Hugh Jackman 'Wolverine' Diet: Ate 5,000 Calories A Day

Hugh Jackman took building his rock hard body for his latest Wolverine movie as seriously as ever, fitting in intense workouts with his personal trainer while filming and consuming extra calories.

Jackman’s personal trainer, Mike Ryan, who he met at an Australian gym over 20 years ago, recently dished on how he gets the 40-year-old movie star in shape to take on a superhero. “It’s all about evolution,” Ryan told Men’s Fitness. “In Wolverine, Hugh looks big onscreen, but really he’s just ripped. That’s the secret to looking good. It’s not just about getting big, it’s about getting ripped.”

So what does Ryan have Jackman do to get ripped? The trainer takes the actor through 60-90 minute workouts that include both cardio and weights in the mornings before filming– which means 4 a.m. workouts for 6 a.m. shoots. For weights, Jackman does squats, deadlifts, presses and other simple lifting techniques, targeting one muscle group a day. Ryan is also a big fan of having Jackman superset – going from one exercise directly into the next and back again.

Although the workouts are vital to developing his toned physique, diet also played an important role in getting Jackman in ideal form for The Wolverine. "You actually have to eat a lot, and I'm quite a skinny person," Jackman told Sirius XM satellite radio. "So I'm eating ridiculous amounts of food – 5,000 calories a day. I literally talk to myself like I'm training – 'One more mouthful, c'mon man! You can do it! Just one more mouthful! Half a chicken breast to go and then you've got it! Just two meals left!'"

The Wolverine is set for wide release in the U.S. on July 26.

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