Matt Lauria stars as Ryan Wheeler in the TV series “Kingdom.” (Courtesy of DirecTV) The Duke City has become a mixed martial arts mecca. They also worked with renowned MMA coach Greg Jackson, trainer of UFC stars Jon Jones and Holly Holm. Matt Lauria was born in 1982 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. I’m lucky that I get to call watching fight clips research. Matt Lauria as Ryan Wheeler on 'Kingdom' In Kingdom, Matt Lauria plays the character of an MMA champion-turned-felon named Ryan Wheeler. "@PortalKingdomBr: #3 First look at ‘Kingdom’ Season 2 Photos! You’ve got Jonathan Tucker as one of the MMA guys, Matt Lauria, incredible great cast. On Parenthood, Matt Lauria and Jonathan Tucker at separate times fought for Amber Holt’s heart. Nick Jonas, who plays his brother, offers constant support. On Parenthood, Matt Lauria and Jonathan Tucker at separate times fought for Amber Holt's heart. Struggling to keep his training center afloat, a former MMA legend faces more challenges as he tries to manage a complicated family dynamic. Not much at all, but now I’m an obsessed fan. He made his television debut on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock in 2007. For more information please read our, RELATED: Becoming a Boxer: 6 Weeks to My First Fight, RELATED: The Best Ab Workout, Made Better, Best Fitness Apps and Streaming Platforms to Get Fit From Home, Bowflex's New Adjustable Barbells Reviewed, These 20-Minute HIIT Workouts Will Keep Your Fitness (and Ego) in Check, 30-Minute HIIT Workouts to Challenge Your Muscle and Mettle, This Might Be the Hardest Dumbbell Workout You Ever Try, How Jay Harrington Got Stronger Than Ever at 49 for 'S.W.A.T.’. How did you come to the decision to go vegan? There’s a lot width to them through the torso. Kingdom airs Wednesday night on the Audience Network. Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria and Mel Rodriguez are joining the project that could also see original “CSI” stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox return as well. But I saw that and I was done. Rest for 60 seconds after each round. He is best known for his roles as Luke Cafferty on the NBC/DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights, Ryan York on the NBC family drama Parenthood, and starred as Ryan Wheeler on the Audience drama Kingdom. Created by Byron Balasco. Hope you got to eat well too. One of the Jonas Brothers is … Sounds like you were working hard. I was eating a lot of vegan burritos and vegan pizza. Matt Lauria - DSC_0131 www.redcarpetreporttv.com . That was amazing. The drama stars Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker, Matt Lauria, Nick Jonas, Kiele Sanchez, and Joanna Going in a story about a group of MMA fighters in Venice, California. Still, cutting weight is tough. 1 of 3 Matt Lauria (left) plays a mixed martial arts fighter and Frank Grillo is an ex-MMA champion who runs a gym in DirecTV’s “Kingdom.” Justin Lubin Show More Show Less 2 of 3 … Struggling to keep his training center afloat, a former MMA legend faces more challenges as he tries to manage a complicated family dynamic. Now changed and humbled by his stint in prison, he may be Navy St. MMA’s best hope. This season I found Jen Widerstrom through one of the crew members on the show. Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker from cast of 'Kingdom' discuss their UFC, MMA influences For the first season, he found Chad Byers, and for the second, Jen Widerstrom. He took me on with no payment, just because he wanted to show the world how well a vegan program can work. How vegan actor Matt Lauria, the star of Kingdom, a new TV drama set in the vicious world of MMA, beefed up for his role. . MMA-based TV series 'Kingdom' is now on Netflix and fans are wondering if real UFC fighters feature on the show. Sometimes when I’m completely spent after a workout, and have nothing left to give, I can throw highlights on the screen, make a protein shake, and feel good that I am still technically “working.” Every season I learn more. It stars Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker, Nick Jonas, and Joanna Going.Season one consists of ten episodes. Kingdom airs Wednesday nights. Total breakdown and build up of the muscle bellies at its best!! Kingdom (previously titled Navy St.) is an American drama television series created by Byron Balasco.. pic.twitter.com/mv3E4hSavK" that's me with coach alvey! MMA-based TV series 'Kingdom' is now on Netflix and fans are wondering if real UFC fighters feature on the show. How Matt Lauria Got a Fighter’s Body for ‘Kingdom’, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Best Testosterone Booster Supplements Of 2021, Best Weight Loss Pills & Diet Supplements of 2021, Curious About Your Dog’s Traits and Health? Matt Lauria previously played the role of an athlete on Friday Nights