Henry Cavill Workout Routine And Diet Plan

Henry Cavill is one of the most loved stars on the planet for his accurate portrayals of Superman and The Witcher.

His attention to detail and ability to be true to the source material made him a fan favorite.

This includes his build. How does he perfect the type of physique to play both the Man of Steel and Geralt of Rivia?

Today I will take you through the Henry Cavill workout routine and diet plan. We’ll go over his diet and his grueling training program for both roles. I’ll even share some sample plans you can try to incorporate into your own routine. 

Let’s dive in. 

Henry Cavill Current Bio and Stats

Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill was born on the Bailiwick of Jersey on May 5th, 1983.

His interest in acting came at a young age when he was involved in school plays. Eventually, he was picked up by a casting director to play Albert Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

By age 20, Henry landed starring roles in Hellraiser: Hellword (2005), Tristan + Isolde (2006), and the fantasy-adventure Stardust (2007).

His steady rise to fame ultimately led him to becoming the first non-American actor cast as Superman in Zack Snyder’s The Man of Steel (2013).

This would be Henry’s breakout role. He trained for five months, packing on 18 lbs of muscle and taking his slim, athletic 175-lb. build to a lean, jacked 195 lbs.

Henry’s physique and performance created a buzz in what many consider to be one of the best portrayals of The Man of Steel to date.

He would go on to reprise the role for a number of films including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and Justice League (2017).

His performance and his love for pop culture, comics, and video games turned him into a crowd favorite as he accurately researched his role.

This passion would eventually lead him to pursue and secure the role of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher (2019).

Here, Cavill would once again transform his body, training for mass, speed, agility, and combat to play the legendary White Wolf. 

His dedication resulted in an incredible performance with fans praising his brooding performance, incredible stunts, and lean, warrior physique.  

• Age: 40 Years Old
• Height: 6’1” (185 cm)
• Weight: 200 lbs (90 kg)
• Birthday: 5th May, 1983
• Occupation: Actor
• Retired/Active: Active

Henry Cavill Workout Fundamentals

Read More: Paul Saladino Workout Routine

For Henry to play the Man of Steel, he would need to up his training and pack on mass.

Fortunately for him, Zack Snyder had the right man for the job. Mark Twight was responsible for getting Gerard Butler and the mighty 300 shredded.

Over the next five months, Henry would undergo a training routine that would gradually intensify, building up to a hellish 2.5-hour session four to five times per week.

But Henry was up to the challenge, gritting his teeth and putting in the work to pack on 20 lbs of muscle.

This is done through the use of kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, bodyweight, and rowers. 

To make this all possible, Twight had a non-negotiable 10 hours of sleep rule, which would help Henry’s body recover and build mass. Research suggests this is when daily testosterone release is at its peak. 

Henry’s approach to training to play Superman came in the form of CrossFit-style workouts. This gave him a level of functional fitness to perform the stunts during filming.

One notable protocol was Twight’s tailpipe that he used to train National Guard Citizen-Soldiers. This is a brutal workout involving the rower and kettlebells, which we will detail coming up.

Henry maintained his training once production started for an additional four months, working out for an hour in the morning before shooting.

For The Witcher, Cavill would team up with trainer Dave Rienzi. Workouts would focus on building glute, core, arm, and forearm strength to hold swords and perform brutal fight scenes. 

Henry Cavill Workout Routine

Read More: Paul Sklar Workout Routine

Henry Cavill’s workout routine has changed over the years. He altered his training to go from a functionally strong Man of Steel to the masterful monster-hunting Geralt of Rivia.

While there is information regarding both these workouts, neither of them are listed as a comprehensive program.

This is likely due to the nature of his CrossFit-style training, as the workouts would change regularly.

So, what we will do is compile a range of different workouts from a range of sources. With this info, we’ll create the Henry Cavill Man of Steel and Witcher workout routines.

These will come complete with exercises, sets, reps, and rest times, plus a weekly schedule to launch into your training.  

Henry Cavill Witcher Workout Routine

Little is known about the specifics of Henry’s entire workout routine for The Witcher. However, it is understood that his main focus was around glute strength, stability, and grip strength to perform those incredible combat scenes.

