Last updated on February 16th, 2022 at 10:41 am
Update Notes: We have now seen multiple different Hugh Jackman workout routines here at SHJ – ranging from our original Wolverine workout all the way to his workout for The Wolverine and Days Of Future Past!
Another cool part about our updated research is the fact that Jackman and his trainer also share insight into the specific changes that came about through the adaptation of each of these workouts.
On top of that we have specific research into Jackman’s diet and overall nutrition planning – some of which even came directly from Dwayne Johnson.
None of the changes and adaptions to his workout and overall nutrition are uncommon among celebrities I have researched within our Workout Database, though.
I have now researched over 300 celebrities, athletes and the world’s top performers and even wrote my book Superhuman Secrets on my research, with dozens and dozens of case studies – and I can tell you that the top performers are constantly adapting – but they’re also aware that fitness does NOT have to suck.
You can use these links to jump to specific research and workouts throughout the article – and this article will continue to be updated as more information comes out about Hugh Jackman’s and his training.
Table of Contents
Hugh Jackman’s Stats
Height: 6’2
Weight (approximate): 185
Age: 53 years old
Jackman falls right there into our average height range among male celebrities that we’ve seen.
Although he does fall right at the top of that range.
The average height falls in the range of 6’1-6’3 with celebs like Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Adam Driver, Stephen Amell, Clive Standen and so many more.
Guys around 5’10-6’0 are dudes like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Jason Statham, but the ACTUAL shorter range is filled with guys like Mark Wahlberg, Zac Efron, Kit Harington, Tom Holland and more.
Even taller than them are guys like The Mountain, Joe Manganiello, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Winston Duke, Alexander Skarsgard and a few others.
But, don’t worry either way.
We write these routines to be utilized by any shape and size.
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Hugh Jackman Diet and Nutrition
Jackman has been known for his intermittent fasting, specifically his 16:8 schedule.
We’ve even covered a full SHJ Guide to Intermittent Fasting that has an interview with him talking about it!
Men’s Health explains his specific window as such:
His Wolverine physique was powered by an eating regime called 16:8 – a form of intermittent fasting (IF) where you eat nothing for 16 hours a day, then cram all your calories into the other eight. It clearly worked for Hugh, so I resolved to follow a 16:8 diet for 10 days to find out if it could for me – and if it will work for you, too.
I personally do 18:6 most days, but have found incredible success working with Academy members and clients who utilize 16:8 or even 14:10.
But, to put it to you more simply, you literally have to head over to one of the IF guideline article and utilize that in combination with clean eating (Jackman utilized guidelines similar to paleo), and making sure your caloric intake and protein is high enough to maintain a clean mass building (Jackman scarfed down 5000 calories in a 6 hour window)!
Sounds easy enough, right?
Well, for Jackman it was/is.
Even when the food is what he describes as “bland”, he found this was the most sustainable and best fit for him. Jackman himself describes the food as:
“It’s chicken breast, but steamed and no salt, and steamed spinach.”
Terry Crews also follows a similar approach [to fasting] and SWEARS by it.
We see a lot of celebs opt for a sustainable approach.
That’s why our Academy Nutrition Classes (Monks, Minimalists, SuperHumans, Vikings, Spartans, Hunter Gatherers, Greek Gods, Samurais) revolve around helping you find the specific diet that is right FOR YOU.
Of course, there are a lot of reasons to HAVE the strict guidelines.
We’ve seen a lot of celebs opt for specific restrictions.
For example: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart incorporate 80/20 dieting with big weekly cheat meals, Hugh Jackman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Terry Crews utilize intermittent fasting(something I use daily as well), Mustafa Shakir and Madelaine Petsch are vegans, Brandon Routh and Frank Grillo opt for paleo, and tons of others utilize their own variations as well.
And, that’s just to name a few celebs from each, by the way.
You can check out our Nutrition Pillars for more information and articles on all of the above and more.
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Hugh Jackman’s Workout Routine Research
Ah, my favorite part.
Researching the Hugh Jackman workout routine.
Men’s Fitness tells us this:
Jackman’s trainer, David Kingsbury, had the actor follow a classic progressive overload plan to build strength on basic lifts like the bench press, squat, and deadlift. The point is to start extra light, using only a small percentage of your max, and gradually up the weights and drop the reps so that you’re smashing through plateaus in only a few weeks.
Basic, but fun stuff!
They go into some more detail with:
The remaining work involves some age-old techniques such as supersets and circuits to thoroughly exhaust muscles and burn off the fat that covers them.
Ah ha! More stuff we like.
