Henry Cavill, known for his roles as Superman in "Man of Steel" and Geralt in "The Witcher," boasts an impressive physique that has captivated audiences worldwide. His transformation into these iconic characters required a dedicated approach to both diet and workout, pushing him beyond his limits. This article delves into the details of Henry Cavill's diet and workout plan, providing insights into how he achieved his superhuman physique.
The Secret Behind Cavill's Size and Shape
Cavill's impressive physique is no accident; it's the result of a carefully crafted diet and rigorous training regimen. He has revealed that his diet features a lot of steak and a lot of chicken. He also told MH that the secret to his substantial physique is partly down to fasted cardio. "Out of all the things I’ve done in the past, I think the fasted cardio stuff is actually working best for me," he said of his new, impressive physique. "I’m in the best shape of my life."
Henry Cavill's Diet Plan: Fueling the Man of Steel
To achieve the necessary mass and muscle for his role as Superman, Cavill followed a bulky diet with frequent eating and high protein consumption. When preparing for the role of Superman, he claimed to eat up to 5000 calories per day! His Superman diet might be best described as bulky, with frequent eating and insane amounts of protein consumption. That’s because protein doesn’t just build mass, but also helps repair muscle damage.
A Typical Day of Eating
Cavill's daily diet is strategically designed to provide the necessary nutrients for muscle growth and repair. Here's a breakdown of a typical day of eating:
Breakfast
Cavill starts his day with a heavy dose of protein, so whereas you would have scrambled eggs for breakfast and nothing else, Cavill has scrambled eggs with steak and an oatmeal protein shake. He starts his day with a two-part breakfast. First, he downs a protein-packed shake including one and a half scoops of whey protein isolate (vanilla), one cup of oats, and some berries, he told GQ. The other part is an omelet with a bit of ham in there, and I think it's about six ounces of beef filet. Not wanting to go too heavy on the stodge, Cavill washes his breakfast down with Rosemary water from his preferred brand No1 Rosemary Water. He uses MuscleTech’s Grass-Fed 100 Percent Whey Protein Isolate as part of a protein-packed breakfast. The oatmeal shake will help refill muscle glycogen and the one-two punch of eggs and steak will repair any muscle damage and keep him satiated until the next meal.
Read also: Henry Ford's weight loss methods: A critical look.
First Lunch
Next up, a first lunch of chicken curry with jasmine rice and an apple for dessert. More protein, more carbs, more muscle. At this point, it's important to remember that, when deployed correctly, carbs can be your best friend - there's no need to malign them in your meal plan. Just be smart about it. About three hours later meal two is chicken and white rice with a side of curry sauce, because I like the flavor.
Second Lunch
For Cavill's second lunch of the day, he really doesn't venture too far from the first, and eats roast chicken breast with roast potatoes and a side of curry sauce. "You may, by now, be realising that I like curry," said Cavill on his Instagram stories. Meal three is another three hours later and will be the same, but with brown rice.
Dinner
Cavill finishes his day in much the same way that he began it with more steak. This time, he eats bison steak with brown rice pasta, which he says tastes good but is still a work in progress. Why does Cavill opt for bison? Well, it's high in protein (we know Cavill loves this macro), but is lower in calories than other fatter cuts of meat. It's also a natural source of creatine. Now that's a win-win. Then meal four will be, I think about four ounces of beef with sweet potato. I kind of like sweet potato fries because I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes.
Supper
Bison steak and pasta washed down, Cavill finishes off his daily diet with a protein shake - that "tastes way better than it looks" blitzed with greens and water. What his daily protein quota is, we'll never know. Then it's the pre-bed [protein] shake. Ideally, another three hours later but if time is of the essence and I need to get to bed, then it's okay to have it an hour and a half, two hours after.
Pre-Bed Shake
So I have a protein shake before bed, and there would be times where I’d go, you know what, I want to lose a few more pounds, so I'm just going to cut the pre-bed shake out and not tell my trainer Dave. But if I took three weeks off, when I would send Dave a progress photo, he would go, “Okay, cool. So are you still taking the pre-bed shake?” And I go, “No, because I wanted to lose a few pounds.” That's when I started asking these questions because he then informed me that the problem with that logic is that, yes, you do have fewer calories going into your body, but you also go into a catabolic state with how hard you're training and how hard you're working. So actually what you're doing is you're losing muscularity while you sleep. So your body won't be looking as good. And almost immediately when I went back to the pre-bed shake, I was like, “Yeah, the body looks better already.”
