IF YOU’RE GOING to copy a celebrity’s fitness routine, you can do a lot worse than the guy who has played the man of steel in Superman, Geralt in The Witcher, and, if the rumours are to be believed, James Bond. Henry Cavill is one of Hollywood’s most stacked leading men, and to land that many major roles, he must be doing something right in the gym.
Cavill clearly knows what he’s doing, and he’s been open about his fitness journey in the past, including when he shared some advice for those who are just starting out. “Get the right information and get the right knowledge from someone who knows their stuff. But also, do fitness your way – whatever you enjoy doing – and you’ll get the most out of it,” he told Men’s Health in 2022. “It is not supposed to be easy.”
By piecing together information from what Cavill and his trainers have said in interviews, we’ve been able to get a pretty close idea of what the 41-year-old actor does to stay fit. Below, you’ll find our estimation of his workout routine and diet plan.
Henry Cavill’s workout routine
According to Cavill’s long-time personal trainer Mark Twight, the actor often alternates between training plans, depending on what he’s trying to achieve. If he needs to buff up or slim down, his schedule will accommodate for that.
This is Cavill’s CrossFit split, which is focused on burning fat and building lean muscle.
Monday
Cavill begins the week by lifting a total of 5,000kg as quickly as possible in three different compound exercises. He’ll do one rep at a time of squats, bench press and deadlifts, using any target weight.
Tuesday
Cavill does eight 50-metre sprints, resting for a minute between each.
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Using 22.5kg dumbbells, Cavill performs the following exercises for as many rounds as possible within ten minutes:
- 7 dumbbell bent over rows
- 7 dumbbell power cleans
- 7 dumbbell push presses
Friday
Cavill alternates between 20 kettlebell swings and 60-metre sprints for eight sets.
Saturday
Within a nine minute timeframe, Cavill performs as many supersets of the following exercises as he can
- 3 back squats
- 6 pull-ups
- 9 push-ups
Sunday
Rest
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When he’s bulking up, Cavill adopts a traditional bodybuilding approach, with a split that prioritises compound lifts and working multiple muscle groups to build mass.
Monday (chest and back)
- Incline dumbbell press – 4 sets, 10 reps
- Flat dumbbell press – 4 sets, 10 reps
- Weighted pull-ups – 4 sets, 10 reps
- Dumbbell or barbell row – 4 sets, 10 reps
Tuesday (legs)
- Deadlift – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Front squat – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Front lunges – 4 sets, 8 reps per leg
- Calf raises – 5 sets, 20 reps
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday (chest and back)
- Incline dumbbell press – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
- Cable crossover – 4 sets, 12-15 reps
- Weighted chin-ups – 4 sets, 10 reps
- Seated cable row – 4 sets, 10 reps
Friday (shoulders and arms)
- Seated dumbbell press – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Side lateral raise – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Front lateral raises – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Bicep curls – 5 sets, 10 reps
- Tricep extensions – 5 sets, 10 reps
Saturday & Sunday
Rest
Henry Cavill’s diet plan
In the lead-up to playing superman, Cavill told The Hollywood Reporter that he was “on 5,000 calories a day.” He added that “You’ve got to eat protein first, then a little bit of carbs… you’ve got to keep your hunger levels going.” This approach helped Cavill bulk up to around 90kg. And keep in mind, he already stands over six feet tall, so he was and still is quite the unit.
While Cavill has been tight lipped about the specifics of the diet he used to build a physique worthy of donning the red cape, we’ve put together a similar protein-rich meal plan that will help you stack on some muscle. Although, we’ve kept it to a more realistic 3,000 calorie per day limit, because Cavill’s caloric intake is, frankly, insane.
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Monday
Breakfast (800 calories)
- 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
- 2 slices whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 banana
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled chicken breast
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup roasted vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 cup oatmeal with 1 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ scoop whey protein
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 medium banana
- 1 tbsp honey
Dinner (700 calories)
- 230 grams lean ground beef
- 1.5 cups brown rice
- 1 cup steamed asparagus
Tuesday
Breakfast (850 calories)
- 4 scrambled eggs
- 2 slices whole grain toast
- 1 avocado
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 handful almonds
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams salmon
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 cup sautéed spinach
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 cup mixed berries
- 1 tbsp honey
Dinner (700 calories)
- 230 grams grilled chicken
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts
Wednesday
Breakfast (800 calories)
- 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
- 1 cup cooked oats with 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 protein shake (whey, almond milk, banana, oats)
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled steak
- 1.5 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 cup sautéed green beans
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt with granola and honey
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp almond butter
Dinner (700 calories)
- 200 grams white fish
- 1.5 cups quinoa
- 1 cup roasted carrots
Thursday
Breakfast (850 calories)
- 4 eggs scrambled with cheese
- 2 slices whole wheat toast
- 1 avocado
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp honey
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled turkey breast
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 banana with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 handful walnuts
Dinner (700 calories)
- 230 grams chicken thigh
- 1.5 cups roasted potatoes
- 1 cup green beans
Friday
Breakfast (800 calories)
- 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
- 1.5 cups oatmeal with berries and honey
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 handful almonds
- 1 banana
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled salmon
- 1 large baked potato
- 1 cup sautéed spinach
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 apple with peanut butter
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
Dinner (700 calories)
- 200 grams ground turkey
- 1.5 cups brown rice
- 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts
Saturday
Breakfast (850 calories)
- 4 scrambled eggs
- 2 slices whole grain toast
- 1 avocado
- 1 glass whole milk
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled chicken
- 1.5 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup roasted vegetables
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 banana with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 handful walnuts
Dinner (700 calories)
- 230 grams grilled steak
- 1.5 cups roasted sweet potatoes
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
Sunday
Breakfast (800 calories)
- 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
- 1.5 cups cooked oats with peanut butter
- 1 banana
Snack (450 calories)
- 1 protein shake (whey, almond milk, banana, oats)
Lunch (750 calories)
- 170 grams grilled salmon
- 1 large baked potato
- 1 cup sautéed spinach
Pre-workout (300 calories)
- 1 apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Post-workout (400 calories)
- 1.5 scoops whey protein
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 handful almonds
Dinner (700 calories)
- 230 grams ground beef
- 1.5 cups quinoa
- 1 cup roasted carrots
Related:
How Henry Cavill went from self-described ‘chubby kid’ to superhero
Henry Cavill reveals he was told he was too fat to play James Bond