Katrina Law has made a career for herself as a warrior in action roles, such as Mira in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus Vengeance, as well as Nyssa al Ghul in Arrow.
Both roles are very action focused, which required Law to be able to hold her own in battle. This means she had to have both the build of a fighter and look like she could hold her own fighting.
Katrina Law as Nyssa al Ghul in Arrow - Photo Credit - The CW
You can see a peak of the Katrina Law workout routine in the video below. You can see her training with Liam McIntyre and some of her other cast mates from Spartacus: Vengeance. The type of exercises shown include:
- Sand bags
- Suspension training
- Boxing
- Medicine balls
- Bodyweight exercises
- Battle ropes
- Plyometrics
- Strength training
- Cardio
The cast would normally do gladiator-style circuits for their workouts. This consists of getting a full-body routine done in 2 40 minute sessions. These intense strength training circuits can tone muscle mass and burn body fat.
Their workouts consisted of a combination of strength training, cardio, and more functional training. Strength training helps to develop strength and muscle mass, while cardio can help to burn fat.
The more functional training is used to prepare them for actual stunts they will need to be able to perform on set. Using things like medicine balls and kettlebells helps to mimic what they do when running, jumping or fighting.
In addition to helping the actors look the part of their respective characters, this training also prepared them to physically be able to handle their roles. This way, they could perform many of their own stunts in fighting and other action scenes.
The cast also followed a strict diet, which is obviously a crucial part of any good health and fitness program. They focused on getting quality protein from sources like protein shakes, chicken, and beef. They would also get in quality carbs with an emphasis on vegetables.
Law was already in good shape before landing the role of Mira in Spartacus, but she soon realized she need to take her training to the next level. She shared what that was like in a January, 2012 interview with Christina Butterfield of Toro Magazine.
Katrina LawOn her workouts for the TV series Spartacus
I was in relatively good shape and I then get down there and we did two weeks of Gladiator Boot Camp and let me tell you, it took about six days before I could walk normally again after that.
This quote shows just how physically demanding action roles can be for actors. Many people would think if they are in good shape, they could handle almost anything thrown their way on set, but that is just not the case. They have to prepare specifically for what they need to do.
Law is one of the best action female heroes on TV today and she frequently shows her skills in a recurring role as Nyssa al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul, in the DC Comics series Arrow.
