For his latest film, Logan, Hugh Jackman’s training technique to get him in shape seemed somewhat different. Or so he explained on American chat show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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18 years of work and training
He said it himself: he loves his character. However, to be the real Wolverine, Hugh Jackman has had to undergo years of intense training and sacrifice. At the beginning of his career, it worked quite well for him; he would gain weight then lose weight. However the more time passes, the more difficult it is to keep fit, and keep up the willpower; especially when you’re constantly depriving yourself of food. For his first Marvel film, in which he played Wolverine, he was 31 years old. Today in his latest film, he is 48 years old. So he has had to make sacrifices for his body his whole career!
A dangerous but effective technique
As most of the scenes in this film are topless, Hugh Jackman could not get away with cutting corners to get himself in prime physical condition. During filming, Jackman experimented with a rather dangerous technique...dehydration. This water diet involved going from drinking 10 litres of water a day to then, 36 hours before filming, stopping drinking altogether. Consequently, the body gets rid of all sources of water therefore emphasising the actor’s muscular features. Coupled with his intensive training program, this technique makes him look incredibly shredded!
This technique does not come recommended however. Jackman was accompanied by several health professionals who oversaw the process. Depriving your body of water for 100 hours or more can have fatal consequences.
So if you really want to look like Wolverine it’s probably a safer bet to reduce your carb intake and do those extra sets...
