Introduction
We all know how much fads and celebrities can shake up the health and fitness world. Diets like keto, going gluten-free, and others can promise great results by implementing changes in your eating habits.
Workouts can be the same way too. Some people swear by HIIT workouts and how effective they can be, while others go for the good old-fashioned circuit workouts.
In choosing the best kinds of diet and workouts for us, we tend to look up to fitness icons and celebrities, staring at their well-toned abs and broad shoulders.
We watch movies and ask ourselves, how do we get that body?
Jason Momoa’s answer is simple, but you’re not going to like it: exercise and proper diet.
Yup, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman body does not have a simple one-way path. You can’t cheat or fad diet your way to having pecs like he has.
Know, though, that most movie stars will have trainers who monitor closely how they respond to each workout. While these exercises and diets might have worked for Jason Momoa, they might not for you.
You also must understand that in preparation for their movie roles, actors tend to go all out for a long period of time, going on a strict diet with very little leeway and cheat days in order to achieve the body they require for the role. It is, after all, their job.
Don’t expect that these will be sustainable solutions to your fitness journey. Take some and leave some, if you will.
Now that you know this, let’s move on to Jason Momoa’s diet and workout.
Jason Momoa's Diet
You’ll notice that Jason Momoa’s roles consist of men who look extremely buff. His role in Aquaman, especially, is toned, but you’ll be surprised how much leeway he actually has to achieve this body.
The most interesting thing about Jason’s diet is that he provides enough leeway for him to drink a Guinness beer every day. Isn’t that great?
I am personally a fan of diets that don’t restrict you too much. Restrictions usually tend to build up over time, and you might even end up binge eating with the excuse that you’d done well anyway.
Instead, Jason sets his diet to be as free as he can be. No foods were off-limits for him! Jason tried to focus less on the calories and more on the macronutrients he was taking in.
The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Proteins
Protein is the building block of your body. It’s what makes up your muscles, which is why you tend to see bodybuilders drink protein shakes like nobody’s business.
Proteins are made of amino acids, most of which can be produced by the body. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by the body and are instead taken in from outside sources: food.
This is why your diet is extremely important if you’re bulking up. You must have a high daily protein intake!
Animal sources are usually called “complete proteins” because they have all the essential amino acids. Vegetable sources usually don’t have all the essential amino acids, but if you have a plate of different kinds of vegetables, you’ll probably get them all.
If you want to up your protein intake, you can add a protein supplement like a protein shake. Remember that protein shakes are not meal replacements; they are simply additions to your meals.
Jason Momoa definitely keeps his protein intake up to get that much muscle into his body. He’s a huge fan, of course, of animal sources. He’s even known to eat chicken breast with peanut butter!
Here are some of the specific foods Jason Momoa likes with protein as its main macronutrient:
1. Chicken breast and peanut butter
This is the first time I’ve heard of this combination, but despite it being a bit strange, it does make sense, keeping in mind Aquaman’s physique.
Chicken breast has always been a go-to food for those trying to bulk up because of its high protein content and versatility; it can be cooked in different ways!
2. Sashimi
Jason Momoa enjoyed salmon or barramundi sashimi, which are genuinely mouthwatering choices. Not only are they great-tasting, they are also helpful in building up muscle. Its protein content (along with fat) is an Aquaman dream!
3. Steak
Steak is another source of protein enjoyed by those bulking up. Choose cuts such as top sirloin, bottom round, sirloin-tip side steak, and skirt steak. These are the cuts that have quite a high protein-to-fat ratio.
Carbohydrates
Those on a diet tend to avoid carbohydrates. This macronutrient gets a bad rep, but alongside your workouts, carbohydrates are essential!
Carbohydrates are basically sugar molecules that break down to glucose. Glucose is our main source of energy, but when you don’t particularly need energy, it gets turned into glycogen.
Glycogen are basically our energy stores, so when you’re working out and are pushing particularly hard, your body taps into these glycogen stores.
It’s important that you get the right amount of carbohydrates into your system so that you have enough energy to do your workouts well. A ratio of 1:3 protein to carbs is sufficient enough to help your body produce glycogen.
