If your Hollywood crush is currently Glen Powell, you’re not alone. Having taken the action and romantic comedy genres by storm, showbiz’s latest new hunk is rife with inimitable swagger, and we’re absolutely here for it. Want to get in on his style and fitness routine? Read on to learn how Glen Powell maintains his washboard abs, from his workout routine to his diet.
While his shredded beach body as Jake “Hangman” Seresin from 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick grabbed one too many eyeballs, his recent onscreen outings like Anyone But You (2023) and Twisters (2024) made him the ultimate hunk in show business.
Those chiselled abs, eye-popping intercostals, beefy delts and razor-sharp jawline result from sheer hard work and a dash of ‘God being kind’.
So, what’s the secret behind the Texas-born actor’s ‘beefcake’ looks? We unravel all that and more as we break down the fitness and workout routine of Glen Powell below:
Deconstructing the workout routine Glen Powell follows
Glen Powell’s physique isn’t overtly muscular; instead, it emphasises finer details like his abs and serratus muscles. He strikes a unique balance between heavy lifting for building raw strength and targeted exercises that refine his overall appearance.
His workout split begins with arms, abs, and shoulders, followed by a rest day, and then he focuses on the chest and back the day after.
After another day off, he tackles a ‘leg’ workout, but it’s not your standard leg day routine. His goal is to achieve an athletic look.
Before diving into the main part of his workouts, he incorporates at least one minute of jumping jacks, reverse lunges, and planks. The Hollywood star enjoys focusing on exercises he likes and is always experimenting with new routines. He has a variety of workout machines at home, including an assault bike and a rowing machine. Rather than sticking to a strict plan, he prefers to keep moving and staying active.
For upper body and core: He does a set of ab circuits (4 reps) to develop his arms, abs and shoulders and hanging leg raises to strengthen his core.
For the back: He focuses on exercises like incline bench presses, single-arm straight-arm pulldowns and ring pull-ups.
For glutes and legs: He does side plank hip dips, sledge drag, walking lunges and leg curls.
Crafting a ‘Top Gun’ physique like Glen Powell
Glen Powell is the leading man in Hollywood right now and clearly, it takes a good trainer and workout routine to keep him in leading man shape. Enter Nick Mitchell, his fitness coach, who is also the founder of the global fitness brand Ultimate Performance.
Powell entrusted his body transformation for Top Gun: Maverick’s iconic shirtless beach American football scene to Mitchell. Want to know how he aced the look? Keep scrolling.
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His objective was straightforward: to develop broad shoulders, a strong chest, traps and impressive abs within seven weeks. Mitchell, in an interview with Ultimate Performance, revealed that every workout was tailored to enhance his physique for that standout moment, aiming for a striking ‘athletic look’ during the film’s beach football scene.
Following that, his training focused on further building his muscular upper body while ensuring he remained healthy and free from injuries throughout the filming process.
To make the most of his three to four gym sessions each week, Powell adopted a supersets-style bodybuilding approach. He engaged in straightforward yet effective exercises such as bench presses, pull-ups, low rows, and dips to strengthen his chest and back. For his shoulders and arms, he included French presses, lateral raises, bicep curls, and tricep extensions.
Incorporating modified strongman workouts like sledge pulls and farmer’s walks added a functional element to his leg training while boosting overall calorie burn for fat loss. Targeted abdominal exercises, including cable crunches and Swiss ball planks, were essential for sculpting his six-pack for the camera.
With just seven weeks to transform his physique, Mitchell pushed Glen to his limits with every repetition, utilising drop sets and intensity techniques to enhance his results.
Glen Powell’s diet
Glen Powell’s day begins with a wholesome breakfast sandwich that features sweet potato bread, eggs, and kale, tossed in homemade hot sauce. The Hit Man actor acknowledges that there are occasions when he forgoes breakfast, opting instead for a substantial lunch or dinner following a workout. His diet is loaded with lots of protein and carbs.
As for cheat meals, he has a particular fondness for ice cream.
Powell also has a passion for cooking and his fridge is always well-stocked with chicken and salmon. That said, the dude avoids dairy at all costs. “You’ll never see cheese in my fridge,” he shared during an interview with Men’s Health, adding, “That’s a big deal for a Texan.” Instead, he prefers non-dairy options such as oat milk.
Overall, he describes his dietary approach as quite relaxed and stresses that he comes from a family of eaters who are not too big on diets. “My diet is pretty chill. I come from a family of eaters, so if you made me truly diet, I’d think I’d be pretty grumpy,” he shares.
This article first appeared on Augustman Malaysia.
(Main and featured images: Glen Powell/Instagram)
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.