Superhero physiques have always been coveted. Big, strong, muscular arms, broad shoulders, and toned abs- that’s the dream for most men. English actor Nicholas Galitzine reveals exactly how he got the ideal ‘He-Man’ physique with the help of a strength-focused workout routine and clean diet.

The main challenge wasn’t bulking up, which Galitzine did quite quickly. It was actually the fine-tuning process. While training with Hollywood strength coach Jason Walsh, Galitzine focused on basic compound movements, training 5 days a week to get bigger. His 'He-Man' upper-body routine consisted of the following:

• Dumbbell chest presses (2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
• EZ bar reverse curls (3 sets of 8 reps)
• Cable triceps pressdowns (3 sets of 8 reps)
• Overhead cable extensions (3 sets of 8 reps)
• Cable upright rows (3 sets of 8 to 12 reps)

However, it wasn’t just the He-Man workout that contributed to his body. His diet also changed drastically. He admits to going from eating "way more food than I ever thought I could consume to eating less food than I ever thought.”

His He-Man transformation called for a calorie-dense, muscle-building diet.

A Peek Into Nicholas Galitzine’s ‘He-Man’ Diet

According to The Sun, Galitzine was asked to bulk up for his role in He-Man. On average, he was required to consume 4000 to 5000 calories daily to gain 18 kilos. Galitzine admits that there were parts of the bulking process that weren’t too enjoyable.

“It wasn’t fun seeing my fifth or sixth meal of the day at 10 pm – more chicken and rice.”

His high-protein meals typically consisted of chicken, rice, and vegetables. However, eating almost 5,000 calories a day is no easy task.

Galitzine wasn’t one to give up easily. He showed up consistently, sticking to a grueling diet plan and workout routine.

“Those were the challenges – when you’re putting on all of the size, and you feel like you’ve eaten a version of yourself. There was a dent in the right side of the bed where I usually sleep.”

After finally bulking up, he went through a cutting phase, which finally got him ready for the He-Man look.

One thing we all learned from Galitzine’s He-Man transformation is that building a superhero physique takes effort in the gym as well as the kitchen.

Have you ever gone through a bulking and cutting phase, and if so, what did your diet look like?

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil