When you’re on a show like CBS’s SEAL Team, you’ve got to look the part of an elite operative. In real life, Navy SEALs are renowned for their intense training regimens, which turn their bodies into functional instruments of war, designed to pull off highly sensitive military missions around the globe. That means the actors on the show have to put time in the gym to make every episode feel as authentic as possible.

For A.J. Buckley, who plays Sonny Quinn on the series, this dedication to fitness quickly became a lifestyle. “There’s something spiritual about it,” he told us in a 2018 interview. “You get in a hard workout and exhaust yourself in the gym. The sun is just coming up and you’ve already kicked some ass. It’s a different mindset. It feels good.”

As the series has progressed, so has his training. We caught up with Buckley to learn more about how he stays in the type of shape that’s expected of a member of SEAL Team. Check it out in the video below.