Read also: Cavill's Fitness Secrets
Cheat Days
But, what does Cavill eat on his cheat days? Well, he has previously been known to enjoy a deep dish pizza, but the key to Cavill's cheat days, as he told MH, is to not worry about what he's eating. 'Cheat' days are for cheating after all. Cavill’s kryptonite is deep-dish pizza.
Henry Cavill's Workout Plan: Transforming Mass into Muscle
Eating a stockyard’s worth of protein in a single day and now it’s time to convert all that extra mass into muscle. If you want Henry Cavill’s body, prepare to workout for up to 2.5 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. That’s what the actor was doing in preparation of both “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman.”
Training Philosophy
"I have gone through peaks and troughs in my physicality, depending on how hard a job has been, how much physical work I've put into it and having to have time off afterward and not having access to the same facilities to train in," Cavill says in the interview when asked on how his fitness priorities have shifted. "One of the big things now is that I'm investing in making sure I have those facilities always available to me."
The Superman Workout
Because Cavill performed most of his routine at Mark Twight’s exclusive gym (also known as Gym Jones), the exact details were kept under wraps. What we can say with confidence is that it was definitely a Man of Steel workout, during which the actor was “breaking boundaries I didn’t know I could,” as he attested in one interview.
Key Elements of the Workout
- High-Intensity Training: Cavill's workout incorporates high-intensity movements to maximize his potential.
- Strength-Building Exercises: He focuses on exercises that build strength and power.
- Mass Gain: The workout is designed to convert extra mass into muscle.
- Cardio: Cavill is a huge advocate of fasted cardio. This is where you run or jog first thing in the morning and before you’ve consumed any calories. Because you haven’t eaten, your body begins burning through stored (i.e. excess) fat.
- Weightlifting: He incorporates weightlifting to build muscle mass and strength.
Example Workouts
While the exact details of Cavill's workout remain a secret, here are two examples of weekly routines that capture the essence of his training:
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Superman Workout #1: CrossFit
Combining high-intensity movements with strength-building exercises and high speeds, CrossFit training will maximise your every potential.
- Monday: Lift 10,000 lbs as quickly as possible by performing just one rep of each exercise in succession. Use any weight you want and limit yourself to one rep per round.
- Tuesday: Perform sprints, resting for a full minute between each one.
- Friday: Perform exercises in 60 seconds or less, resting 2 minutes between each round.
- Sunday: Rest
Superman Workout #2: Bodybuilding
Remember to target different muscle groups on different days.
- Friday: Perform shoulder and arm exercises.
- Saturday & Sunday: Soft tissue work and rest
Additional Training Methods
- Kettlebell Workouts: Cavill incorporates huge amounts of kettlebell workouts into his routine.
- The Tailpipe: Trainer Mark Twight has also discussed the tailpipe, which plays a role toward the end of the workout. Essentially, the tailpipe is a tag-team routine that intentionally pushes you toward-if not beyond-exhaustion.
- Fasted Cardio: Also, don’t forget that Cavill is a huge advocate of fasted cardio. This is where you run or jog first thing in the morning and before you’ve consumed any calories. Because you haven’t eaten, your body begins burning through stored (i.e. excess) fat.
Supplements
Cavill is an ambassador for the supplement company MuscleTech. He uses MuscleTech’s Grass-Fed 100 Percent Whey Protein Isolate as part of a protein-packed breakfast. He was taking Cell-Tech Elite creatine as well after my workout in my protein shake. He also uses the Shatter Elite pre-workout.
Key Takeaways
- Consistency is Key: Achieving a physique like Henry Cavill requires consistent dedication to both diet and workout.
- Prioritize Protein: Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, so ensure you're consuming enough throughout the day.
- Don't Neglect Carbs: Carbs are important for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment.
- Find a Workout You Enjoy: When it comes to maintenance, find something you enjoy doing.