Susan Hornik

I'm so grateful. I got paid to get into the best shape of my life, Levi told Men's Health. I'm stronger now than I've ever been, and am so invested in my own health and wellness.

Levis intricate stunt and fight choreography rehearsals were the most strenuous he ever experienced for a role. I really wanted to do as much as they allowed me to-thats the stuff that's the least normal," he said. "If I do a comedy or drama, I'm typically just reenacting real life; I do that all the time. But what I dont get to do is superhero life: flying off a building, shooting electricity off my hands, and explosions.

To build a physique worthy of a silver screen superhero, Levi had an elaborate workout strategy with several trainers. Everyone had a different warmup. I learned so much from them-its been fascinating, he noted.Going to the gym not only helps me physically, I feel better emotionally and mentally too.

Levi started working out 5 or 6 days a week, almost exclusively heavy lifting and heavy eating. Initially, he was working in Los Angeles with a trainer named Grant Roberts. I was having 3500-4000 calories a day, pushing as much weight as possible for the first couple of months," he said.

The production transferred up to Toronto for four months, where Levi learned stunt and fight rehearsal, working with a trainer named Kyle Ardill of SWAT Health. "I put on 24-25 pounds in the first two months of working out and I was able to bulk up a good bit," he said. "Still, we needed to carve all that down and make it functional.

Levi went into a huge functional training phase with SWAT, which consisted of a six-day-a-week routine, alternating heavier and lighter weights, more reps, cardio and hip workouts. He also did German volume training to make the muscles denser and stronger.

The former Chuck star praised the gym's P.T. department, noting that they helped him improve his posture-he has flat feet-and also keep his two "massively torn" shoulder labrums in check. Most importantly, they showed him the way to properly carry himself. "As a tall guy, I've always kinda rolled my shoulders forward, and they were able to help correct that," he said. "That helps the rest of my muscular skeletal system in a much healthier way-and also prevents injury.

Levi went to New York and was training with Dirk Myers of Dogpound Gym, doing lots of high intensity, functional core and heavy weights, and then worked with Don Saladino, owner of Drive 495 Gym.

"With Don, we went even deeper into functional training while still maintaining strength, Levi said. We would do some real heavy push/pull days, a lot of work with kettle bells, and Turkish get-ups. He was super into the jump, throw, carry workout. My vision for Zach was to develop a superhero-looking physique-a body that looks and feels strong and that can perform," Saladino added. "He's tall, with a great frame, which makes him so fun to work with.

At that point, Levi had carved down to 215 pounds, and Saladino was focused on strength, body composition, and mobility for the actor.

Zachs meals combined a protein, carbohydrate, and veggie with every meal," he said. "Depending on how fatty the protein was, we would mix in a healthy fat as well. He was very regimented with this, while packing meals, etc. for travel.

Saladino detailed Levis workout breakdown: Day 1, full body power, Day 2, shoulders and arms hypertrophy, Day 3, mobility and steady state cardio, (Recovery day), Day 4 lower body strength and hypertrophy, Day 5, chest, back (upper push pull) strength and hypertrophy, Day 6, suit-up day: A miscellaneous day of carries and accessory work.

Levi is still maintaining his healthy regimen, eating healthy-protein and vegetables-with a few carbs. My energy levels are much better when I can eat clean, though I do love thin crust New York pepperoni and pineapple pizza. Its everything I want in my mouth!

Levi found the health and fitness world so interesting that he started his own plant-based protein and pre-workout supplements company, Flow Supplements. I want to help encourage and inspire people to be their healthiest, strongest self," he said.

The older I have gotten, the more I have come to understand myself," he continued. "I think genuinely what drives me the most is when I see something that I think could and should be better. I wanted products that were more healthy for me and I think consumers want that too.

By now if you have seen Shazam! you know theres a whole set of characters that get introduced toward the end of the movie, one of which is played by actress Meagan Good.

