Glen Powell, the charismatic actor known for his roles in Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You, has captured attention not only for his acting skills but also for his impressive physique. To achieve the lean, muscular build required for his role as 'Hangman' in Top Gun: Maverick, Powell enlisted the help of Nick Mitchell, CEO of Ultimate Performance (U.P.). This article delves into the details of Glen Powell's diet and workout plan, offering insights into how he achieved his goal and maintained his leading-man shape.
Powell's Transformation Goal
Glen Powell's primary goal was to build a lean, muscular physique for his role in Top Gun: Maverick. Under Nick Mitchell's guidance, every aspect of his training was carefully designed to maximize his physique for the "money shot" scenes, particularly the beach football scene. The aim was to achieve a head-turning, athletic look that would resonate on screen.
The Guiding Principles of Powell's Diet
Glen Powell’s diet was designed to be simple and effective, focusing on principles he could consistently adhere to despite his hectic filming schedule. The most important aspect of effective dieting is finding a plan you can stick to and follow consistently.
"Eating from the Land" Philosophy
The cornerstone of Glen Powell's diet was the philosophy of "Eating from the Land". This approach emphasized consuming whole, unprocessed foods - anything you could kill, pick, or pluck. This meant prioritizing lean protein sources, fresh produce, and healthy fats.
Calorie and Macronutrient Targets
During his initial seven-week training phase, Powell followed a diet plan with an estimated 2,800 calories per day. He had a protein target of 200g, while his carbohydrates and fats were kept flexible so long as he stayed within his calorie target.
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Carbohydrate Cycling
Carb cycling was a key strategy in Powell's diet. They would have a few days off carbs, followed by an aesthetics check in. If he looked and felt good, they’d keep carbs low. If a boost was needed, they’d add in a few days of carbs. Rinse and repeat.
Dairy Avoidance
Powell avoided dairy products due to gut health issues. Instead, he opted for non-dairy alternatives like oat milk.
Weekly Calorie Adjustment
One day a week, his calories would be dropped to roughly 2,000 with a focus on animal protein sources, such as chicken breast, and aiming for less than 100g of carbohydrates.
Flexibility and Adaptation
Glen Powell's on-set filming schedule meant he couldn't track every calorie meticulously. The diet had to be fluid and adaptable to his circumstances. If he had to eat a buffet on set, he would make the best choices possible. Mitchell closely monitored Powell's progress and made adjustments as needed.
Food Choices
Powell's diet included a variety of nutrient-dense foods. His fat sources were olive oil, fats from the protein sources, avocados, nuts, organic butter, and coconut oil.
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Example Daily Diet
Powell's example daily diet works out to around 2800 Calories, with 200g coming from protein, 300g from carbs and 88g from good-quality fats.
- Meal One: 80g smoked salmon, 2 eggs, Handful of spinach, 100g oats, 100g fresh berries
- Meal Two: 200g chicken breast (uncooked weight), 100g avocado, 140g basmati rice (uncooked weight), 1 serving of broccoli
- Meal Three (Post-workout Protein Shake): 2 Scoops vegan protein, Glutamine, Creatine, 1 banana
- Meal Four: 200g sirloin steak (uncooked weight), 400g sweet potato (uncooked weight), 1 serving of green beans
Supplementation
Glen Powell used a small handful of supplements to give him an edge. Before meal one, Powell would take UP's Estro Support on an empty stomach. He also used the Amplify supplement, which is primarily leucine, as an intra-workout drink. Post-workout, he would take a shake of 10, 15, 20 grams of glutamine, which is a transaminator, and creatine. Since he can’t have whey protein, he would give him our vegan protein.
Glen Powell's Workout Routine
Glen Powell's workout routine was designed to maximize muscle building for his upper body and incorporate functional training for his lower body. He trained three to four times per week, focusing on compound exercises and gymnastic ring work.
Maximizing Gym Time
Powell was in the gym three to four days a week, on his own dime, and with a one hour drive from the film set.
Emphasis on Mirror Muscles
They were focused on muscle building for his upper body, and more functional training for the lower. It’s everything from traps to deltoids, back, abs and obviously arms. They did train his back for balance, but they weren’t doing heavy squats and leg curls and those kinds of things.
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Key Exercises
Simple but powerful exercises like bench press, pull-ups, low rows and dips worked his chest and back. Modified strongman exercises, like sled pulls and farmer’s walks, gave some functional training to his legs and helped support overall energy expenditure for fat loss.
Gymnastic Ring Work
Mitchell is a big fan of supersets-doing two alternate exercises back-to-back-as a way of maximizing the workout and elevating the heart rate when time is limited. With Powell, this ended up meaning a lot of gymnastic ring work, which has the added bonus of engaging the entire body in an effort to stay stable while you work.
Sample Ring Workout
The below is inspired by Powell’s workouts, without being an exact replica. Give it a try, aiming for four sets of ten reps per exercise, once a week.
- Ring Feet Elevated Push-Ups / Ring Feet Elevated Rows: For the push-ups, adjust the rings so they’re around knee height. Start in a plank position with your hands grasping the rings, your feet elevated on blocks or a bench. Perform a push-up as you usually would, paying extra attention to keeping that core tight for control. Go as low as you’re able to without losing control. After completing the required reps, go into the elevated rows. For this, you’ll want the rings slightly higher. Again, you’ll elevate the feet on a bench, and start with arms extended, your body suspended beneath the rings. Engage your upper back and arms to pull your chin and chest up to the rings, before slowly lowering. The key is control, and not letting your elbows flare out to the side.
- Ring Dip / Ring Face Pulls: For the dips, you’ll want the rings slightly above waist-height, so you can grip them, raising your body off the ground with your arms extended. Keeping your elbows tight to your body, bend your arms to lower yourself down. You don’t want your chest coming forward here, or your legs getting involved, so keep the core tight for control as you power back up to the start for one. Face pulls give the upper back an extra workout. It’s the same principle as the rows, but you’ll want the rings higher, and you’re going to start from standing, leaning back with the rings at head height. Literally pull your face towards the rings, allowing the elbows to flare out this time. Slowly lower back to complete the first rep.
- Ring Bicep Curls/ Tricep Extensions: You can do curls lying down, with feet elevated, or standing-whichever works best for you. This time, you’re going to bring your chest up and into the ring by contracting your biceps alone. Be warned: it’s a lot more difficult than bashing out dumbbell curls while sitting on a bench. To finish, lean in towards the rings, so your weight is forward with your arms level with your head, palms out. You’re going to push the rings away with your palms in order to extend your arms, lifting your torso up in the process.
Key Takeaways
Glen Powell's transformation highlights the importance of a well-structured diet and workout plan tailored to individual needs and goals. His success was driven by:
- Consistency: Sticking to a sustainable diet and workout routine despite a busy schedule.
- Personalized Approach: Working with a knowledgeable trainer to create a plan that addressed his specific needs and goals.
- Adaptability: Adjusting the diet and workout as needed based on progress and circumstances.
- Focus on Whole Foods: Prioritizing unprocessed foods that nourish the body and support muscle growth.
- Strategic Supplementation: Using supplements to enhance performance and recovery.