Get ready to pump some iron with the best action, sports, and thriller movies that will have you rac🔯ing toward the gym
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Movies can inspire us to do great things. But can they inspire us to crush our fitness goals? If you've been wanting tꦛo hit the gym and need the inspiration to get there, we have exactly the movie watchlist you need.
While no one should feel ashamed about their bodies, the fitness industry wouldn't be the multi-billion-dollar titan that it has been for decades if there weren't countless people who wanted to chanꦇge something about themselves. And chances are, you might be one of them.
As anyone who has been on this journey will tell you, slow and steady wins the race. It's not about exhausting yourself at every workout, but staying consistent over a period of time that actually achieves results. But for those feeling self-doubt, perhaps an inspiring movie night is in order. Whether it's underdog sports films, the澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: best superhero movies, or epic historical fantasies, plenty of movies do a bang-up job motivating🃏 anyone to get going on their own hero's journeys.
So, if you're dreaming of a new lifestyle or need some ne♉w fuel to fill up your tank, here are the 32 movies that will inspire you to hit the gym.
32. Southpaw
(Image credit: The Weinstein Company)
Year: 2015 Director: Antoine Fuqua
Jake Gyllenhaal has never looked better than in Southpaw, and that's saying something. In this boxing drama directed by Antoine Fuqua, punch-drunk pro boxer Billy "The Great" H💫ope (Gyllenhaal) fights his way back to the top after a horrific family tragedy. While Southpaw doesn't punch above its weight with a predictable riches-to-rags-to-riches plot, its inspiring story of reclaiming lost glory – and Jake Gyllenhaal's sculpted ab muscles – just might inspire you through your next workout.
31. Warrior
(Image credit: Lionsgate)
Year: 2011 Director: Gavin O'Connor
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Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton duke it out in the octagon in this hard-hitting MMA drama. Iꦰn Gavin O'Connor's Warrior, two estranged brothers reunite as the finalists in a brutal mixed martial arts tournament. While Warrior tells a cliche story about brotherhood, the movie succeeds thanks to its powerhouse leads who shoulder it with t♏heir dramatic chops and impressive physiques. The film's extended training montages are stirring enough to make you consider signing up for a trial jiu-jitsu class.
30. Love Lies Bleeding
(Image credit: A24)
Year: 2024 Director: Rose Glass
One of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best movies of 2024 (and also most criminally overlooked) was Rose Glass' muscle-bound romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding. Kristen Stewart stars as a reclusive gym owner whose family ties to organized crime slowly involves her newest girlfriend, Jackie (Kat🅠y O'Brian), an aspiring bodybuilder. Though fitness isn't Rose Glass' focus, O'Brian is a physical specimen to behold (on top of being a phenomenal actress). But for the queasy among you, beware: Love Lies Bleeding's body horror may shock you into never stepping into a gym ever again.
29. Pumping Iron
(Image credit: White Mountain Films)
Year: 1977 Director(s): George Butler, Robert Fiore
Pumping Iron is the bodybuilding documentary, and the reason for Arnold Schwarzenegger's fame. Released in 1977, Pumping Iron chronicles the rivalry♌ between Arnold Schwarzenegger a🍰nd Lou Ferrigno during the 1975 Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions. Aside from being a snapshot of a bygone era in fitness, Pumping Iron enthralls in how it reveals Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno's polarizing personalities, down to how they train. No one will ever be bigger than Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno, and Pumping Iron is a monument to their glory.
28. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Year: 2021 Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
"Where's your shirt?" asks Awkwafina's Katy, who is looking at her best friend in a whole different light. In this 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Phase Four installment of the Mꦓarvel Cinematic Universe, Simu Liu knuckles up as kung fu master Shang-Chi, who confronts his villainous father (Tony Leung) after years of estrangement. Between its banger fight scenes, rip-roaring soundtrack courtesy of 88rising, and Liu looking as cut as 𓄧a razor blade, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will make you at your next gym sesh – and maybe try out that kickboxing class on Groupon.
24. Captain America: The First Avenger
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Year: 2011 Director: Joe Johnston
You might not have the Super Soldier Serum, but you can still unlock the hero within after watching Captain America: The First Avenger. Chris Evans rises to A-list Avenger status in his role as Steve Rogers, a puny private during World War 2 who is selected for a top-secret procedure that turns him into the perfect soldier: Captain America. This star-spangled smash hit, which segued perfectly into the billion-dollar extravaganza The Avengers, is a heroic adventure in its own right, with Evans' stunning transformation a memorable moment in澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: the Marvel timeline.