When filming the movie in Toronto, Levi would occasionally go out to local restaurants or clubs for a little bit of recreation. Very few people would recognize me, as I was very clean shaven and much larger than I had ever been in my life, wearing a baseball hat and a hoodie," he recalled, noting that Good was actually the most recognizable of their bunch. "All eyes were on her wherever we would go. A couple of times, I would get these dudes sidle up to me, scoping out our little group, and say, Yo man, how long have you been working security for Meagan?

He was thrilled when that would happen-maybe, just maybe, his hard work in the gym was really paying off. "Holy shit, this workout Im doing is really looking good," he remembers thinking. "These guys think I'm her heavy!

While the Shazam! suit makes Levi look even more yolked, it was far from the most comfortable piece of clothing he's put on.

It was super tight," he said. "I had to become one with the suit very early on-like, OK, we're in this together-and it was quite difficult to go to the bathroom in. But all of that was a small price to pay in being a superhero, he said with a laugh.

Levi hopes that if there's a Shazam! sequel, he can go back to the designer to have them adjust the garment to be more comfortable.

Back when the film was in the middle of production, there were several fans online ( <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a19299808/zachary-levi-shazam-set-photos-costume/" id="d8117751-c65e-3374-aef5-7f8d545cd49a"> Men's Health included </a> ) who, after checking out Levis abs, questioned their legitimacy.

The silliest thing about it was that it was even a question, Levi said. Anyone who understands anything about muscles understands those arent all completely natural. Theres augmentation to my supersuit, and almost every supersuit that I know of."

There are a lot of insanely ripped superheroes out there, between Thor, Aquaman, Captain America-the list goes on and on. But Levi doesn't see how any of it could be 100% without the help of a little bit of movie magic. "Its not even physically possible to be in that kind of [superhero] shape," he added. "At least not for me.

He added that he laughed when he heard people say I bet theres some padding there.

Like, no shit! Thats like saying I bet there's sugar in Coca Cola," Levi said. "What are we even talking about?!

How Zachary Levi Got Into Shazam! Superhero Shape

Becoming a badass super hero is rigorous work. Just ask Zachary Levi, who spent the last 18 months getting ridiculously ripped for Shazam!, the latest entry in the DC Extended Universe. For Levi, exercising with a number of trainers and learning how to adjust to the physicality of the role was challenging, but ultimately fulfilling.

Zachary Levi Can't Believe You Questioned Whether His 'Shazam!' Muscles Were Fake

I played football for the last 17 years of my life, and the last three years professionally. Since then, I have lost about 30 pounds, both muscle and fat. It helps my joints to stay at a lower weight, he told Mens Health during the ABC press lunch at the Television Critics Press Tour.

While it took a year to lose the weight, Underwood said it was the first two weeks that were really difficult. "But then you get into a schedule and a routine of dieting," he said. "I am still manipulating my body weight. During filming of the television show, I still fluctuated between 10-15 pounds; my body can do that pretty easily.

Cardio and diet helped him drop those pounds-especially diet. Thats the trick," he said. "If you stay on top of your diet, you will be good.

Note: Underwood's diet and workout routine come courtesy of <a href="https://musclepharm.com/" id="b8b54526-2a76-37d1-a9b8-f53d0e239f39"> MusclePharm </a> , a supplement company, which supports him with free access to a state-of-the-art training facility, food, trainer and nutritionist. They also contribute to the reality stars nonprofit organization.

Colton Underwood on the set of The Bachelor.

<h1> Here's what Colton's diet looks like: </h1>

NBA strength coach and transformation specialist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amoila_cesar/?hl=en" id="63cd570a-16b0-3fdd-a55d-3d71b4d6e17b"> Amoila Cesar </a> makes nutrition recommendations for Underwood. ( <a href="https://www.koremealprep.com/" id="43303e4a-c1b1-37d5-ad31-d36bed32d245"> Kore Meal Prep </a> also set him up on a meal plan delivering food every Sunday and Wednesday-must be nice to have <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19544125/beginners-guide-to-meal-prep/" id="294ad08b-660f-3e09-a4dc-cf2cb639fd4b"> meal prep taken care of! </a> )

Underwood starts off his day with oatmeal, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a26065658/is-peanut-butter-keto/" id="a09a2883-cb61-3a3c-ae15-977b69c8de5a"> peanut butter </a> and blueberries. I like to get a lot of carbs and energy in the mornings, so thats what I will eat, he said.

