Training between stunt jobs should build capacity. Training during production should preserve readiness. Between jobs, performers can progress strength, power, aerobic fitness and functional mobility. During production, volume usually drops so technical rehearsals, takes, sleep and safe performance remain the priorities.
This distinction prevents two common errors: undertraining in the development period and trying to continue a high-volume build phase after the production workload has already increased.
Reviewed and updated 4 August 2026.
What changes between jobs and during production?
| Training variable | Between stunt jobs | During production |
|---|---|---|
| Primary goal | Build capacity and address gaps | Maintain readiness for scheduled work |
| Strength volume | Moderate and progressive | Lower, with familiar exercises |
| Conditioning | Develop aerobic and repeat-effort fitness | Maintain with brief, low-cost sessions |
| Power work | Progress when technique and recovery allow | Low volume and only when it supports the role |
| Mobility | Develop controlled range and strength | Maintain the ranges needed for the job |
| Exercise variety | Some planned variation | Minimal novelty |
| Fatigue tolerance | Moderate training fatigue may be acceptable | Avoid fatigue that reduces rehearsal or take quality |
What should stunt performers build between jobs?
1. General strength
Use the development period to progress squat, hinge, push, pull, carry and trunk patterns. The goal is not gym performance for its own sake. It is a larger reserve of usable force that can later be maintained with less work.
2. Aerobic capacity
Easy aerobic training supports recovery between sets, technical classes and repeated efforts. It also gives performers a conditioning base before a production adds irregular hours.
3. Repeat-effort fitness
Controlled intervals can prepare the ability to reproduce short periods of work. Build this gradually and keep it separate from unsupervised technical stunt practice.
4. Functional mobility
Train active range and strength at the joints relevant to the performer’s disciplines. Mobility should improve control and options, not force a universal range.
5. Technical education
Technical stunt classes, qualifications and discipline-specific practice belong with recognised professionals and suitable facilities. Strength and conditioning should support those sessions.
Use Strength and Conditioning for Stunt Performers as the main physical-preparation guide.
How should training change once a production starts?
Start with the call sheet and technical plan. Mark fight rehearsals, falls, wire days, water work, vehicle work, night calls, travel and any scene that is likely to carry a high physical or cognitive load. Place gym training around those demands.
- Reduce total sets before demanding action days.
- Keep one or two key strength exposures when recovery allows.
- Avoid unfamiliar movements that may create soreness.
- Use easy aerobic work and mobility as recovery tools, not punishment.
- Cut optional conditioning when sleep or rehearsal volume deteriorates.
- Report symptoms and use the production’s medical and safety processes.
A successful production-phase programme often feels easier than the build phase because its job is to protect performance, not prove fitness.
Should strength intensity drop during production?
Not always. Many performers can keep some moderately heavy, technically familiar lifting while reducing the number of sets. This can maintain strength with less fatigue. The exact load depends on the role, experience and proximity to technical work.
The 2026 ACSM resistance-training guidance supports consistent training while recognising that programme variables can be adjusted. Production is a clear reason to simplify.
Example between-jobs week
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Full-body strength plus short easy aerobic work |
| Tuesday | Technical class with qualified instruction |
| Wednesday | Aerobic development and functional mobility |
| Thursday | Strength and low-volume power |
| Friday | Technical class or repeat-effort conditioning |
| Saturday | Easy aerobic work, mobility or skill practice in an appropriate facility |
| Sunday | Rest |
Example production week
| Production demand | Training response |
|---|---|
| Two action-heavy days | One or two brief strength sessions placed away from those days |
| Multiple night calls | Mobility, walking and sleep-focused recovery |
| Travel week | Short bodyweight or minimal-equipment sessions |
| Low-action dialogue week | Maintain strength with controlled volume |
| Unexpected rehearsal increase | Remove optional conditioning first |
For concurrent strength and endurance planning, continue to Hybrid Athlete Training for Stunt Performers.
How should night shoots affect stunt training?
Night work changes sleep and alertness. The NIOSH review of shift work and sleep reports more sleep difficulty and excessive daytime sleepiness among night-shift workers. Reduce training that adds fatigue, protect the sleep opportunity and avoid hard sessions before driving.
Read Night-Shoot Recovery for Film Crew for a complete transition and recovery plan.
When should a performer stop or seek professional help?
Stop a session if there is pain, dizziness, loss of coordination, unusual weakness or concerning symptoms. Acute injuries, concussion concerns and persistent pain require assessment through the appropriate production medical process or a qualified healthcare professional. A training article cannot diagnose or clear a performer for stunt work.
Stunt conditioning in Cape Town, the UK and North America
TraceFit is based in Cape Town and provides online Fit2Film programming to stunt performers in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Training is organised around technical classes, time zones, travel, facility access and the actual production calendar.
Explore Fit2Film Stunts or read the wider Film Industry Fitness guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should stunt performers stop lifting during production?
Usually not automatically. Many can maintain strength with fewer sets and familiar exercises, provided the work does not interfere with rehearsals, sleep or scheduled action.
What is the main training goal between stunt jobs?
Build the physical qualities that are harder to develop during production: general strength, power, aerobic capacity, controlled mobility and repeat-effort fitness.
How close to a stunt day should a performer train hard?
There is no universal interval. The decision depends on the discipline, rehearsal plan, recovery and individual response. Hard training should not reduce technical quality or alertness.
Can conditioning replace technical stunt classes?
No. Conditioning develops physical capacity. Technical stunt skills require qualified instruction, suitable facilities, risk assessment and production supervision.
For the broader movement framework, read Functional Mobility for Film Industry Professionals.
Sources and further reading
- American College of Sports Medicine: Updated resistance training guidelines
- NIOSH: Shift work and sleep
- Film and TV Charity: The impact of injury in production
About the author: Kundai Murapa is a Cape Town-based professional stunt performer and film-industry fitness coach. Working in film since 2012, he founded TraceFit to build strength, conditioning and functional mobility programmes around the realities of production.
