Pushing to the Limit: Hollywood Actors Reveal Their Workout Routines

Tom Holland is an actor known for how well he uses his body. Appearing in 〈Spider-Man: Brand New Day〉 and 〈Odyssey〉, he has continued his box-office run, and his latest film also showed off a well-developed upper body — prompting interest in his training routine. Holland is not the only star to have revealed a distinctive training regimen; this article gathers four actors who have described theirs.

Tom Holland - CrossFit 'Cindy'

Holland trained in dance as a child and made his stage debut in the musical 'Billy Elliot,' and he has continued to pay close attention to how he conditions his body. He recently shared a 20-minute full-body workout that quickly became a talking point online. The routine calls for one set of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats, repeated for as many rounds as possible within 20 minutes. Known in CrossFit as 'Cindy,' the workout's intensity is hard to judge from a description alone; for an average person, completing just 10 rounds is impressive. Holland has said that on particularly good days he reaches 27 rounds — more than one round per minute — an astonishing level of capacity. He also notes he does not hit 27 rounds every time; on very tough days he replaces the 'as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes' goal with a target of completing 20 rounds instead.

Hugh Jackman - '50 Club'

Hugh Jackman, who has played a superhero role longer than anyone in Hollywood history, combined various training methods to build Wolverine's rugged physique. One distinctive routine worth trying is the '50 Club.' First, choose a weight you can lift for 12 repetitions. Then work toward a total of 50 reps, doing as many sets as necessary; each set is counted up to 12 reps. If you exceed 12 reps on the first set, you still record that set as 12, finish the day's 50 total reps, and increase the weight in the next session. In this way you reach the 50 total repetitions. The method balances increasing weight to build muscle and repeating volume to boost muscular endurance. Jackman's actual process for building that physique was much more detailed and required substantial time and management, but this routine is a challenging starting point for members of the public who want to begin training or increase their workout volume.

Natalie Portman - Bodyweight Workouts Using Resistance Bands

Natalie Portman often sees her weight fluctuate depending on the role, and building muscle presented a particular challenge for the Jane Foster / Mighty Thor part in 〈Thor: Love and Thunder〉. Having been vegan for a long time and starting with relatively little muscle, her trainer emphasized protein intake and prioritized exercises and progressions designed to reduce the risk of injury. Portman used light dumbbells and resistance bands to engage her whole body while increasing volume without overloading it. That approach allowed her to transform into a role-appropriate shape, and when the stills were released they immediately sparked discussion — especially about her arm definition.

Gal Gadot - Full-Body TRX Workouts

Gal Gadot, this era's 'Wonder Woman,' handled a training load comparable to many male actors. While preparing for Wonder Woman, she reported working out six hours a day. She has said her preferred method is TRX (Total Resistance eXercise). TRX is similar to resistance-band workouts but typically more intense: it uses straps anchored at a high point so you can leverage your body weight. Rather than a single fixed exercise, the straps increase the intensity of bodyweight movements to boost workout efficiency. More recently, actor Son Ye-jin said she had practiced TRX for eight years and had even earned an instructor certification, a revelation that generated fresh interest in the workout.