JASON MOMOA ATTACKS his workouts the way he does everything in life: full throttle. Men’s Health interviewed the 45-year-old actor a few years ago, ahead of his starring role in Aquaman and was blown away by the intensity of his routine and his appetite for lifting heavy loads.
Among those loads, you can include Momoa himself. The actor is a hardcore climbing fan and loves the challenges of hauling his, ahem, mountainous physique up and over challenging rockfaces. He even had a climbing wall built for him on Aquaman’s Gold Coast set.
“I just have a really hard time training for vanity,” Momoa told us. “These roles kill me because I’m not into that shit. But it’s my job to become the character I’m playing. You want to look good, sure, but you have to do so much for the part that you get injured. You have to protect yourself. Train for function rather than how you look, man.”
Momoa’s only prerequisite for working hard in preparation for a role is that he gets a reward afterwards. His preference: a pint of Guinness and a bowl of spaghetti.
“I’m all about just having the best goddamn day I can have,” Momoa told us of his approach to life. “If my wife tells me we’re having spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, I will work so much harder because I know we’re going to have a great night. I can train hard as long as I know there’s a reward.”
The man mountain first made his name as a physical specimen to watch as the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in the first season of Game of Thrones. From there, he began filling out spandex suits in Aquaman, while also making appearances in Fast X and Dune. Each time, he’s thrown himself into his workouts like a man possessed, his intensity perhaps the secret to his jaw-dropping physique. At the same time, he likes to blow off steam afterwards. He’s the ultimate work-hard play-hard guy.
With A Minecraft Movie currently setting box office records, it’s a good time to look at how Momoa trains and eats to get jacked for the big screen.
Jason Momoa’s workout routine
While Momoa varies the way he trains depending on the role he’s playing, as he told Men’s Health US, he does have some staples that comprise a mix of conditioning, cardio and his first love, climbing.
- Kettlebell swings – 3 x 6-8, 3 times a week
- Boxing with resistance band – 30-sec on, 30 off, x 5
- Bear crawls – 40 seconds on, 20 off, for 4 rounds
- Dead hangs and pull-ups – to failure, 3 times a week
Jason Momoa’s Aquaman workout routine
To play the God of Atlantis represented a unique challenge for Momoa, who had to get more defined than he’d previously achieved playing Drogo. To do that Momoa turned to the AR7 (accelerated results) training method. This full-body approach is designed to build muscle and enhance cardiovascular fitness, providing a comprehensive workout in a short amount of time, with minimal rest between movements. Not only does AR7 give your body a jolt, it’s conducive to muscle building and fat-stripping, with gains piling up quickly. Do each exercise listed below in a circuit three times:
- First Round: 7 sets of 7 reps with 7 seconds of rest between each set.
- Second Round: 6 sets of 6 reps with 6 seconds of rest between each set.
- Third Round: 5 sets of 5 reps with 5 seconds of rest between each set.
- Rest for 1 to 2 minutes between each round.
Monday (Chest)
- Flat Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press
- Incline Bench Dumbbell Press
- Plate Push-Up
- Chest Dips
Tuesday (Back)
- Medium-Grip Pull-Up
- Reverse-Grip Chin-Up
- Close-Grip Pull-Up
- Seated Pulley Row
- Reverse-Grip BB Bent-Over Row
Wednesday (Legs)
- Bodyweight Squat
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift
- Barbell Back Squat
- Bodyweight Jump Squat
Thursday (Core)
- Medicine Ball Slam
- Kettlebell Swing
- Burpee
- Leap Frog
- 40-Yard Sprint
Friday (Arms & Legs)
- Barbell Military Press
- Bodyweight Dip
- Diamond Push-Up
- Dumbbell Curls
- Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Jason Momoa’s diet plan
As mentioned earlier, Momoa’s is a man with an appetite, and provided he’s done the work, likes to dig in. Portion control isn’t high on his list of priorities, but thanks to his sheer output in the gym or the climbing wall, Momoa likely doesn’t have too much trouble staying in calorie deficit if he needs to.
His trainer on the first Aquaman film, Mada Abdelhamid, reveals how he balanced Momoa’s unique dietary needs. “It comes down to overall calorie intake so when we’re looking to lean down, we just cut the Guinness down to a certain number per day,” Abdelhamid, a former WWE wrestler from Egypt, told MH back in 2017. Abdelhamid ensured Momoa’s love of the black stuff never hampered his weight-loss goals. “If I’d made him cut it out completely, he wouldn’t have performed as well.”
On later films, Momoa worked with personal trainer, Stuart Walton, who tailored his diet around the healthier foods the actor was already fond of, while monitoring his macros closely.
Here’s a breakdown of the Jason Momoa diet plan:
- Veggies – you want nutrients, you need veggies of all colours.
- Fruit – According to Walton, the “Aquaman” actor would eat fruits either before a workout or shooting for a healthy boost of energy.
- Guinness – This is a non-negotiable for Momoa – but probably something you need to negotiate with your jeans.
- Peanut Butter – Go for all-natural for a tasty, cholesterol-free, protein hit and source of heart-healthy fat.
- Honey sandwiches – These were reportedly Momoa’s pre-workout snacks. Yes, it’s a sugar hit but if you’re eating whole grain bread it’s not a sin.
- Chicken – protein with wings.
- Steak – Another powerhouse source of protein.
- Fish – The Hawaii-born actor loves skipjack tuna, which packs 28g of protein per 100g.
- Supplements – Momoa relies on the usual assortment of workout supplements: protein powder, mass gainer, and creatine.
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