Hugh Jackman's dedication to the role of Wolverine is legendary, but how exactly does the 55 year old achieve the physique necessary to portray the iconic character? The actor has revealed details about his intense training and diet regimen, offering insights into the process of transforming into the muscular mutant.
Intense Training and Preparation
Jackman emphasizes that achieving the Wolverine physique is not a quick process. "I’ve learned you can’t rush it," he stated. For his return in Deadpool 3, he dedicated six months to training after finishing his Broadway show, The Music Man. During this period, he focused solely on family and training, avoiding other work commitments.
He was already in good shape due to his Broadway performances. "There’s one thing that about eight shows a week being on Broadway singing and dancing, is I’m fit. So, I’m healthy," Jackman explained.
Jackman recently revealed it took him six months of intense training to prepare for his return as Wolverine and the actor was seen hitting the gym with some heavy trap bar deadlifts on his Instagram.
The Wolverine Diet: A Caloric Feast
One of the most talked-about aspects of Jackman's Wolverine transformation is his diet. The actor revealed that he consumes a staggering 6,000 calories a day to build the necessary muscle mass. However, these aren't just any calories. "It’s 6,000 calories, and it’s not the calories you necessarily want. Like, half a pizza is 6,000 calories. But no, this is chicken, and it’s tilapia and beans. Tilapia and beans. I don’t know why tilapia. It must be some fish that is lean, and green beans."
Read also: Hugh Jackman Transformation
He humorously apologized to chickens, acknowledging the sheer amount of poultry he consumes. "And apologies, chickens. Run a mile… I’ve eaten more chickens - I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world. Literally the karma is not good for me."
Sample Meal Breakdown
Jackman previously shared an image of one of his tilapia meals on Instagram. A rough estimate of each meal includes:
- 130-150 calories
- 15-25 grams protein
- 3-10 grams carbohydrate
- 1-5 grams fat
These meals, while high in protein, are relatively low in overall calories, carbohydrates, and fats. It's likely that Jackman consumed many of these portions throughout the day to reach his 6,000-calorie goal, or that he was previously in a cutting phase on a lower calorie goal. The high protein content and fiber from the greens are included to promote satiety and keep him feeling full. This strict diet is not something to be undertaken lightly, and Jackman likely had professional support to ensure he was meeting his nutritional needs.
The Importance of Professional Guidance
This isn't the first time Jackman would have been taking part in such a strict diet, and he likely had professional support.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor.
Read also: How to Get Wolverine's Physique
Cardio and Varied Workouts
In addition to weightlifting, Jackman incorporates a significant amount of cardio into his routine. He utilizes a 10-minute cardio warm-up before his workout and then anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes afterwards.
To keep his workouts fresh and effective, Jackman constantly introduces new elements. "From one workout to the next I’ll always have something new to add to the equation. Our sessions are based on established principles, but we’ll always try and bring new ideas to the table."
The Impact of Delays
Last year's SAG-AFTRA strike extended the duration of Jackman's strict diet. "There’s one particular scene where I really wanted to focus on how I looked. And Shawn said, "Where do you want to do that scene?" And I said, "Let’s just put it to the end." And then the strike came, and I was like, "Oh, why did I say that?"'
Despite the challenges, Jackman believes the effort is worthwhile. "It’s worth it," he says, a sentiment likely shared by many fans eager to see his return as Wolverine.
Intermittent Fasting and the 16:8 Diet
Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine in Marvel marked one of the initial instances of intermittent fasting being embraced by celebrities. Jackman employed a combination of dieting (16:8 intermittent fasting), bulking, and weightlifting. The 16:8 diet involves restricting your eating period to eight hours and fasting for the remaining 16 hours of the day.
Read also: Comprehensive Wolverine Overview
How the 16:8 Diet Works
The 16:8 diet has no restrictions on what kind of food you eat in your eight-hour time frame.
Before you start the 16:8 diet, you must talk to your doctor to ensure you don’t have any underlying health conditions fasting can exacerbate.
- Choose your eating window: Options include 2 pm to 10 pm, 7 am to 3 pm, 9 am to 5 pm, or 12 noon to 8 pm.
- Decide what to eat: Focus on consuming protein sources such as eggs, poultry, meat, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Healthy fats like avocado and olive oil are essential for optimal bodily functioning.
