How to Stay Consistent in the Gym as a Filmmaker
- Angie Dubois
- Apr 28
- 5 min read
Staying consistent in the gym can be a challenge for anyone, but as a filmmaker; it can sometimes feel impossible. Long hours, unpredictable schedules, and creative demands can make it tough to prioritize fitness. But maintaining a regular workout routine is one of the best ways to boost your energy, improve focus, and feel better on set.
Through my experience, I've come up with some practical ways to help you stick to a realistic schedule, avoid burnout, and find your motivation, all while balancing the intense demands of being on set.
Creating a Routine That Fits Your Lifestyle
Consistency thrives on routine, but film schedules rarely follow a 9-to-5 pattern. Here's some tips to help you build workout habits that fit your schedule.
Find your ideal time: Filmmakers often have call times at 6 or 7 am, making it super difficult to get enough sleep and squeeze in a morning workout. Working out in the evening after wrapping up on set is usually easier, but you should experiment to find what works best for you.
Keep workouts flexible: Have workout plans ready that can vary in length and intensity. It's okay to not go super hard every time you're in the gym! You don't want to overdo it to the point that you're too sore for work the next day.
Combine activities: Take breaks during editing sessions, meetings, or in between shots to stretch or do quick exercises. This keeps your body moving even on the busiest days.
Specialized Workouts: Using the right workout routine for you makes it so much easier to get back into the gym day after day. That's one of the many reasons why I created a fitness plan for filmmakers; to help you stay consistent with a plan. You can find out more about it at the end of this article. :)
Balancing Filmmaking and Fitness Without Burnout
It’s easy to push too hard and risk burnout. With the long hours and heavy physical labor that filmmakers often do, it's common to get to a point where your body and mind feel overworked. Be mindful of these things to keep you away from the edge of burnout (we've all been there).
Listen to your body: Rest when you need it. Recovery is part of progress and how we keep going without injury.
Prioritize quality over quantity: Focus on effective workouts rather than long sessions. Working on your form and going slow and steady is going to benefit your body in the long run.
Stay flexible: If a shoot runs late and into your planned gym time, that's okay! Take the day off to heal your body. Set work can be really physically demanding, and it's important to listen when your body is telling you it's done for the day. It's totally fine if your workout frequency changes from week to week.
As filmmakers, we need to give ourselves even more grace than the average person who works a 9-5, because our days are often unpredictable. Slipping on your routine does not equal failure. Try your best to stick with it, and if it's not working, change things up! Healing your body is an integral step towards building strength.
Fueling Your Body
Eating the foods that keep you feeling good is essential to getting the most out of your workouts. Not only does it make your time in the gym more efficient, it will supply you with enough energy to handle long days on set. Here's some key things to consider when building a healthy diet:
Balanced plates: Including lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits/vegetables in every plate is the best way to sustain energy and cognitive function. Remember that food is fuel. Many people believe that eating less will make you look “better” but actually, eating the right foods is what’s going to help you achieve your goals and sustain energy longer.
Drink more water: Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining focus and physical performance. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased cognitive function. Drinking water during your workouts and on set will keep you going.
Protein Forward: Include protein in every meal!! This is the most important. For muscle growth, you should be consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Ex: 150lbs =150 grams of protein per day.
Focusing on the Benefits Beyond Appearance
Most people start working out to enhance their physical appearance, but lasting motivation often stems from recognizing the broader benefits of fitness. For those in the filmmaking industry, these advantages include:
Improved energy levels: Regular exercise boosts stamina, helping you stay alert during long shoots. Physical activity also reduces stress and enhances focus, which supports creativity and problem-solving on set.
Injury prevention: Strengthening muscles and improving flexibility reduces the risk of strains or repetitive stress injuries common in filmmaking.
Practical results: After working out for a bit, you will start to notice small things like feeling less sore after a heavy manual labor day on set, or being able to hold a shot longer than you could before. These results are exactly what you should be looking for! Building strength as a filmmaker will only make your work easier.
Building discipline: Taking care of your body and sticking to your goals in the gym helps to build discipline. These traits will carry into your work life and help you to become a better filmmaker overall.
Going to the gym can become a way to support your craft, not just your body. Recently, I had a shoot where I had to keep up with professional NFL players running on the field while holding a gimbal. If I hadn't already been working out, I would not have been able to get the shots we needed. That shoot being a success was a great motivator for me to keep going back to the gym.
Not Sure Where To Start?
I'd love to help you out! I created a plan with workouts that I use as a cinematographer, for everyone to try. It's called "Strong and Steady" because in this industry, strong and steady always wins the race. Even though this plan is catered towards camera operators, anyone who works on set will benefit from it.
Consistency in the gym is achievable, even with the unpredictable life of a filmmaker. By creating flexible routines, avoiding burnout, eating the right foods, and focusing on the small wins, you build habits that support both your health and your work.
The key is to view gym time as an investment in yourself, not just another task on your to-do list. When you treat workouts as time dedicated to improving your physical and mental health, it forms a larger purpose, making it easier to prioritize them. If you'd like some guidance to get you started, check out the plan below.
Follow our IG account @fitfilmmakers to be apart of the community and look out for updates and more tips :)
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