23. Hustle
(Image credit: Netflix)
Year: 2022 Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Adam Sandler may be on the bench stuffed with fast food, but he's still got hustle. In Hustle, Sandler stars as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who risks his NBA career on an underground street phenomenon from Spain, Bo Cruz (played by real-life basketball pro Juancho Hernangómez). Though Sandler is the main protagonist in this sports movie, his coaching of Bo through NBA-l꧑evel training, which is seen through extensive inspiring montages, can make you want to lace up Jordans and run line drills just to keep up.
22. Generation Iron
(Image credit: The Vladar Company)
Year: 2013 Director: Vlad Yudin
Pumping Iron is reborn for a new generation in 𝄹Generation Iron, a documentary that tracks seven bodybuilders on their way to compete in the 2012 Mr. Olympia. Where the '70s documentary Pumping Iron chronicled the intimate rivalry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, Generation Iron – which includes narration by Mickey Rourke – broadly captures the scene of bodybuilding in the 21st century, with advancements in modern exercise science and a whole new culture that is far more complicated than looks imply.
21. Bloodsport
(Image credit: MGM)
Year: 1988 Director: Newt Arnold
Jean-Claude Van Damme's breakout movie is also still one of his best, as the "Muscles From Brussels" proves his mettle in the Kumite. Based on the dubious claims by real-life US Army Captain and self-proclaimed ninjutsu expert Frank Dux, Van Damme plays Frank D𝓀ux, who enters an illegal underground martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. A quintessential '80s dude flick, Bloodsport ain't for karate kids as it tears it down with Van Damme at the peak of his powers. Its memorable training scenes will have you overloading youꦰr gym playlist with '80s synth tracks, too.
20. Creed 3
(Image credit: MGM)
Year: 2023 Director: Michael B. Jordan
In his debut as a director, Michael B. Jordan enters a whole new weight class in Creed 3. Jordan returns as boxing champ Adonis Creed, whose world is rocked after his ꦿchildhood friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces after years in prison. These two friends become bitter rivals as Damian seeks to claim Creed's title, trading blows where every punch means something. Besides featuring some of the most inventive fight scenes in the whole Rocky/Creed franchise, both actors earn heavyweight status with riveting training sequences and ring-ready physiques to show for it.
19. Batman Begins
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Year: 2005 Director: Christopher Nolan
Batman may have artificial muscles on his suit, but Christian Bale was no slouch underneath the cowl. In Christophe🍨r Nolan's acclaimed Batman reboot, the origins of Batman are retold as Bale portrays orphaned billionaire Bruce Wayne, who trains with the League of Shadows and becomes the legendary Batman. Batman's ninja training in Indochina is better than any CrossFit gym, and Bale's eye-popping levels of muscle set a new standard for superhero movies for years to come – for better or worse.
18. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Year: 1993 Director: Rob Cohen
The life story of gone-too-soon Hollywood legend Bruce Lee is heavily dramatized in Rob Cohen's supernatural biopic Dragon: The 𓂃Bruce Lee Story. Jason Scott Lee portrays the icon, roughly resembling the real-life star from his arrival in America to his final days as a Hong Kong movie legend. While the movie later takes a strange turn with elaborate sequences where Lee fights a demonic samurai, Jason Scott Lee is no figment of the imagination as his efforts to match the icon's infamously impossible body are worthy of the mantle "The Dragon."
17. Pain & Gain
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)
Year: 2013 Director: Michael Bay
On one hand, Michael Bay's crime comedy Pain & Gain is about the lethal excesses of the American dream, encapsulated by broke bodybuilders who embark on a crime spree throughout Miami. On the other hand, 📖it's a muscle-clad film packed with action. So to say Pain & Gain purely "glamorizes" fitness is missing the point. But then again, Bay's camera makes the sun-kissed bodies of Mar🍌k Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie enviable, and the "live fast, die hard" lifestyle they all lead looks so good – while it lasts, anyway.