Lights, but it was nothing compared to the kind of training he had to go through to get into the physique of a former MMA Champion. Now the actors are fighting on a whole other … “I have learned so much about training and fitness since I first started this journey,” Lauria says. Wheeler is the ex-boyfriend of Kiele Sanchez's character Lisa Prince, who is now with Frank Grillo's Alvey Kulina. "DAMMMN" . He is married to singer/songwriter Michelle Armstrong of the … Training in a garage, just wrestling and grinding it out. Kingdom is this MMA gym in Venice. I wanted to add that thickness, while having this strong core. (Both Stevenson and Jackson still consult on the show.) Matthew "Matt" Lauria (born June 22, 1984) is an American actor and musician. Wheeler also had a downward facing sword on his back, which was influenced by "an MMA fighter who had a sword on his chest pointing up", per Entertainment. Ex-con Ryan Wheeler (Lauria) was a world class athlete, before serving time. But he became an "obsessed fan" afterwards. My wife was watching a documentary that I don’t think was even about veganism, but it happened to show a pig being slaughtered. A year before getting on board for this role, Lauria had also turned vegan, and had to find trainers who worked with vegan diets. He is an actor and writer, known for Kingdom (2014), Friday Night Lights (2006) and Parenthood (2010). I noticed that the big guys in the UFC who came from wrestling backgrounds had huge traps and thick necks. Even when I eat an incredible amount of food, it never slows me down. Take a look at the 'Kingdom' cast members who have stepped inside the octagon for real. As mentioned before, none of the show's main cast were MMA or UFC fighters, including Lauria. Related Items Alvey Kulina Byron Balasco Frank Grillo Friday Night Lights Greg Jackson Jay Kulina Joe "Daddy" Stevenson Jonathan Tucker Kingdom KingdomTV Matt Lauria MMA Parenthood Ryan Wheeler ← Previous Story Reverse Order – Nothing To Hide #kingdom @jonathanmtucker @frankgrillo1 ?❤️, A post shared by jenwiderstrom (@jenwiderstrom) on May 31, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT. He gave me a meal plan and a number of workout plans. So many nutritionists are saying now that fiber is the key, and eating this diet I never have to worry about it, because it’s pretty much all I eat. Standing Barbell Shoulder Presses: 15 repsif(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mensjournal_com-incontent_13-0')}; Alternating Hammer Curls: 12 reps (each arm). He Met His Wife at 16. His character is a complex one, both in terms of Wheeler's own personality and his relationship with other characters. Matt Lauria, who plays another MMA fighter, frequently trains with him. Matt Lauria talks KINGDOM, fighting for his role, his character's duality, the show's exhausting physical element, and more. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest adventures, workouts, destinations, and more. Matt Lauria was unfamiliar with the world of mixed martial arts before he was cast to portray fighter Ryan Wheeler on the MMA drama Kingdom. It tells the story of Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo), a man that owns and runs a mixed martial arts gym called Navy St. Gym in Venice, California, with his girlfriend, Lisa (Kiele Sanchez). I’d never really done squats or deadlifts to this extent before. That’s half the fun. I came across this guy Chad Byers who seemed to know what he was doing. Putting on muscle means taking in a lot of calories. With Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker. For ALL of his training, we spent time pre-fatiguing the muscle system we were focused on with cables then went directly into DB or BB drop sets of the bigger muscle groups like we did here. In fact, he revealed in interviews related to the show that he was not a fan of UFC or MMA in general before he played this character. Lauria’s Chest and Shoulders Program (by Jen Widerstrom). She would Biggest Loser me over text, which means she would send the most inspiring texts in the morning, like: “There is only one you.” I mean she was breaking my heart on the regular, so I knew I had to do this with her. ? Put through a boot camp with his fellow actors, like bad-asses Frank Grillo and Jonathan Tucker, Lauria spent his role-prep training with UFC pros. Looking back over the run of the show starring Grillo, Jonas, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria and Joanna Going, the duo discussed how and why it ended, being canceled after … Alternating Front Lateral Raises: 12 reps (each arm). In the video above, Lauria and Tucker talk about their MMA influences on the characters they portray on the show. He helps people work out and trains fighters along with his sons, Nate (Nick Jonas) and Jay (Jonathan Tucker). Byron Balasco put a lot of thought into each