And Bodybuilding.com gives us some insight on the Hugh Jackman workout with:
Hugh hadn’t done much direct strength work prior to training with me. He mostly worked in the 8-12 rep range. I always encourage low, 1-5 rep heavy work to stimulate myofibril hypertrophy. Then after the heavy work is done we move onto the higher rep schemes to encourage sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
And they tell us that the biggest issue with Jackman’s workout and training (due to time constraint) was:
Lack of rest. We trained very early in the morning and worked long days. Some days we were limited to 5-6 hours of sleep per night. On those days, I encouraged naps during the day when possible.
I knew my naps were paying off! But, in all seriousness, we know how important sleep is. Our article on the importance of sleep and hacking it is here if you want to check it out!
And, finally, Muscle and Fitness stays right on track with what we’ve learned about his training with the use of supersets, and steadily progressing weight with steadily decreasing rep counts.
Hugh Jackman’s Workout Routine Research Update
For this update I’m bringing in some research that dates back to two workouts Hugh Jackman used for some of his original roles.
I jumped back to some of the original interviews Jackman and his trainer did with Muscle and Fitness dating back to 2013, which was when he trained for “The Wolverine”, and I was also able to dig up information on his training for Days of Future Past as well.
Our first workout is based on the original research I pulled from all over the internet, and the following two [the newer, updated variations I’m adding] are directly shared from him and his trainer.
I unfortunately couldn’t dig up any direct quotes from the August 2013 issue (from his trainer), but if you want to fact check me you can use the source I linked to above to see exactly where I’m pulling this one from!
For his DOFP training, I was able to pull this from his trainer Kingsbury:
“I wanted to adapt and improve the previous plan to take Hugh to the next level,” Kingsbury says. “The new plan follows similar principles, but has a couple of major changes from what we did on The Wolverine. This plan utilizes two percentage systems—one aimed at strength, the other with a focus on hypertrophy.”
Which is pretty awesome considering we’re going to have both of them to work with.
You’ll be able to see how Kingsbury and Jackman adapted his training for the next level.
I’ll also be including a section Kingsbury shares on the specific training style and what to do for your warm up before you get into your lifts.
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The Hugh Jackman Workout
Training Volume:
5 Days a Week
*For extra fat burn add in 20-30 min of cardio including HIIT training*
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Hugh Jackman Workout – Monday: Chest
Barbell Bench Press:
10-8-5-3-1
Cable Crossovers
12-10-8
Chest Press Machine
12-10-8
Superset One:
Incline Dumbbell Press
AND
Dumbbell Hex Press
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
*Do not break in between sets for a superset. Finish both exercises then break before repeating.*
Superset Two:
Dumbbell Chest Flys
AND
Dips
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Hugh Jackman Workout – Tuesday: Back
Deadlift
10-8-5-3-1
Lateral Pull Downs
12-10-8
Cable Rows
12-10-8
Superset One:
Dumbell Rows
AND
Wide Grip Pull Ups
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Superset Two:
Back Extension
AND
Push Ups
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Hugh Jackman Workout – Wednesday: Shoulders and Traps
Military Press (Barbell or Dumbbells)
10-8-5-3-1
Shoulder Front Raises
12-10-8
Barbell Shrugs
12-10-8
Superset One:
Arnold Presses
AND
Pull Ups
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Superset Two:
Face Pulls (Cable)
AND
Shoulder Flys
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Hugh Jackman Workout – Thursday: Arms
Preacher Curls
10-8-5-3-3
Close Grip Bench Press
10-8-5-3-3
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
12-10-8
Overhead Tricep Extension
12-10-8
Superset One:
Cable EZ Bar Curls
AND
Cable Hammer Curls
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Superset Two:
Cable Tricep Push Downs
AND
Triangle Push Ups
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Hugh Jackman Workout – Friday: Legs
Squats
10-8-5-3-1
Leg Press
12-10-8
Calf Raises
12-10-8
Superset One:
Front Squats
AND
Weighted Step Ups
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Superset Two:
Weighted Lunges
AND
Straight Leg Deadlift
3 Sets of 10 Reps Each
Hugh Jackman Original Wolverine Workout
Training Volume:
5 Days a Week
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Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Sample Workout Schedule
Monday: Upper Body Day
Tuesday: Lower Body Training
Wednesday: Back and Biceps
Thursday: Upper Body (Chest and Tricep Focus)
Friday: Lower Body (Back and Core Focus)
Saturday: Optional Add-on Work or Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day
Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Upper Body Day
Warm Up:
5-15 Minute Incline Walk
Dynamic Warm Up
Workout:
Barbell Bench Press
4×5, 4, 3, 10
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
4×10
Behind The Neck Shoulder Press
4×10
Cuban Press
4×10
Bodyweight Dip
4×10
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4×12
Dumbbell Front Raise
3×8
Rear Delt Flyes
3×8
Overhead Press
3×8
Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Lower Body Day
Warm Up:
5-15 Minute Incline Walk
Dynamic Warm Up
Workout:
Barbell Back Squat
4×5, 4, 3, 10
Barbell Front Squat
4×10
45-Degree Single-Leg Press
4×10
Standing Calf Raises
4×12
Hanging Leg Raises
4×12
Ab Wheel Rollout
4×10
Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Back and Biceps
Warm Up:
5-15 Minute Incline Walk
Dynamic Warm Up
Workout:
Weighted Pull Ups
4×5, 4, 3, 10
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
4×12
Bodyweight Row
4×10
Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl
4×10
Zottman Curl
4×8
Cross Body Dumbbell Curl
4×8
Pronated Grip Straight Bar Curl
4×8
Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Upper Body (Chest and Tricep Focus)
Warm Up:
5-15 Minute Incline Walk
Dynamic Warm Up
Workout:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
4×6+6+6
(6 High Incline, 6 Moderate Incline, 6 Flat)
Cable Flyes
4×10
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
4×10
Tricep Pressdown
4×8
Bodyweight Dip
4×8
Narrow Push Up
4×8
Hugh Jackman Wolverine Workout Routine: Lower Body (Back and Core Focus)
Warm Up:
5-15 Minute Incline Walk
Dynamic Warm Up
Workout:
Barbell Deadlift
4×5, 4, 3, 10
Romanian Deadlift
4×10
Zercher Squat
4×12
Weighted Sit Up
4×10
Barbell Landmine
4×10
Hugh Jackman Days Of Future Past Workout
Training Volume:
5 Days a Week
Bonus Explanation:
Jackman and his trainer turned many of the accessory exercises of this workout into supersets and trisets, so feel free to complete them as such if you can handle the intensity! 🙂
Warm Up Explanation:
Warm up and cool down each day with dynamic stretching and foam rolling.
50 Club Explanation:
Pick a weight you can use for 12 reps.
With a partner, take as many turns as necessary to reach 50 total reps, going to failure on each turn. If you’re training alone, use rest periods no greater than 35 seconds.
If you reach more than 12 reps on your first set, it still only counts as 12—this is a clear indicator that you should have gone heavier, so more work is your punishment.
The 50 Club isn’t a drop set, so whichever weight you use in the first set is what you need to use for all 50 reps.
Want To Upgrade This Workout?
The Superhero Academy now comes with an Upgrade Your Workout Tool that allows Academy members to turn any SHJ workout into a 4-8 week fully planned regime detailing exact weights to lift and including reverse & traditional pyramid training, straight sets, super sets, progressive overload and more.
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Sample Workout Schedule
Monday: Lower Body Day
Tuesday: Chest and Arms
Wednesday: Back and Biceps
Thursday: Squats and Legs
Friday: Chest, Back and Arms
Saturday: Optional Add-on Work or Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Lower Body Day
Warm Up:
Refer to explanation above.
Workout:
Barbell Deadlift
4×5
Barbell Front Squat
50 Club (Refer to explanation)
Single Leg Press
4×12 each leg
Hanging Knee Raise
4×12
Leg Press Calf Raise
4×12
Russian Twist
4×10
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Chest and Arms
Warm Up:
Refer to explanation above.
Workout:
Incline Barbell Bench Press
8×6
General Pull Up
8×8
Dumbbell Bench Press
4×10
Inverted Row
4×10
Standing Zottman Curl
4×8
Dumbbell Bicep Curl
4×8
Cross Body Dumbbell Curl
4×8
Skull Crushers
4×8
Weighted Dips
4×8
Narrow Push Ups
4×8
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Shoulders and Upper
Warm Up:
Refer to explanation above.
Workout:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
8×8
Behind The Neck Shoulder Press
3×15
Upright Row and Press
50 Club (Refer to explanation)
Overhead Lateral Raise
3×10
Weighted Plate Front Raise
3×10
Dumbbell Rear Delt Flye
3×10
Seated Lateral Raises
3×8
Seated Rear Delt Flye
3×8
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3×8
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Squats and Legs
Warm Up:
Refer to explanation above.
Workout:
Barbell Front Squat
8×6
Romanian Deadlift
4×12
Barbell Hack Squat
4×12
Weighted Decline Sit Ups
4×12
Leg Press Calf Raises
4×12
Windshield Wipers
4×10
Hugh Jackman DOFP Workout Routine: Chest, Back and Arms
Warm Up:
Refer to explanation above.
Workout:
General Pull Ups
8×6
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
3×8
Dumbbell Rows
3×6-6 (Drop Set)
Cable Rear Delt Flyes
3×12
Pushdowns
3×12
Narrow Grip Eccentric Chin Ups
3×2 (Slow Negative 20-30 Seconds)
Barbell Bicep Curl
3×12
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Does this workout have an ab component? Can you do some cardio?
There are three workouts included on this article. Which are you referring to? Abs are going to come from a low bf% and the core work that comes from the entirety of all of these systems. I personally don’t hit abs directly either unless I’m working on my holds for calisthenics movements.