HOLLYWOOD HEART-THROB Channing Tatum has always boasted an enviable rig – he is a former stripper, after all. Indeed, a muscular physique has been a big part of his success, in roles ranging from the Magic Mike series to 21 Jump Street and Step Up.
Tatum is blessed genetically, something he recently acknowledged in a series of Instagram posts that showed off his transformations for various roles across the course of his career.
“We back up! lol. 1st photo is today 205 (93kg),” Tatum wrote in a caption posted Friday.
The second mirror photo showed the actor with a more generous belly and a 14-kg weight gain for a movie called Josephine, which he filmed last year.
And the third pic showed Tatum slimmed way down at 78kg for a movie called Roofman, that recently wrapped filming.
“I’m so grateful for my genetics,” the Blink Twice actor wrote. “Grateful for my chef/nutritionist/witch. Grateful for my trainer. I couldn’t make these big swings in my weight without you guys.
“But I won’t be doing anymore fat roles ha,” the 44-year-old said, adding that gaining weight for a role is too “hard on the body” now and too hard to take back off.
“But damn when I look at these pics it’s just wild what the human body and will can do.”
He’s not wrong there, particularly his body. But while genetics are certainly a factor in the actor’s transformations, his shirtless selfies also speak to the value of hard work and discipline and serve to illustrate what can be achieved when you commit to a consistent gym routine and stick to it.
Here’s a look at the way Tatum has prepared himself for some of his most memorable movie roles.
Channing Tatum's 'Magic Mike' workout
Back in 2019, Tatum’s trainer, Arin Babaian, revealed to US Men’s Health how he helped the actor get in shape for arguably his most famous role, Magic Mike.
“When I showed up, he was a little overweight, and didn’t want to work out,” Babaian said. “We had to change our plan. We turned our day into a fit lifestyle.”
Here’s a typical day in Tatum’s MM training plan:
Bike Ride
- 20 miles
Pool Workout
- 10 to 20 laps swimming
- Water burpees and sit-ups
Gym workout circuit
Repeat for 4 rounds with no rest
Treadmill run
- 400 metres
Back Squat
- 10 reps
Hang Cleans
- 10 reps
Manmaker
- 10 reps
Pull-ups
- 10 reps
Channing Tatum’s 'Dog' workout
“Channing is a full-on athlete,” Babaian told Esquire back in 2021, in relation to the work the pair did in prep for the movie Dog. “I have a lot of friends who are stunt performers and they have all said that he could definitely be a stuntman if that had been the profession he chose. He’ll always attempt his stunts if he’s allowed to.”
For Dog, a road movie about an army ranger tasked with escorting a military dog to the funeral of a fallen friend, the emphasis was on being able to lift a moderately heavy weight for several repetitions instead of maxing out.
“We like to do circuit workouts with either three or five exercises were we’ll always have someone doing cardio,” Babaian explains. “We’ll have someone doing a run on the treadmill or skipping rope and they’re not allowed to stop until you’ve done your reps. You’re constantly like, ‘Hurry up!’. If you’re taking it easy you’re hurting your friend.”
Typically, Tatum’s workouts are broken down into a push circuit one day and a pull circuit the next day. Or even a combination of the two, with a workout never being repeated in the same week.
As a taster workout you can do at home, try five rounds of the following:
Start at a light jog on a treadmill, increasing your speed by 0.5 km/ph every 30 seconds until you max out.
- 60kg bench press for 20 reps
- Dumbbell shoulder press for 15 reps (sitting on an exercise ball for added instability)
- Bicep curl for 15 reps (still on the ball)
- Triceps extension for 15 reps each arm (lying over the ball)
- Finish each round off with an ab-crushing circuit compromised of:
- 50 sit-ups
- 75 side crunches (per side)
- 20 leg raises
- 10 ab rollouts
- Finished? Then catch your breath and get back on the treadmill.
Channing Tatum’s diet plan
Back in 2021, Tatum’s trainer William J. Harris told us that he encouraged Tatum to eat every two hours in order to have the fuel he needs for leaning out and building muscle.
“We swapped the unhealthy ingredients in the food Channing likes for healthy ones – we gave him lean turkey rather than beef, for example, and swapped takeaway pizzas for homemade whole wheat ones topped with organic veggies,” Harris said. “Processed and frozen foods, salt, sugar and alcohol were all no-nos.”
What Tatum eats:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Chicken breasts
- Turkey
- Lean meats
- Organic fruit
- Green vegetables
What Tatum doesn’t eat:
- Sugar
- Grains
- Chemical additives
- Anything artificial
- Junk food
- Fried foods
- Soft drinks
Related:
Alan Ritchson’s ‘Reacher’ workout routine and diet plan
These 11 chest exercises will help you build massive pecs
