Last Updated On June 26, 2023
We know we weren’t the only ones who felt inspired to hit the gym after watching any of the X-Men movies!
Since then, Hugh Jackman has been considered one of the fittest in Hollywood and a beacon of health.
If you want to get Hugh Jackman ripped, you don’t need a Hollywood personal trainer, though.
We’re going to break down Jackman’s Wolverine workout routine, diet, and supplements to give you a guide on how to get there.
- Wolverine Workout Summary
- Hugh Jackman’s Workout Routine (4 Day Split)
- Who is Hugh Jackman? (Superhero & Broadway Superstar)
- Current Body Stats
- Hugh Jackman’s Workout Principles
- Accomplishments, Awards & Nominations
- What Is The Hugh Jackman Wolverine Diet?
- What Supplements Does Hugh Jackman Take?
- Common Questions About Hugh Jackman
- Conclusion
Wolverine Workout Summary
Main Workout Goal | Maintaining Ripped and Muscular Physique |
Program Duration | 10 weeks |
Workout Days Per Week | 4 |
Time Per Workout | 60-90 minutes |
Equipment Required | Dumbbells, Barbells, T Bar |
Recommended Supplements | Pre-Workouts Creatine Liquid Carnitine |
Hugh Jackman’s Workout Routine (4 Day Split)
When training as Wolverine, Jackman practiced a 4 day split routine in a four week cycle that would allow him to work all muscle groups over the course of a week, while progressively making the workouts harder.
Day 1
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 5 @ 60/65/75/75% 1RM | 60-90 sec |
Behind-the-Neck Press | 4 | 10 | 60-90 Sec |
Weighted Dip | 3 | 10 (2-for-2 Rule) | 60-90 Sec |
Incline DB Bench Press | 3 | 12 | 60-90 Sec |
DB Pullover | 3 | 10 | 60-90 Sec |
Cable Crossovers | 3 | 10 | 90 sec before repeating Triset |
Hanging Leg Raises | 3 | 12, 10, 8, 6 | 60-90 Sec |
Weighted Crunch | 4 | 12 | 90 sec before repeating Superset |
Day 2
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Squat | 4 | 5 @60/65/75/75% 1RM | 3 min |
Single-Leg Press | 3 | 10 each leg (2-for-2 Rule) | 60-90 sec |
Leg Curl | 3 | 12 | 60-90 Sec |
Half Raise | 3 | 15 | 60-90 Sec |
Split Squat | 3 | 10 | 90 sec before repeating Triset |
Plank - Complex: Front, Left, Right | 3 | 30-45 sec each position | 60-90 Sec |
Day 3
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Weighted Chins | 4 | 5 @60/65/75/75% 1RM | 3 min |
T-Bar Row | 3 | 10 reps (2-for-2 Rule) | 60-90 sec |
Lat Pulldown | 3 | 12 | 60-90 Sec |
Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10 | 60-90 Sec |
Face Pull | 3 | 12 | 90 sec before repeating Triset |
Standing Med Ball Chop | 3 | 8 (left and right) | 60-90 Sec |
Weighted Crunch | 4 | 12 | 90 sec before repeating Superset |
Day 4
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
Deadlift | 4 | 5 @60/65/75/75% 1RM | 3 min |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 5 | 5 (2-for-2 Rule) | 60-90 sec |
Front Raise | 3 | 12 | 60-90 Sec |
Rear Delt Fly | 3 | 10 | 60-90 Sec |
Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 | 90 sec before repeating Triset |
Biceps 21’s | 3 | 7 close grip, | 60-90 Sec |
Bench Dips | 3 | 20 | 90 sec before repeating Superset |
Who is Hugh Jackman? (Superhero & Broadway Superstar)
Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor who started training in theater and television. However, his career really took off after his first appearance on the big screen as Wolverine happened.
People loved him so much as the character that he played it for almost an impressive two decades!
His impressive physical condition only added to the popularity of that role. However, he's gone on to win various Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, and other respected awards.
In 2009, Jackman ended up co-starring alongside the talented Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain, and later in various other notable Broadway shows such as Broadway to Oz, and recently The Music Man.
Films like 'The Prestige' and 'Les Misérables' were Blockbuster hits that further proved just what a versatile, prized actor he really is on a global scale.
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Current Body Stats
Stat | Measurement |
|---|---|
Height | 6’2” |
Weight | 205 lbs |
Age | 54 |
Biceps | 17 inches |
Waist | 33 inches |
Chest | 45 inches |
Legs | 21 inches |
Hugh Jackman’s Workout Principles
Warm-up
Hugh Jackman's Wolverine workout consisted of many important workout principles. First, he never lifted weights until he completed a warm-up with 10 minutes of cardio beforehand.
As many lifts had him operating close to his one-rep max, it was very heavy lifting that required the muscles to be warm and limber at all times throughout the workout.
After warming up, they’d move into dynamic stretching and foam rolling of the muscles that will be worked that day. Benefits of foam rolling is to minimize the risk of pulling any muscle.
