Here's How Zac Efron Got So Ripped For Baywatch
Emmy-winning actor Zac Efron may have gotten his big break when he starred as a teenage heartthrob in "High School Musical." But one of his more recent roles as a lifeguard in "Baywatch" has most of us noticing that the days of his youthful pudge are long gone. That's right. Zac Efron is ripped. We're talking eight-pack abs and the kind of definition you can see from a mile away.
We understand Efron's motivation. Of course, he had to be in a bathing suit for a good chunk the "Baywatch" film, but he also had to make sure he was in sparring shape to stand alongside his co-star, Dwayne "the Rock ” Johnson. Here's how he accomplished just that.
According to Muscle & Fitness, Efron's trainer, Patrick Murphy, claims the actor reached 5% body fat after 12 weeks of intense training. "What that entailed was two exercises followed back-to-back without rest," explains Murphy via YouTube when describing the workout regime he specifically created for Efron. He adds, "This created an elevated heart rate which maxed calorie-burning, this created muscular efficiency, high muscular endurance, and I created an unstoppable machine."
Efron allowed himself rest days and 3 cheat meals per month
According to Muscle & Fitness, Murphy had the actor condense his workouts into targeted areas, with back and biceps one day, legs another, and shoulders, chest, and arms the third day. Murphy would pair two exercises together as a "superset," to be performed in sequence without resting in between, followed by a 60-second break before the next superset. Specific exercises the former teen idol used to prepare for his shirtless role included: chin-ups, dumbbell bicep curls, straight-arms pulldowns, and seated cable rows. In between each day of intense exercise, Efron did get a day of rest.
The ultimate beach body Efron achieved wasn't just a result of all those hours in the gym. According to Healthline, the actor ate whole foods 90% of the time and stayed away from highly refined and processed foods. Though he did allow himself to splurge on three cheat meals per month.
The training regime created for the star clearly worked, both for the visual impact of his eight-pack abs on the big screen, and for the Efron's strength and health. "Right now I'm probably the physically strongest I've ever felt," he told Men's Journal during the time "Baywatch" was filming. Adding, "Not in terms of bench press or how much I can squat, but in how quickly I could get out of this room and destroy everything in my path."