of the actor's tattoos as well, since tattoos are often a big part of an UFC fighter's personality. Right away she added a lot to my shoulder and back training. See full bio » … Lauria's character Ryan Wheeler had quite a few tattoos, including one that said 'Destroyer' across his chest similar to how former UFC two-division Champ Conor McGregor has his last name written across his abs. Once I was reminded that it wasn’t a food product, but rather a living thing, that was that. Starring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria … Our son is Matt Lauria, actor, director, musician and all around good guy. A retired MMA fighter turned trainer juggles keeping his mixed martial arts … Get This Dog DNA Test Right Now, Men Are Saying This Athlete-Grade Cooling Mattress Cover Will Help You Sleep Easier, Lift More With Less Pain With These Wearable Weight Lifting Wrist Wraps, New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana, The 5 Best White Noise Machines To Get Better Sleep, Build Lean Muscle And Decrease Belly Bloat With This Protein Powder, Best Home Rowing Machines for a Total-Body Workout, We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Men's Journal and its partners. During the second one I did my fighter training with Juan Archuleta, who’s on the show but a true fighter and prolific underground fighter. From playing a psychologically conflicted mixed martial arts fighter on DirecTV’s critically acclaimed “Kingdom” to a football player on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning “Friday Night Lights,” he’s known for his physically and emotionally challenging roles. Lauria said that he based his character on UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald, and that Matt Hughes, Johny Hendricks, and Chad Mendes were the inspiration for his wrestling skills. ... (Matt Lauria) comes to the gym after getting out of prison, everything in … The upcoming series premiers October 9th and stars Nick Jonas, Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker, and Joanna Going. Lauria trained with Bellator Bantamweight Champion Juan Archuleta for the second season (Via Men's Journal). Matt Lauria was unfamiliar with the world of mixed martial arts before he was cast to portray fighter Ryan Wheeler on the MMA drama Kingdom. She’s just an incredible person to be around and work towards something with. It was back in 2013. I’ll be honest, the way I found my trainer for the first season was just by Googling vegan bodybuilders. On top of that, less than a year earlier Lauria made the decision to go vegan, which meant throwing away all of his preconceptions about weight gaining. . 2007 School of Drama graduate Matt Lauria is known for roles in which he pushes himself to the limit. He is one of the stars on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS for the past two seasons. (Handout) Matt Lauria stars as MMA fighter Ryan “The Destroyer” Wheeler … [email protected] ??? Starring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria … So before they started shooting, Tucker and his co-stars (including Nick Jonas and Matt Lauria) underwent a grueling month long training camp at MMA fighter Joe Daddy Stevenson’s gym. I was doing about 3,500 a day. I’m not here to preach to anyone. Kingdom (previously titled Navy St.) is an American drama television series created by Byron Balasco.The series premiered on October 8, 2014 on the Audience Network and concluded on August 2, 2017. How did you find your trainers for the show? There are a lot of grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. This program involves supersets, which means performing the two exercises back to back with no rest between. I asked her for help finding a trainer at the beginning actually, then we just got along so well we decided to do it together. This #vegan trained his a$$ off with me for the FINAL season of #KingdomTV that premieres on @audiencenetwork TONIGHT @8pm!!! He plays Luke Cafferty, #44 the star running back for the East Dillion Lions. How much did you know about mixed martial arts before you started the show? Byron Balasco Interview: 'Kingdom' creator talks about the MMA show's Netflix debut. ... Matt Lauria, Natalie Martinez, and Joanna Going. What’ve you noticed about switching to a vegan diet? In Kingdom, Matt Lauria plays the character of an MMA champion-turned-felon named Ryan Wheeler. Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria) Lauria’s character, Ryan, an ex-MMA champion recently released from prison, had the biggest tattoo reveal in the … For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube! What do you like about her training methods? Each movement got as much of the muscle working as possible, and added to the time under pressure. The first difference that I noticed right away was that I never felt bloated after a meal again.