11 Intense Movie Star Workouts You Can Totally Steal
(Photo: Peter Yang)
Between all the superhero movies and action flicks roaring across the silver screen these days, it’s pretty easy to see that Hollywood’s biggest action stars are looking more jacked, diced, and ripped than ever before.
These charismatic, multi-faceted Men’s Fitness cover stars—guys like Hugh Jackman, Chris Pratt, and Joe Manganiello—all carved their own incredible physiques that have, in turn, helped them land prominent roles in some of Tinseltown’s biggest blockbusters.
So how can the average guy get a ripped physique like these dudes? Simple: Use their workouts.
Following these intense routines (with a diet to match) can definitely get you results. Take a spin through the following gallery of these guys and find a workout (or multiple workouts) that match your goals. We’re not guaranteeing any movie roles—but hey, it can only help.
Related: Joe Manganiello’s Upper-Body Workout
(Photo: Eric Ray Davidson)
Vin Diesel: Fast and Furious Upper Body Work
Sure, Hollywood’s most notorious street-racer captivates audiences with his driving heroics—but it’s his stacked physique that continues to power his illustrious career.
Diesel might be 48, but he’s still got a powerhouse upper body—and that means a workout routine focused on big arms and shoulders. Diesel sculpts his arms with a mix of free weights and machines, like a rope pushdown and a cable curl.
(Photo: Corbis)
Hugh Jackman: The Wild Man’s Full-Body Routine
Hugh Jackman—a.k.a. Huge Jackedman—has earned his decade-long role as Wolverine in Marvel’s X-Men franchise. To stay in mutant shape, the multitalented star churns through a full body routine featuring a number of press, raises, pullups, and more.
His ripped body is a combination of circuits and supersets, as well as a classic progressive overload plan. Each week of his routine is built around a specific body part. Following his routine is a sure shot to a superhero body—adamantium claws not included.
Related: Get Jacked ‘X-Men’ Style Like Hugh Jackman
(Photo: Ben Watts)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: The Lean and Mean Workout
Waldau has bounced around foreign movies for years, but he’s earned his share of stardom as Jaime Lannister on HBO’s award-winning Game of Thrones. The Danish superstar isn’t a gym rat (he’s admitted as much), but his role as the baddest swordsman in Westeros demanded he up the ante in the weight room.
Contrary to popular belief, though, it’s not that hard to achieve a lean body like he has. Waldau likes to hit the trails—both on foot and on his mountain bike—and when he finds himself indoors, the 45-year-old works his chest and shoulders with various barbell presses.
(Photo: Peter Yang)
Joe Manganiello: The Classic Workout
The True Blood and Magic Mike actor—and partner to Sofia Vergara—cultivated his famously powerful physique with several classic exercises. Manganiello went from slim to swole by churning out reps of old-school muscle-builders like dumbbell flyes, cable pushdowns, and bench presses.
One pro tip he told us: Manganiello likes to start with his max, and then lower the weight for more repetitions and an epic pump.
(Photo: Peter Yang)
Adam Levine: Get Moves With Functional Training
The Maroon 5 frontman and Grammy award-winner needs a workout that’s multi-faceted, quick, and concise. The man famous for “Moves Like Jagger” and other hits enjoys functional training, hitting moves like the incline row and reverse lunge to improve his posture.
Related: Build a Body Like Adam Levine
(Photo: Doug Inglish)
Henry Cavill’s Superhuman Workout
Before Henry Cavill could star in Man of Steel (not to mention the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Cavill needed to pump some serious iron.
The 32-year-old Brit’s regimen is set up in four phases: preparation, bulking, leaning out, and maintenance. Cavill’s routine focuses on Olympic lifts like cleans and pulls.
(Photo: Ben Watts)
Mark Wahlberg: A Call to Arms Workout
Dorchester’s own superstah put in some serious gym time for roles like Pain and Gain and The Fighter. The 44-year-old adds size to his biceps though varying dumbbell and barbell exercises using a pyramid-like repetition set-up. As he progresses through his workout, Wahlberg increases the weight in each set while lowering his reps.
Related: Get Arms Like Mark Wahlberg
(Photo: Peter Yang)
Chris Pratt: The Workout to Save the World
Pratt knows a thing or two about revolutionizing his body. The Jurassic World actor lost 60 pounds over six months, transforming himself from a small-screen funnyman in Parks and Recreation to a studly Guardians of the Galaxy hero by following a strict diet plan and bodybuilding regimen that packed on serious muscle.
Among his heart-pumping exercises: Dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, and an ab circuit that pays serious dividends.
(Photo: Peter Yang)
Joel Kinnaman’s Robocop Regimen
Despite being confined to a state-of-the-art suit (read: robot costume) in this 2014 reboot, Kinnaman still made sure his body was ready for whatever challenges were thrown his way during filming. The 6'2" Swede trimmed his body fat percentage and put a several pounds of muscle by utilizing a chest and arms circuit.
Related: The Robocop Circuit Workout
(Photo: Corbis)
Jamie Foxx: The Award-Winning Regimen
Foxx became a household name over the last decade, with star-making turns in highly touted films like Ray and Django Unchained. The multitalented Academy Award-winner—he can sing, too—whipped his body into shape by focusing on core stability, then adding muscle onto his frame with free-weight exercises.
Some of his signature moves: The kettlebell overhead press and the weighted tricep dip.
By Bradley Popkin and Men’s Fitness Editors
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