After lifting, they’d end the routine with static stretching and more foam rolling.
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Workout (Cardio)
He also would perform his first workout first thing in the morning.
This was motivated by the concept that if you exercise later in the day, you've already used up quite a bit of your energy throughout that day.
After many of these morning workouts, he'd also do 45 minutes of cardio on an empty stomach, which really ramps up fat-burning.
For the morning workout plan, his heart rate must not ever have exceeded 65% of its max to burn more fatty acids and avoid cardio muscle burn.
Instead, staying at a fat-burning cardio pace was more effective as there wasn’t enough time to allow for error. Low-intensity cardio is one of the best exercises for burning fat.
High-intensity cardio sessions were also added in the afternoon after the fourth week for further fat-burning.
This training program utilized intervals, where you perform steady pace rowing or running for 60 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of going all-out.
This was to ensure he was super lean and ripped for those shirtless scenes.
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Looking to improve your cardio fitness? Jump over to our guide on the best cardio equipment for home gym.
Workout (Main Lifts)
While lifting, there were a lot of drop sets to really exhaust the muscle, along with supersets. For example, he would go back-to-back with 2 exercises.
The first exercise is a compound movement like a Zercher squat, paired with a second exercise being an isolation movement like the Romanian deadlift.
All would be done with heavier weights and no more than 10 reps, which, as you can imagine, was pretty intense.
If you notice from the Wolverine workout detailed above, the lifts focus on progressive overload and are categorized by muscle group.
For example, there will be a dedicated leg day, where Jackman performed exercises that focus solely on the lower part of the body.
Main lifts are compound dumbbell exercises mixed with barbell exercises with a lot of weight to maximize calorie burn while building raw strength and muscle.
To maximize efficacy, they did incorporate 2 to 3 rest days per week to never over-exhaust the body or place him at a high risk of injury.
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Accomplishments, Awards & Nominations
Hugh Jackman is a lot more than his abs workout, though. Through his incredible acting talents, he’s earned himself a slew of some of the top awards in the world.
What Is The Hugh Jackman Wolverine Diet?
Hugh Jackman's diet varied throughout the Wolverine workout program and which stage of the regimen he was in. However, the one constant which remained throughout was carb-cycling.
He would consume carbs before 3 pm on weight training days for energy. On days when he just had cardio sessions or didn't work out at all, he would consume very few carbs.
Trainer David Kingsbury also ensured that every calorie was counted, as calorie intake/expenditure and macronutrient composition is crucial in gaining impressive results and is his essential nutrition principle.
Macronutrients are carbs, protein/amino acids, fats/cholesterol, fiber, water, and energy.[1]
Simple and effective was the way to go, with 4 meals per day. While Jackman generally ate very "clean," lean, and fresh foods, he did occasionally indulge in cheat meals like In-N-Out burgers!
Again, Kingsbury did make sure that these fit into his macros, so he didn't get off track.
Moreover, the vast majority of the workout program, they incorporated intermittent fasting, known as the "16:8 method."
This means Jackman would eat all meals within an 8-hour period and fasted for 16 hours daily.
Again, as the foods did vary throughout the process, this is an example of what he consumed on a training day:
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Meal 1
The first meal of the day is incredibly important, as it’s what breaks your fast after sleeping.
Meal 2
Meal 3
Meal 4
What To Go For
What To Avoid
What Supplements Does Hugh Jackman Take?
When making such massive changes to his diet and exercise routine, Jackman needed any assistance possible through workout supplements.
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Common Questions About Hugh Jackman
Consisting of low-intensity cardio, high-intensity cardio, and serious weight training, Jackman worked for about 3 hours a day for the movie Wolverine.
It took him a total of 6 months to lose the body fat while gaining more muscle size and achieving that iconic Wolverine physique.
What he did was increase his water intake to around 3 gallons a day before shooting. Then, about 36 hours before shooting the first shirtless scenes, he stopped drinking any kind of liquid. This is a method many bodybuilding and fitness competitors use to look more lean, as there is less water collecting under the skin to create an ultra-lean look.
While he does still lift, his current fitness routine is quite a bit different from the Logan workout. He does perform some of the more common exercises with dumbbells, focusing more on cardio, like rowing, running, and throwing in some core stability workouts.
Jackman is not a vegan, though his company, "Laughing Man Coffee," has recently opened up its first vegan cafe in downtown Tribeca in New York City. Dubbed "Laughing V," it's become incredibly trendy, offering delicious baked goods and other vegan cafe fare.
While he has worked with various personal trainers throughout his life, to get in Wolverine shape, he worked with David Kingsbury.
Conclusion
We hope this has given you plenty of workout ideas and exercises to get that superhero body like Hugh Jackman!
Remember to always lift weight you feel comfortable with, and listen to your body. Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you again soon!
References:
1. https://www.nal.usda.gov/legacy/fnic/macronutrients
2. https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17674-creatine-and-creatine-supplements
4. https://blog.nasm.org/branched-chain-amino-acids