16. Conan the Barbarian
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Year: 1982 Director: John Milius
What's the quickest way to get shredded? Easy! Have your village raided by Thulsa Doom and spend your childhood working the Wheel of Pain. Naturally. After appearing in Pumping Iron🐭, Arnold Schwarzenegger embarked on a proper movie career, and 1982's Conan the Barbarian launched the champion bodybuilder to Hollywood stardom. Atlantean Sword in hand, Schwarzenegger permanently raised the bar for heroic physiques to make his name synonymous with silver screen beefcakes. That Conan becomes the "Barbarian" after a lifetime of grueling training shows that power can be obtained through adversity.
15. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)
Year: 2021 Director: Robert Schwentke
While this G.I. Joe spin-off/reboot doesn't let Henry Golding run around with his shirt off (like he did in Crazy Rich Asians), just about anyone can get down with his hero's journey from anonymous brawler to elite Arashikage clan member. In this origin story of the enigmatic operative Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe, Golding leads as a nameless outsider who joins a clan of ninjas, with a complicated series of double-crosses leading to a rivalry against his friend Storm Shadow (Andrew Koji). Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins isn't a good movie, per se. But Goldꦍing's main character energy might inspire you to adopt your own in this big-bud🔯get throwback to '80s B-movies.
14. Rudy
(Image credit: TriStar Pictures)
Year: 1993 Director: David Anspaugh
It's not muscles that matter in Rudy, but guts and heart. In this inspiring sports classic starring Sean Astin, based on the life of college football player Daniel Ruettiger, Rudy is a young man from a blue-collar background who harbors dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame. After a personal tragedy, Rudy defies everyone's expectations and endures doubt from his own family to see his wildest dreams come true. Little about this mo꧙vie's story is about fitness. But as one of the most inspiring movies of all time, Rudy can teach us all a thing or two about turning "can't" into "can do."
13. Casino Royale
(Image credit: MGM)
Year: 2006 Director: Martin Campbell
A happy accident changed James Bond forever. As the legend goes: While shooting a pivotal beach scene for Casino Royale, Daniel Craig (who was scripted to swim to shore) accidentally hit a sand bank, which forced him to stand up and walk. Though Craig was obviously in great shape, his trainer actually emphasized work on his shoulders as he was expected to wear tuxedos for most of the movie and not take off his shirt. But as Bond stood up, salt water glistening off his chest, Craig proved he was 007 material – and he did so unintentionally. To be clear: Everyone has a "beach body." But if you want to look like Bond, Casino Royale provides th♔e blueprints.
12. Rising Phoenix
(Image credit: HTYT Films)
Year: 2020 Director(s): Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
If you have a hundred excuses that keep you from the gym, the impactful Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix will change that. The movie tells the story of the Pa🍰ralympic Games, which has its roots in the ashes of World War 2, and follows nine elite Paralympic athletes – including Bebe Vio, Tatyana McFadden, Jonnie Peacock, and more – who show the limitless potential of the human spirit. Rising Phoenix is both brain food and spirit ✅food; it's a robust introductory to the world of para athletes, and a reminder that nothing is stopping you other than yourself.
11. G.I. Jane
(Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures)
Year: 1997 Director: Ridley Scott
G.I. Jane is not based on a true story. Nevertheless, it's a tribute to human endurance and trailblazers everywhere in its plot about the first female to undergo intense training with the US Navy SEALs. Demi Moore memorably stars as the flick's protagonist, Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, who is put through the ringer by her commander (Viggo Mortensen) until she slowly wins his respect. While few gym sessions compare to the rigorous training of the US mili🥀tary, watching Moore persevere is inspiring enough to make you grit your teeth through your next cardio class.
10. Mortal Kombat
(Image credit: New Line Cinema)
Year: 1995 Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Finish him! While the 2021 reboot has a grittier vibe, the original '95 movie from Paul W.S. Anderson is unstoppable. Based on the hit arcade games, Mortal Kombat sees Earth's fate rest in the fists of t⛦hree warriors – Shaolin master Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Hollywood star Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Special Forces commando Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson) &nda𒁃sh; who enter an ancient tournament hosted by sorcerer Shang Tsung (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa). The iconic Mortal Kombat theme song was made for this movie, and the fight scenes still tear up the screen even after all these years. Cue up that theme song and get over here – to the gym, we mean.
