IF WE HAD a list ranking people we never thought would appear on a magazine cover shirtless, Sacha Baron Cohen would be close to the top – and that’s taking into account his history with mankinis. And yet, the comic-actor-to-surprisingly-buff-guy-pipeline is producing more and more surprises every week. Not only did Cohen appear on the cover of Men’s Fitness UK last year, he didn’t look half bad on it either.
Guys, Borat has abs now.
Now, Cohen has again surprised onlookers in the first trailer for his upcoming film, ‘Ladies First’. Starring opposite Rosamund Pike, the film positions Cohen as a misogynist who wakes up in a world where social dynamics have been reversed and women now rule the roost. The film premieres on Netflix on May 22nd.
It doesn’t seem relevant to the plot of ‘Ladies First’ that Cohen is Jacked, but he is. The actor’s pecs are popping, his biceps are bulging and his veins are protruding. He’s even got enough confidence to let his pants rest roughly five centimetres lower than they need to be.
In his Men’s Fitness cover story from 2025, Cohen said he was “hard launching my mid-life crisis”. The apparent reason for the shocking transformation is not ‘Ladies First’, but a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Cohen appears in Disney+ series Ironheart as Mephisto, with scope for further appearances down the line.
So, how did we end up here? Why are we living in a world where adjectives like vascular, sculpted and ropy can be used to describe Sacha Baron Cohen? Let’s break it down.
How Sacha Baron Cohen got in the best shape of his life
To get in shape, Sacha Baron Cohen tapped the talents of celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti. With a busy filming schedule, Moretti had Cohen stick to quick, 25-minute workouts. “In the past, I would’ve thought you needed hour-long sessions,” Sacha admits. “But the short sessions made it so much easier to stay consistent, even with the demands of being on set.”
100 push ups per day were the first non-negotiable, but outside of that, Moretti kept it simple for Cohen. “Bodyweight exercises, pull-ups, push-ups, squats. Minimal equipment. Sacha is very strong – he can do 10-12 solid pull-ups and chin-ups no problem, which for someone 6ft3 is rare,” Moretti said.
“My mindset around fitness has definitely evolved,” Cohen said. “I’ve always found core workouts challenging, as I’m blessed with the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish, so being able to do them now is a reminder of how far I’ve come.”
While gaining a covetable physique, Cohen hasn’t lost his self-deprecating sense of humour. He quipped on his Instagram story, “This is not AI. I really am egotistical enough to do this,” and added, “Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three.”
