Hugh Jackman has appeared shirtless in various films in the “X-Men” franchise, making his ripped figure one of the wonders of the superhero flick.
For years, fans have become familiar with Hugh Jackman and his toned physique thanks to his shirtless appearances as the Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox superhero flick.
While his shirtless form has become iconic, some fans have pointed out the differences and similarities between his body in real life and that of his onscreen metal-clawed alter ego.
Notably, the actor has been spotted shirtless off the screen on occasions, enjoying swell time with his family. In August 2022, he was captured taking his pet pooch Allegra for a swim in Miami, during a beach outing with his wife Deborah Lee Furness, 66.
His body appeared toned as usual, as with his onscreen appearances, bringing to mind his onscreen character Wolverine. How the actor has managed to keep that fit since his first appearance as the character and remains ageless even at 53 remains a mystery.
While fans are unable to solve that mystery, here is all we know about how Hugh Jackman managed to achieve his ripped body to play his character “Wolverine.”
How Did Hugh Jackman Achieve His Shirtless Scenes In “Wolverine?”
Fans noticed that Hugh Jackman underwent a complete transformation for his role in Wolverine, evident in his shirtless scenes. While the actor looked impressive with his ripped structure, the transformation towards that look was no easy one.
Speaking on how he achieved it, Jackman once admitted he went through a rigorous diet and exercises for months, leading to the filming of the iconic movie. Maintaining the physique was also as daunting as attaining it.
Hence, he always reverted to his normal workout routines, and ultimately, his normal physique after filming.
His Diets Played A Crucial Role In Hugh Jackman’s Transformation
For Hugh Jackman, achieving what many considered the ultimate body goals for his role on “Wolverine” required lots of changes to his diet and eating patterns. He once said of his diet:
“It’s too hard to get in shape from scratch, and it’s easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. For Wolverine, I really up the training. Foodwise, I ate more, but I eat a lot stricter. Seventy percent of your physique is your diet, and diet is the biggest change that happens.”
Jackman also admitted playing the character was a physically demanding one, as it required a lot of action. Aside from looking physically fit, he needed to be mobile enough to perform his stunts, which comprised jumping, fighting and wirework.
To achieve this seamlessly, being as light as possible, while still having enough body mass was important. Hence, putting his diet into consideration was an important factor.
Working Out Was Also Important
As with his diet, the types of exercises and bodybuilding Hugh Jackman had to do to pull off his iconic shirtless scenes were strategic and intentional.
According to the actor, in the months leading to the movie’s shooting, he trained for 150-minutes per day. He performed these sessions under his bodybuilding coach, with cardio being an important part of the routine. He shared:
“I do about an hour of training a day and ride my bike everywhere. But I do about 2 and half hours of training a day when getting ready for the role.”
His training entailed about one hour of heavy-weight training in the morning, followed by a 45 minutes afternoon session of higher-volume lifting. His routine also included chin-ups and rows, old-school lifting, squats and deadlifting.
According to Jackman, being a parent fulfilled most of his cardio needs. However, he upped his cardio game by biking when preparing for his iconic role.
For His shirtless Scenes, Hugh Jackman Had To Lose Some Water Weight
Exercising and diets aside, Jackman had to incorporate dehydration into his routine. His shirtless scenes particularly required the actor to lose 10 pounds of water weight prior.
This accounts for the dry and aesthetic-looking effect he always had when appearing shirtless offscreen. Speaking to Stephen Colbert on his show, the star once divulged:
“I find out the date which is the shirt off thing, and it’s about a three-month runup. You gotta be in pretty good shape. But the three months before are very specific.”
The process involved increasing his water intake to about 10 litres daily. Then 36 hours before the shoot, he would stop his water intake, ultimately losing the water mass through frequent urination.
Other Celebrities Who Went through Daunting Routines To Alter Their Physique For A Movie Role
Aside from Hugh Jackman, several other celebrities over the years have undergone daunting routines to pull off a shirtless scene.
For his shirtless beach scene on “Top Gun: Maverick,” Mike Teller had to undergo quite the process. Teller admitted to going through an intense workout and diet routine to stay in shape prior to the movie.
Then ahead of his shirtless scene, he had to manipulate his water intake for days, also using sodium and sugar to his advantage. The result was the hot-looking Bradley Bradshaw emerging from the beach after his round of surfing.
Actor Zac Effron also went through the same daunting process to achieve his iconic body on “Baywatch.” The routine was so intense and traumatizing that the star swore never to look that fit again.
Notably, this goes to prove just how difficult it is to alter one’s body for a movie role. Yet, Hugh Jackman has managed to do so for over two decades playing “Wolverine,” with his body statistics (6ft 2in tall and 187 pounds) working to his advantage.
