NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU workout

NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU CAN WALK ON WATER.
But this should come as no surprise to his fans, who've known that there was something special about the Danish actor ever since he picked up a broadsword 3 years ago to play the amoral warrior Jaime Lannister on HBO's medieval-fantasy series Game of Thrones. To me, though, it's a shock. Sure, he's doing it with the aid of a 12-foot paddleboard and a carbon-fiber oar. But as my board bucks wildly, Coster-Waldau's vessel slices through the Pacific like a Viking longship.

And it's his maiden voyage.

Having recently wrapped the sci-fi thriller Oblivion, Coster-Waldau—Nik, to his friends—is in Los Angeles for 2 extra days of shooting for GoT. We've met up on this blue-sky morning for a lesson in stand-up paddleboarding.

Our launch spot, Malibu's Paradise Cove, lives up to its name: white sand, water so clear you can see your shadow on the ocean floor 20 feet below, and an escort of bemused harbor seals. Leading us is instructor Tyler Lennon, who tweaks our form on the fly. "Don't look down," he says. "Gaze at the horizon." A quick study, Coster-Waldau is powering his way along the shoreline. "I feel like a gondolier!" he yells.

Relaxed but upright, waving to fellow boarders, the brawny, shaggy-haired 42-year-old—who has two films slated to open this year in addition to Oblivion—hardly comes across as an actor at the apex of his career. He's happy to stay out of the limelight and the L.A. scene. He lives in Copenhagen with his wife, a former Miss Greenland, and his two daughters. He's delighted, on this particular day, to be exactly where he is, doing exactly what he's doing. "Out here, all that," he says, gesturing to the congested, conflicted city, "goes away."




COSTER-WALDAU HAS COME A LONG WAY TO REACH this moment. Offscreen he speaks with the slightest of accents ("usually" comes out yew-shwelly), and he carries himself with a hint of old-world formality. Except for those clues, you wouldn't suspect that he spent his childhood 5,000 miles from here in the village of Tybjerg, home to exactly 40 people. A talented athlete, he had early dreams of glory on the fodbold field. Between schoolwork and practice, however, he was devising an even more audacious plan. "I always wanted to be an actor, but I just never told anyone," he laughs. "I had this superstition that if I said it out loud, it wouldn't come true."

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau flew 64 times last year. That's a lot of time zones and crappy hotel gyms. His trainer, Jesper Mouritzen, devised this do-anywhere body-weight workout for him. Try it yourself: Perform 8 reps of each exercise back-to-back, doing the entire circuit 8 times. Move from one station to the next as quickly as possible. If necessary, rest 1 minute between circuits.

Hand Walkout

From a standing position, bend and touch the floor with your hands. (Bend your knees if you have to.) Then, while keeping your lower back naturally arched, walk your hands as far forward as you can. Walk your hands back to your feet. That's 1 rep.

Rotational Straight-Leg Deadlift

Stand on your left foot, bending your left leg slightly. Now slowly bend forward, reaching toward your left foot with your right hand. Touch your foot and return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Alternate sides (4 each).

T-Pushup

Do a pushup, and then rotate your right arm up toward the ceiling; pivot on your toes and lower your heel to the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat, this time lifting your left arm. Count 1 rep each time you reach an arm toward the ceiling.

Warrior Lunge

Keep both feet pointed forward as you move your left foot back about 3 feet and drop your left knee. Simultaneously reach both hands overhead and look up and back. Return to the starting position, switch legs, and repeat. Do 8 reps total (4 each side).

Handstand Pushup

Place your hands on the floor 6 inches in front of a wall. Kick up to a handstand with your heels resting against the wall. Slowly lower your head toward the floor. Press back up. That's 1 rep. Too difficult? Do pushups with your feet on a box.

Burpee

Stand upright. Shift your hips back, squat quickly, place your hands on the floor, and kick your feet back so you're in a pushup position. Perform a pushup; then jump both feet forward, stand, and jump up into the air. That's 1 rep.