10 Action Stars With Completely Jacked Bodies
Part of the thrill of watching an action-packed movie is how impressive and jacked the action star looks. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe to The Fast and Furious films, action movies are always a classic choice. Most action heroes have no shortage of muscle flexing and shirt-busting abilities. To do so, they are very in-tuned with their fitness routine and diet. From Aquaman's Jason Momoa to Thor's Chris Hemsworth, here are 10 secrets behind the insane bodies of action stars.
1. Jason Momoa
When it comes to buff bodies, Jason Momoa immediately comes to mind. From his role as Aquaman to Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, the actor is pure muscle.
Naturally, he lifts weights to keep himself in shape and shared with GQ, "When it comes to lifting, it just depends on the role that I'm working on. For example, right now, my guy is a bit of a—I don't want to give too much away—but he's definitely not in shape, so there's not a lot of lifting going on."
A favorite strength-training tool of his is the kettlebell. He told the outlet, "I use a couple of different kettlebells—I swing 'em and do some squats and some deadlifts. I keep an 88-pound and a 106-pound kettlebell around, and they're easy to use."
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2. Jason Statham
To get buff for his role in The Beekeeper, Jason Statham worked with trainer James Moontasri, who told Men's Journal, "Jason can crush pull-ups and muscle-ups like crazy, and he does them on the gymnast rings. He's got a routine he'll do on his own before we work together, and it's pretty intense. I think being able to push yourself in isolation is a massive advantage."
3. Chris Hemsworth
You can't have an action-packed party without adding Thor into the mix, which is why Chris Hemsworth absolutely deserves a spot on this list.
Some of the actor's secrets for staying so muscular include working with private chef, Sergio Perera. He talked about the actor's diet with News.au, saying, "When you're training to build Thor-worthy muscles, you need to eat well. He had just finished the first Thor movie and he needed someone to help match his meal plan to his physical demands and that's how I came on-board. I would sit with his trainer, who is one of his closest fiends, and we would all work together on figuring out Chris' goals … When it comes to building muscle, he just keeps it very clean with of a lot of barbecuing — like meats and vegetables — and keeping it Mediterranean which involves a lot of olive oil."
One of his many healthy habits? Chris apparently doesn't consume anything that's canned or boxed.
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4. Chris Evans
To get his body into Captain America shape, Chris Evans trained with Simon Waterson, who chatted about the experience with British GQ, as reported by Men's Health.
"I did work to that shot where he comes out of the machine to make him look a tiny bit bigger and leaner than he is in the rest of the movie," Simon said. "But, ultimately, it is about performance rather than just looking good. He has to be able to sprint, throw a shield, jump over a wall. The aesthetics are almost like a byproduct of being an athlete."
5. Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie is a favorite action star. He's the new Captain America in Brave New World and Leo in Netflix's Outside the Wire. His roles have required preparation inside and outside of the gym, which he talked about with Men's Health.
"My goal with my meal plan was to lean out. I find that because I lift heavy, I tend to bulk easily. So I try to use my diet to cut as much fat as possible," Anthony said regarding his Outside the Wire role.
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6. Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is called The Rock for good reason. He is seriously built like one!
Dwayne documented his training for Black Adam on Instagram. In this video, he took his followers through his shoulder day workout and captioned the post, "Midweek shoulder training. Blood volume, hardness, fullness, detail and conditioning. It's a b**ch. Thank you for rockin' with me on this passion project — what a journey. Shooting begins next month."
7. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is a total legend in the action film world, and it made everyone's day when it was announced John Wick will be returning to the big screen.
Keanu works with trainer Patrick Murphy to help him stay in shape. Patrick shared with GQ, "I've trained talent for 25 years. Keanu is second to none when it comes to focus and effort for a physical role. He 110% gives it his all, day in and day out. It's one of the many reasons why he is respected by so many who work with him."
As far as recovery is concerned, Keanu seems to have his wellness routine down pat. Patrick said, "KR possesses a serious commitment to ice baths, which I'm all for as well. One of the best recovery practices to do after all of the ground and pound stunt training is an ice bath."
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8. Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson totally crushed the role of the Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She's worked with trainer, Eric Johnson, to help her prepare for the films. Eric shared with The Hollywood Reporter, "Scarlett always wants to be within three weeks out of her peak condition."
The actress's workout sessions were enjoyable and featured plenty of reactive plyometric training. For example, think multidirectional jumps with hurdles and boxes. "If you're doing a running scene, you want to be as fresh and powerful in the first take as you are in the 20th," Scarlett said.
9. Brie Larson
Brie Larson plays Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her nutritionist, Dr. Phillip Goglia, talked about her diet in an interview with PEOPLE. Two of Brie's daily essentials? Chicken for lunch and fish for dinner.
"The purpose of the fish and their omegas is to promote the reduction of inflammation and a deep REM sleep. The chicken is kind of a benign, moderately low-fat meat … If you're going to have it, lunch is the time to have your poultry," Dr. Phillip said.
Brie also drinks three to four liters of water a day to ensure she stays hydrated.
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10. Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan brought Bucky Barnes to life in Captain America, along with his impressive physique. His trainer, Don Saladino, talked about working with Sebastian to Esquire.
"I tell my actor clients, 'You're an athlete, you have to go perform. You're not on the field of battle but you're on the stage or the big screen so you can't go up there with no carbs.' We started retraining Stan a bit to trust this process of overall wellness," Don told the outlet. "Even if you're eating the right foods, if the portions are uneven your body is going to be constantly guessing. It's the biggest mistake people make, they don't have that consistency of the volume of food they're eating. Often it's about being on a reverse dieting approach where you actually take on more calories slowly over time, while still losing weight and feeling more energy because you're eating the right thing."