Below, we have listed the exercises Henry used to get him combat ready for his role as Geralt of Rivia.

Weekly Schedule

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Train	Train	Train	Train	Train	Train	Rest

Henry Cavill Witcher Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Romanian Deadlift with Band (4-sec negative, 2-sec pause at the bottom)	3	10	45-60 secs
GHD (Hold at the top for 2 secs)	3	10	45-60 secs
Pallof Press + Hold		30 secs	30-45 secs
3-Way Shoulder Raise (Lateral, 45 Degrees, Front)	3	15	30-45 secs
Half Iso Alternating Dumbbell Curl (Hold)	3	10	30-45 secs

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Workout Routine

Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel workout routine is a collection of different workouts we found from many sources.

We will provide you with a full weekly upper and lower body hypertrophy workout split that will help you develop a superhuman physique. Don’t forget the weekly CrossFit training program to improve strength and conditioning.

Below we have also added workouts, including Mark Twight’s Tailpipe workout and a shoulders, arms, and abs workout seen in his Man of Steel behind-the-scenes training footage.  

Man of Steel Hypertrophy Program 

Weekly Schedule

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Upper	Lower	Rest	Chest & Back	Shoulders & Arms	Rest	Rest

Upper Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Dumbbell Press	4	5	45-60 secs
Dumbbell Chest Press	4	5	45-60 secs
Weight Pull-Ups	4	5	30-45 secs
Barbell Rows	4	5	30-45 secs

Lower Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Deadlifts	5	5	45-60 secs
Front Squats	5	6-8	45-60 secs
Front Lunges	4	8	30-45 secs
Calf Raises	5	12	30-45 secs

Chest & Back

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Dumbbell Press	4	8-10	45-60 secs
Cable Crossover	4	10-12	45-60 secs
Weighted Chin-Ups	4	8-10	30-45 secs
Seated Cable Row	4	10-12	30-45 secs

Shoulders & Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Seated Dumbbell Press	5	8-10	45-60 secs
Dumbbell Lateral Raises	5	10-12	45-60 secs
Front Raises	5	10-12	30-45 secs
Dumbbell Bicep Curls	6	10-12	30-45 secs
Tricep Extension	6	10-12	30-45 secs

Man of Steel CrossFit Program Weekly Schedule

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Strength	Sprints	Rest	Strength	Conditioning	Conditioning	Rest

Monday – Strength

The following exercises are to be performed for four sets at 75% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM) as a warm-up. This takes you toward performing a one-rep max at the end for each of the exercises highlighted in orange. 

• Perform four sets at 75%  as a warm-up
• Perform one set at 95%-100% for one repetition

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Hang Clean and Jerk	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs
Clean Pull	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs
Power Clean	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs
Front Squat	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs
Push Press	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs
Split Jerk	4	6-8, 1RM	45-60 secs

Alternate performing these the front squat and back squat with a rest in between each set.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Front Squat	3	7	45-60 secs
Back Squat	3	13	45-60 secs

Tuesday – Sprints

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Sprinting	8	50 Yards	60 secs

Thursday – Strength

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Bent-Over Rows	10 Mins	AMRAP	3 mins
Power Cleans	10 Mins	AMRAP	3 mins
Push Press	10 Mins	AMRAP	3 mins

Friday – Conditioning

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Sprints	5	60 Yards	2 Mins
Kettlebell Swings	5	20	2 Mins

Saturday – Conditioning

This is an AMRAP performing these exercises back-to-back for nine minutes.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Back Squat	AMRAP	3	–
Push-Ups		6	–
Pull-Ups		9	–

Additional CrossFit Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Back Squat (225 lbs)	10	3	45-60 secs
Rower Sprint	10	100m	30-45 secs
Push-Ups	5	Max	30-45 secs

Behind The Scenes Man of Steel Shoulders, Arms & Abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Rower (Easy Pace)	1	10 mins	45-60 secs
Lateral Shoulder Raise
Front Shoulder Raise
Kneeling Cable Crunch	5	10
Knees to Elbow (Hanging Knee Raise)	5	10
DB Fly to Narrow Grip Press Combo	3
Close Grip Press
Incline Push Ups
Flat
Decline	10	100m
Standing Finger Curl Drop Set	3	6,8,10	30-45 secs

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Tailpipe Workout

The tailpipe workout is to be performed as a partner workout, where one person will row 250m and the other will hold the kettlebells in a front rack position.

