David Corenswet Ate 4,500 Calories a Day for 'Superman'—Here's What a Dietitian Thinks

Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD

Key Points

• David Corenswet ate 4,500 calories a day and gained 40 pounds to bulk up for Superman.

• While Corenswet’s diet matched his training, a dietitian shares how this may not be sustainable for most.

• Building muscle is more than just calories, as nutrient-dense foods and strength training are equally important.

With the new Superman movie coming out this weekend, lead actor David Corenswet has been making countless headlines. And as our brand-new Superman, the star had to go through months of physical training, including a major caloric uptick and intense exercise.

In a recent interview with GQ, Corenswet admitted that he had to eat much more than the average person in order to meet his muscle building goals.

“I was aiming for about 4,500 calories a day,” he says in the video. In a separate interview with People last month, Corenswet says that this alongside intense weight training caused him to gain 40 pounds between the first screen test as Clark Kent and the first costume fitting.

Weight gain can be healthier than weight loss when you’re working out, especially if your goal is to build more muscle. But if gaining 40 pounds in the short-term and eating 4,500 calories feels like a lot, you’re not wrong. We asked our senior nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, if these are warranted amounts for Corenswet’s health goals to transform as Superman—here’s what she had to say.

“Calorie needs are super individual, and based on numerous factors like age, height, sex and activity level. Personal goals are also something that can influence what someone’s goal calorie intake should be. However, drastically increasing or decreasing one’s caloric intake in hopes to reach a lofty goal often backfires,” Ball shares. “Someone of Corenswet’s age and height with a very high activity level would need around 3,500 calories per day just to meet their body’s needs. So while 4,500 calories is likely unnecessary and unsustainable for many, it was a calorie excess that aligned with Corenswet’s goals for his role.”

Although the high-calorie diet and heavy lifting worked for Superman, there’s no denying that this isn’t fully sustainable for the average person. When it comes to excessive diets and celebrity exercise routines, it’s important to remember that an actor’s training is a part of their career, so spending hours at the gym each day isn’t incredibly feasible for most. But there are more maintainable ways to gain muscle mass, from prioritizing certain nutrients to incorporating different exercises in your workout.

“While caloric intake is one part of the equation, there’s a lot more that goes into gaining mass in a healthy way. In order to gain lean mass, like muscle, strength training is crucial. However, other forms of exercise like cardio and stretching are still really important for your overall health,” adds Ball. “Muscles and other body tissues need nutrients beyond just protein to recover, so it’s important to make sure that any diet focused on a calorie surplus is still considering the nutrient density of the food choices.”

So no, you don’t have to eat 4,500 calories to meet your muscle goals. But consider incorporating more high-protein, high-fiber meals in your routine to maintain muscle mass and to keep you satisfied. And mixing up your workout with aerobic exercise alongside weight lifting is key to maintaining strength.

Read the original article on EATINGWELL