Justin Timberlake is bringing SexyBack again with a buff physique in his film comeback.
For his role in Fisher Stevens‘ new Apple TV+ film Palmer, which he began filming in late 2019, the 38-year-old pop star and actor set a goal to gain 15 pounds…of muscle. On Thursday, Jan. 28, his personal trainer, Ben Bruno, posted an Instagram video of Timberlake strength training with a landline press, calling him a “beast.”
“Throwback to last year when @justintimberlake was training to get in shape for his role in Palmer, which comes out tomorrow,” Bruno wrote. “He set a goal to gain 15 pounds for the role and trained his ass off—sometimes twice a day. Justin trains constantly year-round, but once he sets a goal, he goes after it with an intense focus and effort and does whatever it takes.”
Bruno continued, “Here he’s doing an eccentric-emphasis landmine press with 120 pounds on the bar, which is seriously strong. None of the pro athletes I train have been able to beat this yet, and I haven’t either, which is actually super annoying because lifting is the one thing I thought I could do better than him. It’s really cool to see a guy in Justin’s position putting forth this type of effort and moving heavy weight because it doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t buy results in the gym. You have to work for it. He’s a beast, and I think you’ll love the movie.”
Timberlake posted the same video on his Instagram page, writing, “My guy @benbrunotraining kicking my ass again! Thank you pushing me to get ready for #PALMER… and for always helping to achieve my goals for roles, tour and LIFE!!!”
On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Timberlake shared a behind-the-scenes video showing him wearing a white tank top and getting a fake tattoo applied to his bicep, which he later flexes.
In Palmer, Timberlake plays an ex-convict who befriends a boy who was abandoned by his mother and faces bullying from other kids. The film marks the actor’s first onscreen movie role since appearing in Woody Allen‘s 2017 drama Wonder Wheel.
Palmer also stars Ryder Allen, Juno Temple, June Squibb and Alisha Wainwright. The movie begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, Jan. 29.