Benefits of the 16:8 Diet
Studies on time-restricted feeding patterns show they’re effective for weight loss (1). Intermittent fasting also reduces your blood sugar levels which could reduce your risk of diabetes. It can also change your lifestyle positively by working on your insulin and reducing your risks for life-shortening diagnoses like type 2 diabetes.
During the fast period, you also experience autophagy. This is the point where your body destroys cells that are old or damaged. Eating after your fast also helps with your health journey by increasing your insulin sensitivity and preventing heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Maintaining Muscle Growth
You may wonder if doing the 16:8 diet and losing weight impacts muscle growth. It won’t with the proper nutrient intake. Below are some tips to help you protect your muscles and increase lean muscle mass alongside this diet.
Hugh Jackman transformed his physique for his iconic Wolverine role by employing a powerful combination of bulking workouts and adopting the 16:8 diet. This unique dietary approach involves intermittent fasting, restricting the eight-hour feeding window. Unlike restrictive diets, the 16:8 diet offers greater flexibility, allowing you to customize it to suit your specific goals.
Jackman's Perspective
In an interview with The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, Jackman expanded on just what it takes to get into Wolverine shape. He said that now he's finished performing in the musical The Music Man, he's slowly building up to the 6,000 calories per day he'll need to consume ahead of filming.
‘I’m building up, I’m on about 4500-5000 calories at the moment. I wore a heart rate monitor as Harold Hill (in The Music Man) because my trainer said "I need to know what I’m working with here, because I’m trying to bulk you up." I burned 1500 calories in the show, eight times a week. So she goes: "oh, you gotta eat." So I was eating 4500 calories a day, it was not pretty. Now I’m just eating and training.’
Asked what his costume designers make of his increased diet, Jackman went on to reveal: ‘I split my pants three times.’
Last week, Jackman denied ever turning to pharmacological help to play Wolverine. The Aussie-born actor said: ‘I love my job. And I love Wolverine. I've got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that.
Mike Ryan's Insights: A Typical Day's Food
“While training for Wolverine we were on six meals a day, minimum - sometimes seven,” says Mike Ryan, the personal trainer responsible for getting Aussie actor Hugh Jackman into shape to play Woverine in the X-Men movie series.
Here you’ll find an example of a typical day’s food for the hard-training action star, but Ryan is keen to stress that it is only a template that can be adapted to any tastes. “There’s no point in me saying, ‘You must eat this or that’. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, and as long as you stick to the basic rules you can customise this plan to suit your own needs.”
So what are those rules? “Always get your protein from natural, unprocessed sources where possible. Eat six small meals a day rather than three large ones. Drink mainly water. Avoid all processed foods, and that includes anything that says ‘99% fat-free’ or similar.”
The need for good-quality protein either side of a hard workout is also a priority. “If you can’t get it from natural sources,” Ryan says, “use a supplement. We were using protein powder regularly.
Sample Meal Ideas:
- Breakfast: Soak 75g rolled oats in apple juice. Mix in 2tsp pumpkin seeds, 2tsp sunflower seeds and a handful of berries.
- Mid-Morning Snack: Reflex BCAAs. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are the building blocks of protein.
- Pre-Workout: Maximuscle Creatamax Extreme and Viper Extreme bar.
- Post-Workout: Blend a scoop of MyProtein Impact whey powder (our suggestion), half a banana, 300ml semi-skimmed milk, a pinch of cinnamon and 15g ground cashew nuts. Whey protein powder is a quick and easy way to gain fuel for muscle replenishment and growth.
- Lunch: Turkey is a lean source of protein and is also rich in muscle-building amino acids. The vitamin K in the spinach will help strengthen your bones, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are rich in nutrients that reduce your oestrogen, a hormone that lowers testosterone.
- Dinner: Chicken is rich in amino acids to encourage muscle growth and repair, as well as zinc, which raises your levels of muscle-building testosterone. Serve with unlimited amounts of vegetables including broccoli and cauliflower.
- Evening Snack: Blend a carton of EAS Myoplex Carb Sense (our suggestion) with 2tsp natural yogurt, a drizzle of honey and 15g almonds. A protein fix gives your muscles the building blocks to repair and grow while you sleep.