Photo Credit: Jeff Moore / Splash News
What does it take to be Superman? Henry Cavill not only bulked up for the 2013 Superman reboot film Man of Steel, he also reprised the role for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this year.
The 33-year-old will take on Clark Kent’s better half twice more for Justice League Part One and Justice League Part Two, to be released in 2017 and 2019 respectively. As a result, Henry Cavill’s workout regime and diet plan must be on top of its game.
The British actor had to work very hard to build the heroic physique of Superman. For Man of Steel, Cavill worked with elite trainer and Gym Jones founder, Mark Twight, to maintain his ripped physique for more than 120 days.
Henry Cavill’s diet plan for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a little more intense and included four phases: preparation, bulking, leaning out, and maintenance. Cavill also worked with trainer Michael Blevins.
Superman Henry Cavill’s Diet Plan
Henry Cavill’s diet plan included six meals, with a daily intake between 3,500 and 5000 calories. For the first six weeks, Cavill consumed 3,500 calories per day. He increased that to 4000 calories for weeks seven and eight. Weeks nine and 10 of training maxed out at 5000 calories, while weeks 11 and 12 went back down to 3,500. The following are sample 3,500-calorie and 5000-calorie Man of Steel diets:
3,500-Calorie Diet:
Meal 1: Two eggs, five egg whites, half cup of oats, one apple, and a multi-vitamin and fish oil supplement.
Meal 2: One chicken breast, one cup of brown rice, and a cup of broccoli.
Meal 3: Six ounces of tuna, two slices of wheat bread, a banana and a whey protein shake.
Meal 4: Chicken wrap with one large 10-inch flour tortilla, one six-ounce chicken breast, a half-cup of lettuce, and half a tomato.
Meal 5: A protein shake with sweet potato, a one scoop of whey, two tablespoons of peanut butter, one cup of oats, and eight ounces of milk.
Meal 6: One cup of cottage cheese, almonds, and a small yogurt mixed with cottage cheese for flavor.
5000-Calorie Diet:
Meal 1: The first meal contains 56g of protein powder with three cups of low-fat milk, two cups of cold cereal, two cups of blueberries, and six tablespoons of slivered almonds.
Meal 2: The second meal contains a half-cup of cottage cheese, 56g of protein powder, two cups of grapes, three tablespoons of barley, and some sunflower seeds.
Meal 3: Meal three is four-and-a-half ounces of chicken breast, four ounces of non-fat cheese, four cups of vegetable soup, four crackers, three whole pitas, and 12 peanuts.
Meal 4: Meal four is 49g of protein powder, one-and-a-half cups of plain and low-fat yogurt, one-and-a-half tablespoons of barley, three tablespoons of slivered almonds, one teaspoon of olive, hemp, flax, or salmon oils, and two tangerines.
Meal 5: Meal five is 11 oz. of lean beef, four cups of cauliflower, two cups of rice, six tablespoons of almonds, and one-and-a-third cups of fruit juice.
Meal 6: The final meal of the day contains 11 oz. of skinless turkey breast, two cups of chickpeas, one cup of mushrooms, a quarter cup of onions, one head of lettuce, three cups of cherry tomatoes, and six tablespoons of almonds.
Henry Cavill’s Body Fitness Workout
The goal for Blevins was to make Henry Cavill’s body look extremely lean and muscular. Blevins and Cavill did a CrossFit-style training program with timed workouts and circuits that feature Plyometrics, and gymnastics.
The bulking phase of the workout included Olympic weightlifting with huge lifts that build power, strength, and muscle. The bulking phase is complex, and is done with a heavy barbell. Some of the exercises include a hang clean and jerk, a clean pull, a power clean lift, a front squat, a push press, a split jerk, and a front and back squat combo.
One-Week CrossFit Workout
Here is an example for Henry Cavill’s one-week CrossFit workout:
Monday: You lift 10,000 pounds as quickly as possible using squats, presses, and the deadlift.
Tuesday: Sprinting
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of bent over rows, power cleans, and push presses using 50 pound dumbbells.
Friday: You will complete five rounds of 20 kettlebell swings and 60 yards of sprinting in a 60-second time frame.
Saturday: Complete as many rounds as possible in nine minutes of nine push-ups, six pull-ups, and three back squats of 225 pounds.
Sunday: Rest
Needless to say Henry Cavill’s workout regime is intense for the Superman role, and with two Justice League films coming up, Cavill won’t be slowing down any time soon. Cavill’s high-intensity workout and 5000-calorie diet helped the actor become the iconic superhero in many major motion pictures.
Sources:
Rowney, J-A., “Batman v Superman: Henry Cavill’s insane workout regime revealed – how to get as huge as the Man of Steel,” Mirror website, March 25, 2016; http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/tv-film-news/batman-v-superman-henry-cavills-7616155.
Tyler, A., “Justice League: Henry Cavill Back in The Gym for Superman Physique,” Screen Rant website, Feb. 5, 2016; http://screenrant.com/justice-league-henry-cavill-superman-gym-physique/.
