WHILE HE IS undeniably the world’s most famous action movie star, Tom Cruise has always been more well-known for the adrenaline-fuelled danger of his stunts than the chiselled nature of his physique. In fact, the actor was criticised after landing the leading role in the Jack Reacher film series, as hardcore fans didn’t believe the slim, five foot six actor could accurately convey the hulking presence of the titular character – who is now played by the noticeably larger Alan Ritchson in Reacher.
That reputation may be about to change, however – and it isn’t because Cruise’s stunts have gotten any less dangerous. For the final film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise appears to have put on a good deal of muscle. In behind the scenes photos shared on the Mission Impossible Instagram account, Cruise is looking strikingly bulkier.
It’s clear that Cruise has stepped up his workout routine in the lead up to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, but that’s not an easy thing to do at any age, let alone at 62. So, what does he do to stay in such good shape in his sixties? Let’s break it down.
Tom Cruise workout routine
For Cruise, who boasts a notoriously stringent work ethic, the secret to staying fit into his sixties is variety. When asked by Men’s Health US for an insight into his exercise routine, Cruise rattled off much more than a push-pull-legs training split. “Sea-kayaking, caving, fencing, treadmill, weights, rock-climbing, hiking, I jog… I do so many different activities,” he said.
Based on Cruise’s comments, we can assume that a large chunk of his fitness levels come from simply living a very active lifestyle. Although, it is important to note that Cruise does list “weights” among his non-exhaustive list of activities. So, he clearly understands that strength training remains the best way to build muscle. We’re also prepared to argue that it was the weights segment of Cruise’s lifestyle that is responsible for his recent bulk up.
So, while Cruise hasn’t gone into the minutiae of his workout routine, he has revealed enough for us to piece together a training plan that is similar to what he likely does. You’ll find the five-day routine we’ve devised below, incorporating both traditional strength training and a range of other outdoor activities for general fitness.
Day 1 – Full body strength training
Warm-up:
- Dynamic stretches and light jogging or a treadmill incline walk
- Shoulder circles, arm swings, bodyweight squats
Workout:
- Barbell bench press – 4 sets, 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell shoulder press – 3 sets, 8-10 reps
- Incline dumbbell chest press – 3 sets, 10-12 reps
- Weighted dips or bodyweight dips – 3 sets, to failure
- Push-ups – 3 sets, to failure
- Core Superset – 3 rounds of hanging leg raises x 12 and cable woodchoppers x 15 each side
Day 2 – Sea-kayaking and hiking
Activity plan:
- Sea-kayaking (or rowing machine if indoors) – 60 mins at steady pace
- Hiking – 30–60 mins on hilly terrain
Day 3 – Full body strength training
Warm-up:
- Rowing machine (5 min) and dynamic stretches (hip openers, lunges, shoulder mobility)
Workout:
- Deadlifts – 4 sets, 5 reps
- Pull-ups – 4 sets, 8-10 reps
- Barbell sack squat – 4 sets, 8 reps
- Romanian deadlift – 3 sets, 10 reps
- Dumbbell hammer curls and dumbbell shrugs superset – 3 sets, 12 reps
- Plank holds (3 x 60 sec) and Russian twists (3 x 20 reps) superset
Day 4 – Fencing and jogging
Activity plan:
- Fencing – 45 mins
- Jogging – 30 mins at a conversational pace on a treadmill
Day 5 – Rock climbing and caving
Activity plan:
- Indoor or outdoor rock climbing (bouldering or top rope) – 60–75 mins
- Caving, with a focus on crawl circuits with bear crawls, crab walks, army crawls – 60-120 mins
Tom Cruise diet plan
Like with everything else in his life, Tom Cruise also utilises a highly regimented diet plan. According to an anonymous crew member who worked with Cruise during production of 2018’s Mission: Impossible—Fallout, the actor makes use of a highly unorthodox diet that involves eating 15 small meals every day, rather than the traditional three.
Each mini meal was supposedly prepared by one of Cruise’s personal chefs and would include anything from freeze-dried blueberries to a handful of nuts. A nutritionist probably wouldn’t recommend this system, but if it works for Cruise, who are we to judge?
When dining out, Cruise reportedly requests steamed white fish and vegetables cooked without oil, butter or sauce. He also doesn’t drink alcohol, swaps sweets and packaged food for fruit and nuts, and avoids processed foods and carbohydrates wherever he can. Lastly, he prefers his food to be cooked at low temperatures, to preserve its nutritional content.
While most of Cruise’s dietary decisions are sound – giving up alcohol, carbs and processed sweets does indeed have benefits – he might be overdoing it with the whole 15 meals a day thing. Assuming he’s still eating the same amount of calories as he would on a regular, three-meal-per-day schedule, sticking to a typical eating routine would be just as beneficial. But then again, it’s Tom Cruise. Maybe he knows something we don’t.