Lunch is typically a balance of protein, vegetables and some complex carbs. Tuna, salmon-I am a big fish lover, he added.

After a busy day filming, you might find Underwood snacking on protein bars and more peanut butter. Power Crunch bars are a favorite. "And anytime I can do Justins or Jif peanut butter, those are my go-tos, he said.

For dinner, Underwood cuts back on his carbs and is protein and veggie-heavy.

Right before bed, I always have a sweet tooth, so I eat a rice cake with a little bit of peanut butter on it," he said.

If it sounds like he eats a lot of peanut butter, you're reading this right. I eat way too much of it! he quipped.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs4Pwt1niEr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="0972af4f-c02a-3b51-ab1b-1f28dbaebd77"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs4Pwt1niEr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="139aabc1-839b-3ada-ae88-ee4a9c545605"> this is not an ad. I just love peanut butter... a lot. </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coltonunderwood/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="5cd94c81-b8f4-35ef-a7aa-e4770d137b9b"> Colton S. Underwood </a> (@coltonunderwood) on Jan 20, 2019 at 5:52pm PST

<h1> Inside Colton's workout routine: </h1>

The college football star turned NFL professional works out at MusclePharms private gym. He has a vigorous fitness routine, working out between one to two hours every day.

"Right now I do all body weight; pull ups, push ups, abs," he says. "I like to warm up on the treadmill for about 10 to 15 minutes. I do three or four movements in each circuit. I hit typically two or three circuits. And then I do a cool down, whether its running a mile or the elliptical for 20-25 minutes.

Cesar noted that in training Colton, his primary focus is <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25252586/muscle-hypertrophy/" id="ac2cd689-4119-38f5-abb1-e00d596740dd"> hypertrophy training </a> , which can help grow your muscles.

We focus a lot on muscle separation, training four to five days a week with a combination of functional training mixed with sports performance to compliment his football background, Cesar said.

Selecting dates from a large selection of beautiful girls can be stressful! Its no wonder then, why Underwood had a treadmill in his hotel rooms, while the popular reality series was filming.

For me, I believe working out is really important, not only for my physical appearance, but also my mental health too, Underwood emphasized. I take a lot of pride in trying to keep up with my body and staying as healthy as I can.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs6pXAQHIi-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="80d3b9f6-6ad3-3d80-af2c-c46f4c1b603f"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs6pXAQHIi-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="376e41f1-e0e4-3d26-ad84-c5143834daf9"> tonight on @bachelorabc we workout </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coltonunderwood/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="5cd94c81-b8f4-35ef-a7aa-e4770d137b9b"> Colton S. Underwood </a> (@coltonunderwood) on Jan 21, 2019 at 4:14pm PST

When hes not filming, Underwood is focused on his charity, Coltons Legacy Foundation, which supports children with cystic fibrosis.

We are doing fitness boot camps around the nation where people can work out for an hour," he said. "All of our proceeds go directly to help these children.

As much as Underwood enjoys being a reality star, are times when I miss football, he acknowledged.

I miss my teammates and the community that football provided. As well as the life lessons that you learn while playing.

Inside Colton Underwood's Diet and Workout

Before he was being courted by a plethora of hot women, ABCs The Bachelor star, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25782296/the-bachelor-premiere-colton-underwood-kisses/" id="f466d405-faad-3e29-af5b-a661d399e128"> Colton Underwood </a> , played for the San Diego Chargers, the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles. After retiring due a shoulder injury in 2017, he changed the focus of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25993039/the-bachelor-episode-3-terry-cr...

Colton Underwood, Star of ABC's The Bachelor, Lets Us in on His Diet and Workout Routine

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Susan Hornik

Articles written by the author

Zachary Levi Can't Believe You Questioned Whether His 'Shazam!' Muscles Were Fake

Colton Underwood, Star of ABC's The Bachelor, Lets Us in on His Diet and Workout Routine