Henry Cavill Workout and Diet - Man of Steel

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission from the vendor at no extra cost to you. These business relationships allow us to keep bringing you great EatMoveHack content. All opinions remain our own.

Not only has Henry Cavill become a big star but he’s admired for his impressive muscular and lean physique. Of course, a well-built body is a must-have if you’re starring as Superman in the DC Extended Universe line of movies (Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice). Of all the Superman movies that have ever been, Cavill’s two are the highest grossing. One may be right in assuming that the difference is how well he handled the role.

Henry Cavill was born in Britain and still lives in London. It’s not clear just how long he’s been practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but he’s been found training at Roger Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy in London. Cavill’s acting career began back in 2001 with the movie Laguna and he’s gone on to play roles in several popular films since then, including not only Superman movies, but also The Count of Monte Cristo, Hellraiser: Hellworld, and recently, Mission Impossible – Fallout. Each of his roles has called for an actor who is in quite a bit of shape, but none as much as did when he played Superman. To be this character, Cavill had to go through quite a transformation. The tough workouts that he did are enough to take anyone’s physique to a whole new level.

Henry Cavill Workout

Imagine training like Superman. The goal itself is one that can sound near impossible to achieve, but Cavill’s carefully crafted workout plan makes it possible, trading flying and catching tall buildings with high intensity through CrossFit style training and lifting some very heavy weights. This workout routine is for five days a week with Wednesday and Sunday as rest days. It features a high variety of exercises all designed to build muscle and improve performance while remaining lean.

Monday’s workout comes with the remarkable goal of lifting a total of 10,000 pounds (1). This is done by cycling through three different moves done at one rep each: the front squat, the press, and the deadlift. Each rep’s worth of weight counts towards the 10,000 balance, which is supposed to be achieved as fast as possible. You have to cycle through all three moves to complete a round and the rounds don’t stop until the total amount of weight lifted equals the goal.

Cavill’s Tuesday workout is quite less complex. On this day he works on sprints, doing a 50-yard sprint eight times with a sixty-second rest in between. Sounds simple right? But it is sinister as you get towards the end of the session.

Wednesday is a day off.

For Thursday, Cavill picks up a pair of 50-pound dumbbells and takes on three strategic moves with the aim of getting as many rounds done as possible in just ten minutes. He does seven reps each of bent-over rows, power cleans, and push presses for each round.

On Friday it’s back to sprinting, accompanied by quite a few kettlebell swings. Again, Cavill races time, doing a 60-yard sprint and 20 kettlebell swings in only 60 seconds. He uses a two pood kettlebell for this feat and goes at it for five rounds with a generous two-minute rest between rounds.

The final workout of the week is Saturday’s focus on a few basic moves. Cavill has nine minutes to do as many rounds as possible, doing three back squats with 225 pounds of weight followed by six push-ups and nine pull-ups.

Of course, there are a few workout secrets to Cavill’s routine that trainer Gym Jones insists on keeping a secret, but this tough routine that’s a prime example of what Cavill does to get and keep in shape is enough to bring real people some real results.

Henry Cavill Diet

Of course, it takes some remarkable nutrition to be so ripped and strong as to double for Superman. One of the most important things to note is the supplements Cavill takes, as he uses quite a few and they’re all chosen to aid him in creating the physique fans have come to know and love. The supplements give him the energy, stamina, and general health he needs to keep pace with his demanding routines. Cavill takes not only multivitamins, magnesium, and probiotics, but also Udo’s oil (2).

Cavill follows a 3,500 calorie-a-day diet, but the closer it gets to showtime the more he cuts back on calories and carbs to get ripped. He eats six meals a day, which is quite common in the fitness and bodybuilding world. Meal one is mostly protein, as you would expect. Cavill has a serving of oats and some apples as well as five egg whites and two egg yolks. The next meal is brown rice and broccoli with a chicken breast. Then, he has tuna and wheat bread with a pear, a banana, and a protein shake. Meal four is a chicken wrap made of just lettuce, tomato, and chicken wrapped in a flour tortilla. After this comes oats with milk and whey as well as one sweet potato. Cavill’s last meal of the day is a cup of cottage cheese with a serving of yogurt and a cup of almonds.

Why You Should Be More Like Henry Cavill

If you want to look and feel Superman tough you have to take on a workout and diet plan that just as tough, if not tougher. Cavil doesn’t go light in the gym nor at the table, consuming a generous and well-balanced 3,500 calories of protein, carbs, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. And, though his workout routine may be demanding, he knows the benefit of taking time off to rest, training only five days a week instead of six or more. These are the habits that allowed Cavill to gain an impressive amount of muscle mass and get superhero fit. Clearly, this approach worked well, as fans are still loving how well Cavill fit in as Superman and other roles where the character had to be lean and very muscly.

Want to read more about diet and fitness programs? Check out these great articles!

Resources

1. http://henrycavill.org/en/hc/workout
2. https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/become-a-man-made-of-steel