Picture this: You’re in the middle of an award-winning action-packed movie, on the edge of your seat. Then that scene comes on where Matthew McConaughey takes his shirt off- you can’t help but notice his rock-hard physique and lean legs. At this point, you’re probably either swooning or admiring the dedication it took to achieve such a chiseled physique. And as soon as the scene is over, you’ve made a mental oath to hit the gym first thing in the morning.
Let’s face it, a few days of sit-ups and light jogging isn’t going to get you that star celebrity physique. Most of these fit actors go incredibly hard in the gym- for hours at a time- especially if they’re training for a movie role. But on the bright side, a lot of these actors were once ab-less and unable to bench press 400lbs. This means that with hard work and persistence, a regular guy or gal can have any body their heart desires!
We have been emphasizing the connection between health and public figures since 2013, and we are pleased to rank these men who lead by example in making the world a healthier place.
To create the list, we used a combination of interviews, internet, library, industry literature, and HFR founder Samir Becic’s knowledge of over 33 years in athletics coupled with his recognition as “4x Number 1 Fitness Trainer in the World.”
The HarperCollins author of the fitness book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic says of these oscar winning leading men: “All the men on this list are not only superior in their acting talents but also promote healthy lifestyle through example. They all clearly understand the importance of taking care of their health and fitness and I hope they continue to be phenomenal ambassadors!”
The Oscar-winning men on this list make fitness a lifestyle for more than just their action or sexy movie roles, they do it because it’s what allows them to look and feel their prime- regardless their age. We already brought you our list of fittest female Oscar-winners– now it’s time gaze at these seductive Oscar-winning men- whose healthy lifestyles- and ripped abdomens- won them a spot on our list of the Top 10 Fittest Male Oscar-Winners.
In alphabetical order:
Casey Affleck
- A handsome hunk, Casey Affleck has been vegan for nearly 20 years.
- The 2017 Oscar winner was in incredible shape for his 2016 role in Manchester By The Sea
- He believes abstaining from all animal products is a humane and healthy way to live, and we can all agree it’s certainly working for him.
- He pushes his fans to avoid all meat products, stating “When people ask me why I don’t eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they are unhealthy and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry.’”
- “Chickens, cows, and pigs in factory farms spend their whole lives in filthy, cramped conditions, only to die a prolonged and painful death,” he continues.
- Affleck got into tip-top shape for his movie role Out of the Furnace, by training and hitting the gym regularly!
- “Basically anybody can do it… you just put yourself through it.”
Jeff Bridges
- This Oscar-winning veteran actor maintains a lifestyle revolved around staying zen and de-stressed.
- Bridges is a regular meditator who believes that “Getting down to that basic stillness is so beneficial to [his] life.”
- “I think keeping a good, joyous attitude is good for your mental health and your physical health. Positive energy and a curious mind really keep things going well. Perspective means a lot in life. We all have negative thoughts. You can hook on to those and run with them, and you can be taken away from where you are and the time you’re actually in, which might be magnificent. It’s practice, man.
- The Crazy Heart actor advocates the importance of health to the public by being a part of anti-hunger and health campaigns.
- After a press conference for “A Place at the Table,” he told Energy Times that he credits his wife for making him with a power smoothie- including spirulina, protein powder, fruit, vitamins and hemp hearts.
- Bridges also exercises regularly, and is blunt about the importance of staying in shape, claiming “It doesn’t feel good to be overweight and out of shape.”
Adrien Brody
- This Oscar-winner pushes his body past its limits to prove himself worthy for his physically demanding roles.
- The Predators star became ripped in a short period of time for the hardcore role.
- “Sometimes you have to change the way you look to play a part. For example, for Predators I put on 25lb of muscle. I had about 6% body fat and I was as big as I’d ever been. But originally they didn’t want me for the role so I had to prove I was capable of achieving the physical strength to portray that character.”
- Brody’s diet is incredibly disciplined with both his diet and exercise regime.
- “I had to be very disciplined. A large part of physique is diet. No sugar, no alcohol, no desserts. You have to have the right training regime. You have to know what supplements to take. It takes a lot of work but once you start seeing results it’s very exciting. It motivates you. I felt very confident from that physical transformation.”
Nicolas Cage
- Nicolas cage might just have the most fascinating diet known to man!
- He revealed that he will eat only animals who mate in a dignified fashion, a dietary preference which apparently rules out pork.
- “I actually choose the way I eat according to the way animals have sex. I think fish are very dignified with sex. So are birds. But pigs, not so much. So I don’t eat pig meat or things like that. I eat fish and fowl.”
- While Cage has left most of his macho action roles in the past, he still works hard to stay in shape for his adventurous movie roles!
- The rugged and handsome 53-year-old shows absolutely no signs of aging in his public appearances!
- The most intense movie training Cage performed was for the 1997 movie Con Air, where he had to play an ex-con and former U.S. Ranger, Nicolas Cage had to do some serious training.
- The Oscar-winning actor was so committed to his physical transformation that he lifted weights both on and off set, dropping his body fat percentage to a shocking 3 percent.
Leonardo DiCaprio
- Does workouts with a trainer 6 times a week for 90 minutes.
- Does a combination of cardio, strength training, and martial arts.
- Plays tennis.
- Walks and hikes with his dogs.
- Is known to play pickup basketball with his fellow actor friend Tobey Maguire and even George Clooney.
- His workout regimen varies based on the role he is preparing for.
