There’s no doubt that Hollywood actors and actresses develop some of the best bodies for their roles. It often prompts the question of how these stars of Hollywood workout. People in general seem fixated on taking their favorite celebrity’s workout and applying it to their own body. You must ask this crucial question first, however: are those celebrity workouts and diets as successful as they would have you believe? Will a Hollywood workout really allow you to build the body of your dreams?
The physical Hollywood ideal has developed and changed over the years. Decades ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger set the standard for a great body with every red blooded American male seeking to look like the Terminator. Since you don’t see many bodybuilders who are celebrities, it’s obvious that the appeal faded over time. When Brad Pitt played Tyler Durden in Fight Club, the look changed again. He had extremely low body fat, well defined muscles, and still maintained that dangerous look. His body set the gold standard for years to come and is still highly influential today.
Over the past decade since Fight Club’s release, Hollywood has seen its share of more great bodies. Pitt once again blew everyone away with his god-like body in Troy, packing on muscle mass after Fight Club. In Blade Trinity, Ryan Reynolds boasts a truly impressive display of abs. The whole cast of the movie 300, including Gerard Butler, built great bodies worthy of the Spartans. One of the most sought after bodies, however, is that of Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black in the Twilight saga.
With all these great celebrity bodies, you would think there would be some common theme or lesson that could be extracted about workouts. The various celebrity workouts and diets are generally nothing like each other, however. Some celebrities work out one muscle group per day; others perform full body circuit training workouts. Some celebrities work out every day for 30 minutes, while others hit the gym for hours each day. Some stars eat regular diets, limiting sugar and alcohol; others graze throughout the day and eat many smaller meals.
Despite the various workout routines, these celebrities all managed to get in phenomenal shape for their roles. How did this happen? Hard work and dedication. It’s not their family backgrounds that give celebrities the bodies that many of us crave, although they do have a secret. Celebrities have money, time, and incentive to build the best possible body. If someone offered you $20 million to get in the best shape of your life in just 3-6 months, you’d find a way to do it even if it meant getting up at the crack of dawn, working out hours on end, and severely restricting your diet.
A celebrity workout routine need not be perfect because the celebrity for whom it was designed has plenty of time to correct any mistakes they make. With enough motivation and time, a poor workout program can be combined with a doable eating routine to be more successful than you might imagine. In addition, many stars have nutritionists and personal trainers to help them meet their goals. Most of us average folks, however, will never have the money or the time or the personalized help to be successful with these routines. With limited time and money, it is not hard to make a crucial mistake when planning a workout routine.
So can you learn anything from a Hollywood workout? I’d argue the only real lesson is that celebrity workouts and diets can help you get in shape with enough hard work, just like any other fitness program. You cannot, however, just put on a celebrity’s workout DVD or buy his or her diet book and expect instant success. Instead of hours given to exercise, you might be able to commit only a short amount of time. In addition, what works well for their metabolism might not work well for yours. As an alternative, shoot for the look you desire with a customized workout routine, not just a standard Hollywood workout plan.