Physical Training

Bare Arms provides highly specialised physical training and performance development for military acting roles, either one-on-one training or boot-camp style. This can include body transformation and/or performance coaching as well as in-depth character development. The physical work and character preparation go hand-in-hand and can produce exceptional results.
“Smudge – who was my trainer, but was then my friend – shared a lot of his experiences with me, helped build the character with me. He showed me a lot of pictures on Facebook… of soldiers being shot at and smiling, things like that, understanding how close they are to death. But they’re trained – these guys are killing machines. Trying to focus in on that and the energy of that person, that’s the challenge. I think it’s very hard for someone to come out of a service after 24 years. The brotherhood is so deep and entrenched that you can’t get it when you come home.”
Callum Turner
LCpl Sean Emery - The Capture
Steve 'Smudge' Smith - Bare Arms Military Adviser 3Para, 3rd Parachute Regiment

​​​'Smudge'

Head of Physical Training

Sergeant Steve ‘Smudge’ Smith joined the army and the elite Parachute Regiment in 1994. Whilst in the military he was selected to represent Great Britain in bobsled and later became the Army’s head coach. He left the military in 2018 to work as a personal trainer and body fitness coach and is the physical training instructor for Bare Arms.

Smudge has appeared as a firearms specialist performer in numerous television shows and films, and has trained Callum Turner for his role as Corporal Sean Emery in BBC1’s ‘The Capture’, Natasha Culzac in preparation to play a Spartan in ‘Halo’, and Howard Charles from BBC’s Musketeers.
Physicality and movement has become a large part of performance, and actors are going further than ever with their training to get the physical look of the characters they are portraying. This goes beyond just how a character looks, but how they perform, their stance and their bearing. Filming schedules can be punishing and actors want to be able to perform physically, injury free for the duration.

At Bare Arms, we can create a personalised training programme, tailored to an actors needs and the role that they are playing. This can include body transformation, performance coaching, functional movement, strength & conditioning, injury prevention and nutrition. 

Military mannerisms and characterisation are often difficult to get right on screen. All of our instructors are ex-military, and so undergoing any training with them as a bonus includes the additional benefit of in-depth character exploration and development, resulting in a much more effortless performance all round.

If you are interested in Military Physical Training please get in touch;
020 3441 9404 | Smudge@barearms.co.uk