9. The Northman
(Image credit: Focus Features)
Year: 2022 Director: Robert Eggers
When the preworkout hits, that's when you feel like your inner berserker. Robert Eggers' historical epic The Northman, based on the ancient Norse legend Amleth, is a rousing revenge thriller that follows Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) who swears vengeance against his uncle after the murder of his father. While an adrenaline-fueled action movie with axes galore was not what Eggers had in mind, it's hard not to get riled up by The Northman's raw fury. The movie's impeccable ﷽long-take sequence of a village raid will have you training not just for personal aesthetics, but for your survival.
When Spartan Race began life in 2010, lingering in the air was Zack Snyder's hit comic book flick 300. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 chronicles the Battle of Thermopylae where only 300 Greek Spartans went to fight against the 300,000 strong Persian Army. 300 doesn't strive for historical accuracy in the slightest; this includes the anachronistically ripped bodies of the Spartans, whose ab muscles have ab muscles. Throughout the late 2000s, the cultural influence of 300 had everyone trying out CrossFit and signing up for Spartan Races everywhere. Even now, the movie still hits hard like a front kick in🎃to the abyss.
4. Fight Club
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
Year: 1999 Director: David Fincher
David Fincher's cult 1999 thriller Fight Club is a condemnation against modern masculinity, but you know who didn't get the message? Most dudes. As guys everywhere laid eyes on Brad Pitt and his washboard abs, they began hitting the gym in droves in pursuit of . While it's important to remember the movie's message that your self-wo♊rth is not determined by your surroundings – and that you should always get a good night's sleep – it's har🌠d to ignore Fight Club's sweaty atmosphere as being the perfect headspace for going for that extra set.
3. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Year: 2016 Director: Zack Snyder
When Batman went toe to toe with Superman, he didn't just load up on Kryptonite grenades. He hit the gym. (Albeit a private one that only a billionaire can afford.) In this universe-expanding sequel to Zack Snyd🃏er's 2013 movie Man of Steel, Ben Affleck debuts as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, in an infinitely darker interpretation of the character than previously seen. While both Affleck and Henry Cavill had to lift iron to become their DC heroes, in the movie, audiences glimpse Batman's ruthless training regime that includes dumbbell chest presses, s♉ledgehammer tire slams, weighted pull-ups, rope pulls, and more. It might be hard to sit through all of the aggressively bleak Batman v Superman, but there's no better fitness role model than Gotham's Caped Crusader trying to punch out Clark Kent.
2. Creed
(Image credit: MGM)
Year: 2015 Director: Ryan Coogler
As Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed moves in the ring, throwing jabs and dodging hooks, you get the feeling he's fighting more than his opponent. Will Adonis Creed live up to the legacy of a father he never knew? Or will he make a name for himself on his own terms? In Creed, the first in the Rocky spin-off series and one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best sports movies ever made, Jordan proves his A-list chops in his portrayal of the young and hungry Adonis Creed, son of the great Apollo Creed. Training with his father's former rival, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Adonis gears up for the first major fight of his career. Through immersive direction by Ryan Coogler, whose lengthy training mont🎃ages soar like an eagle, Creed steps out of the shadow of Rocky to inspir🦋e a new generation to lace up gloves and show the world what they've got.
1. Rocky
(Image credit: MGM)
Year: 1976 Director: John G. Avildsen
The ultimate underdog in mo༺vie history is without a doubt Sly Stallone's son of Philly, Rocky Balboa. In the original classic, mob debt collector and amateur boxer Rocky is plucked from obscurity to square off against champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers in his most iconic role) in an exhibition bout. There are no titles or fat pay days on the line – just the respect of your neighbors and peers. While Stallone would get into even better shape in the sequels, his statuesque form is not why we turn to Rocky for inspiration at the gym. We turn to Rocky because we all have dreams to pursue, and only Rocky can show us how to see them com🍃e true. Admit it: You'd run up those steps, too.
Eric Francisco is a freelance enterta๊inment journalist and graduate of Rutgers University. If a movie or TV show has superheroes, spaceships, kung fu, or John Cena, he's your guy to make sense of it. A former senior writer at Inverse, his byline has also appeared at Vulture, The Daily Beast, Observer, and The Mary Sue. You can find him screaming at Devils hockey games or dodging enemy fire in Call of Duty: Warzone.
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