You can expect that, in order to get a ripped body like Jason Momoa’s, your carb intake might need to be monitored more than normal. I don’t even know how he manages to get a Guinness into his diet, but he makes it work with his carb allocation, I guess!
Carbohydrates can be found in grains like bread, rice, or even in fruits. It’s best to choose whole grains and foods with lots of fiber to avoid added sugar that will up your calorie count but won’t provide that much usable energy.
Here are some of the specific foods Jason Momoa likes with carbohydrates as its main macronutrient:
1. Healthy grains (rice, quinoa)
Healthy grains such as rice and quinoa are a great source of carbs. These are especially great at keeping you feeling full. I also recommend pairing this with the proteins mentioned above.
2. Fruit
Fruit has a little more sugar in it, but it still is a great source of carbohydrates. You will find that bananas tend to be a great pre-workout snack.
Fats
Hearing the word “fat” pushes away people who want to bulk up and get lean. There are a lot of misconceptions about fat, but it’s a macronutrient you cannot avoid (and shouldn’t!).
Fats are actually a great macronutrient for your body. It is said to be the main way that the body stores energy.
Other uses of fats include keeping your skin healthy. It does, however, tend to slow the absorption of nutrients after a workout.
Watch out for your fat intake, but keep in mind that fats are still an important macronutrient!
With Jason Momoa’s famous chicken and peanut butter bowls, his peanut butter contains a high amount of fat.
Here are some of the specific foods Jason Momoa likes with fats as its main macronutrient:
1. Olive Oil
You won’t find Jason eating spoonfuls of olive oil, but it’s definitely a great source of fats. If I would guess, Jason Momoa probably used olive oil as replacements for cooking oil, or maybe also for dressing!
2. Avocados
Avocados are a great source of fats despite it being fruit. It’s often called a “good fat”!
Jason Momoa’s Workout
The bulkiest parts of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman body are definitely his upper body, specifically his chest and biceps.
Jason Momoa was already into rock climbing, which gave his trainer some kind of idea on how to go about his training.
He turned to the same trainer who turned Henry Cavill into Superman, Mark Twight. He is a climber and the founder of Gym Jones, famous for transforming movie stars and training professional athletes.
His workout is all about building his chest. For other parts of his upper body, he makes up for with his wall climbing. If you’re only starting to build up your upper body, you might want to start with these three exercises as recommended by Men’s Health.
1. Incline Bench Press
We all know how the typical, flat bench press works. Inclining your bench takes it to the next level. In fact, in doing so, it places more focus on the upper part of your pecs, increasing your mass.
You can use a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. Simply set your bench at an incline and do as you would normally with a chest press.
2. Standing Dumbbell Press
Standing dumbbell presses are another type of exercise that targets the shoulders. This is a push movement.
Start with your dumbbells in each hand facing forward, with your elbows bent 90 degrees and your dumbbells next to your head. Then, push upwards, squeezing your shoulders until your arms are straight above your head.
3. Push-ups
Some exercises are simple but effective. Push-ups, when done right, can target different muscles: chest, abs, shoulders, and triceps.
Begin in a full plank position with your elbows 45 degrees away from your body for the optimal amount of support. You might also want to spread your fingers wide.
Bend at the elbows, keeping your elbows near your body. Reverse the movement. That’s one rep.
Conclusion
Jason Momoa might look like the ultimate superhero in his Aquaman body, but you can do it too with the right dedication!
You have to remember, though, that it was his actual job to get that Aquaman body for the role. Jason Momoa himself admits that after his role, he went to Italy to gorge on all the pasta!
You might get frustrated about how hard it is to keep up in real life, but that’s alright! Just take some inspiration from his routine and incorporate it into your own.
Looking for some more crazy transformations for movies? Check out Chris Pratt’s transformation for Star Lord or Tom Hardy’s Bane workout for Batman here.
Sources:
https://www.one37pm.com/grind/productivity/jason-momoa-aquaman-diet
https://medlineplus.gov/carbohydrates.html
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/qa/what-are-fats
Marko Rakic is a trail runner and fitness enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. He is the lead writer for The Ultimate Primate and believes the best way to live a happy life is through constantly challenging yourself.