Raarrr!!!!

Hugh Jackman is one incredible man. He’s not a professional athlete, but he could fool me. He trains hard and it shows. He’s over 41 years old, 6’3”, and pretty dang solid.

You don’t get a Wolverine body by loafering. He put in some serious training to get the conditioned look we’ve all come to admire. He worked with celebrity trainer, Steve Ramsbottom, to get ready for the X-Men movies. He said that “Hugh is a dream client.” You’ve got that right.

He’s strong and dedicated to his work and training, too. He benched 315 lbs. and leg pressed 1000 lbs to get ready. He wanted to be lean, tight, with a conditioned look for his role as Wolverine. His training program consisted of two distinct phases, each lasting 6-12 weeks.

Hugh Jackman Workout

 The first phase was all about speed (or lack thereof, more accurately.) No exercises were out of the ordinary, just a slower tempo. This created more muscle fatigue, which helped Jackman put on about 15 lbs of muscle.

The second phase was all about heavy lifting. Heavy weights helped build real strength. He didn’t focus on tempo during this phase, just going harder. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine workouts lasted 1 -2 hours, 5 days a week.

He’s well rounded, though. His natural, conditioned look is quite different than a typical bodybuilder’s body. In order to achieve his look, he added in other forms of exercise, including yoga, pilates, stretching, and cardio (running).

Jackman, I think, instinctively understands the principles of avoiding plateaus. In other words, he knows change is important to success. He says he likes to change things up about every three weeks. This is exactly what I prescribe to my clients. Sometimes you lift heavy and fewer reps, sometimes you lift light and do more reps. He adds explosive training in as well. Ballistics and Crossfit fall into this category.



A Wolverine Mind

The thing I like the most about Hugh Jackman’s training routine is his mental approach. He knows the importance of getting in the zone and pushing past barriers and limitations. When reaching the failure point during heavy lifting, for example, Jackman explained that each person either quits or gets angry and pushes through. He said it’s at that moment, “when Wolverine gets not just pissed off, but insanely pissed off. I try to reach that point every day in my workout. And then push through it,” according to Men’s Health.

Wolverine Diet

His diet was exactly what you’d expect; no-nonsense and very clean and simple. He ate lean proteins and veggies every 3 hours. He consumed 1,000 extra calories a day over his maintenance calories, while training for X-Men to fuel his workouts and gain muscle. Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s ineffective!

Learn from Hugh Jackman

• Mix up your training
• Vary the kinds of exercise
• Eat clean and often
• Get in the mental zone

Sources: Men’s Health, Performance Institute, Charlotte Examiner