu and judo, beginning with his preparation for The Matrix.
Ahead of filming, Reeves reportedly spent four months training for four hours a day in kung fu and jiu-jitsu, working closely with choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to ensure his movements translated convincingly on camera. ‘We had to start from scratch training him from the basics, but he was very hardworking and put in a great deal of effort,’ Yuen Woo-ping told The Hollywood Reporter.
Reeves later added judo to his skill set for John Wick, a discipline that taught him how to harness strength through throws and grappling. ‘I had a little experience in movie fighting,’ Reeves told Men’s Journal, ‘but I’d never done judo… you really gotta throw someone.’
Now widely regarded as highly skilled across multiple combat disciplines, Reeves’ dedication has even influenced how he’s directed. Director Chad Stahelski previously told MH, ‘We kind of just threw away the actor thing and trained him as a stunt guy.’
So, What Does a Typical Day Look Like?
Despite the workload, Reeves has been able to combine all elements of his training into structured days. While preparing for the second John Wick, he explained what his routine looked like.
‘In terms of training, it was fun. I mean, the directors come from a stunt background, and I’ve trained with them before,’ Reeves told ScreenRant. ‘So it was working with someone on pistols and arms, the stunt-driving, the jiu-jitsu. It was basically 9 in the morning, train until like 1pm or 2pm, eat lunch, lift weights, train again, and do that five or six days a week.’
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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_