- Despite the Hollywood temptation, DiCaprio has chosen to stay away from drugs. He has said “Drugs? Every one has a choice and I choose not to do drugs.” He’s also said “I’ve never done drugs. That’s because I saw this stuff literally every day when I was 3 or 4 years old.”
- He has a healthy outlook on life “If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.”
Jamie Foxx
- Jamie Foxx believes that his healthy lifestyle is what keeps him youthful.
- Foxx’s workout is divided into short circuits that keep him moving, allowing him to hit multiple muscle groups in a short period and get his heart rate pumping.
- This high intensity interval training is the recipe for lean muscle mass and a revved up metabolism.
- When it comes to training, Foxx believes in viewing the bigger picture, by training his entire body.
- “I’d been doing bench presses my whole life,” says Foxx. “The chest, the front – but I hadn’t been working my back, so it made me hunch forward.”
- Realizing this motivated the smoking hot actor to step his game up at the gym, even in his late 40s.
- The shredded movie actor pairs his intense workouts with a low-carbohydrate, high fiber and high protein diet.
- His typical breakfast includes toast and turkey bacon, with a glass of orange juice, followed by a sandwich on pita bread and a protein shake for lunch.
- “I’ll cheat a little bit,” he admits, “but then I just have to bust a– on the other side.”
- The 49-year-old has no intentions on slowing down, claiming “I wouldn’t have this type of energy otherwise[…] I feel refreshed, I feel young.”
Anthony Hopkins
- Hopkins is showing the world that, even at the age of 79, it’s never too late to live a healthy and fit lifestyle.
- The Oscar-winner was once “addicted to bread, cookies… bad stuff,” However, that’s all changed, thanks to his third wife.
- “My wife’s no dictator, but she said I must stick to a regimen. So I’m in the gym six days a week, I power walk, live on 800 calories a day. No pasta. No seconds. A sandwich occasionally. Now I’m a health nut. I can’t get back into my wardrobe. I gave it all away to some mission. I tried tailoring the pants but they look ridiculous.”
- After 2 years of this new lifestyle, the once overweight actor dropped a whopping 75 lbs!
- Sir Anthony Hopkins changed his diet by sticking to a low GI diet. This type of diet restricts bread, cookies, biscuits, and other simple carbs.
- Since the Oscar-winner has been relatively inactive in the past, he doesn’t have enough strength or flexibility to do intense exercises. However, power walking is a simple and effective cardiovascular activity.
- Anthony shares, “I got tired of being heavy, so I went on a really good regime of eating healthy and exercising for an hour a day. I’m not a nutty, macrobiotic kind of guy, but I enjoy being alive.”
Matthew McConaughey
- McConaughey has always been known for bringing rock-solid shape to the big screen.
- For his Magic Mike training, the sexy actor was trained and advised by Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., CSCS, and supplement expert, and Gunnar Peterson, CSCS, the renowned celebrity trainer.
- Gunnar Peterson claimed he’s one of the few (celebs) who keeps up his fitness year-round and on-going.
- McConaughey’s workouts include plenty of intense interval training, which keeps him challenged and mentally stimulated.
- His typical workout regime may include pullups, pushups, sprints in his backyard, squats, and finally kettlebell work in the driveway.
- And just when you think he’s through with his workout, he takes his road bike out for several miles.
- “It’s always been a lifestyle,” he says. “Then it became something that was like, ‘Hey, it’s also good for my job.’ I’m not a professional athlete, but I have a job where I like to look good and be as healthy as possible.”
- McConaughey believes that fitness is about a lot more than just looking good. It’s about being able to keep up with his children, and being the upbeat, active father every child deserves.
Sean Penn
- This ripped Oscar-winning doesn’t let age hold him back from being in outstanding shape.
- The Gunman star went through special training to obtain his phenomenal physique at 56.
- Penn even quit smoking for the role!
- For his diet, Penn follows a strict diet, consisting of a mix of high quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- For bulking purposes, Penn made sure to eat plenty of lean meats, eggs, fish and chicken- which are all premium sources of protein.
- When asked how he got in such incredible shape, he responded, “Here’s how I would put it; I barely got in the shape I needed to be in for shooting those scenes[…] I knew it was going to be tough and it was.”
- But Penn accomplished the challenge despite any age-related intimidation or second thoughts.
- Penn takes working out seriously, both on and off screen, engaging in fun and physically challenging activities.
- Not only does Penn train hard, he’s been spotted running laps in Hollywood, and jumping into the water for some surfing on beach vacations.
Denzel Washington
- This A-lister, multiple award-winning actor makes fitness a lifestyle!
- “Getting fit is a lifestyle. Turning 50, I realized this is not a dress rehearsal. I was already sorta in that mindset before, but it really hit home, to enjoy every day and lead a good, healthy life…keep things simple.”
- This chiseled hunk gives his all to get in shape for his movie roles, even adopting the vegan diet during the summer of 2013.
- While the vegan diet was short-lived, he adopted vegetarianism, which allows him to consume dairy, eggs and honey.
- Washington has devoted his diet to portion control, and low-carb and high-protein foods, which is great for supporting lean muscle mass.
- The tall, dark and handsome actor stays fit by boxing- a vigorous 10 rounds daily, 5 days a week.
- Boxing is a wonderful regime to include in your exercise routine, because not only is it cardiovascular, it also builds muscle mass.
Leo Di Caprio’s on here? LOL! Obviously you haven’t seen any pap photos of him over the past couple of years. He’s fat and totally out of shape.