Once the rower has finished, they switch positions, performing this for three rounds.

If you do not have a partner, don’t worry. You can perform the workout solo by recording your rowing time and holding the kettlebells for the same time.

There is no rest between sets. Just go from one exercise to the other for three rounds.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Rower	3	250m	45-60 secs
Kettlebell Front Rack (Hold)	3	–	45-60 secs

Henry Cavill Dieting and Food Preferences

Read More: John Krasinski Workout Routine

Henry Cavill’s dieting and food preferences were the key to helping him transform his body for his roles.

He would eat a monstrous 5,000-6,000 calories during his bulk for Man of Steel, reducing his intake to as low as 2,000 calories as he approached filming his shirtless scenes.

Henry has stated that as a reward for all his hard work, Zack and Debbie Snyder bought him an apple and a tub of ice cream. This was on top of a massive 16-inch pizza that became his legendary cheat meal he would eat in one sitting.

Meal	Food
Meal 1	5 Egg White + 2 Yolk Omelet, Oats w/ Peanut Butter, Apple
Meal 2	6 oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Steamed Broccoli, 1 Cup Rice
Meal 3	6 oz Gluten-Free Multigrain Tuna Sandwich, Protein Shake, Banana
Meal 4	Chicken Salad Wrap (6 oz Chicken Breast, Lettuce, Tomato)
Meal 5	Protein Shake (1x Scoop Whey Protein, 1 Cup 2% Milk, 1 Cup Oats, 2 tbsp Peanut Butter)
Meal 6	1 Cup Cottage Cheese, 2 oz Almonds, 1 Greek Yogurt

Henry Cavill Diet Plan

Now that we understand what Henry Cavill’s dieting and food preferences were, it’s time to put together a plan that will help you build a body like the Man of Steel.

Below, we will offer two different diet plans, one for Superman and the other for The Witcher.

Henry Cavill Superman Diet Plan

Meal 1

• Oatmeal (Berries, Cinnamon, 1x Scoop Protein)
• 5x Egg Omelet (Spinach, Spring Onion, Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes)

Meal 2

• 6 oz. Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Breast
• 1x Cup Steamed Mixed Vegetables
• 1x Cup Brown Rice

Meal 3

• 6 oz Tuna Salad Wrap (Whole Grain Wrap, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion)
• Protein Smoothie (Water, Banana, Berries, Peanut Butter) 

Meal 4

• 6 oz Chicken Salad (Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado, Red Onion)

Meal 5

• Protein Smoothie (2x Scoop Protein, Banana, Berries, Honey, Peanut Butter, Water)

Meal 6

• Protein Yogurt
• 1 Cup Cottage Cheese with Almonds

Henry Cavill Witcher Diet Plan

Read More: Jungkook Workout Routine

Meal 1

• Oatmeal (Berries, Cinnamon, 1x Scoop Protein)
• 4 Scrambled Eggs on Whole Grain Toast
• Banana

Meal 2

• Protein Smoothie (2x Scoop Protein, Banana, Berries, Peanut Butter, Water)
• Protein Yogurt

Meal 3

• 6 oz Portuguese Chicken Salad Wrap (Whole Grain Wrap, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Avocado)
• 1x Scoop Protein Shake

Meal 4

• 6 oz Steak 
• Sweet Potato Mash
• Green Salad (Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado, Red Onion)

Meal 5

• Protein Smoothie (2x Scoop Protein, Banana, Berries, Honey, Peanut Butter, Water)

Meal 6

• Protein Yogurt
• Mixed Nuts
• Fruit

Henry’s approach to his diet and nutrition has given him the ability to pack on 18 lbs of lean muscle to his frame.

If you are considering trying either of his workout routines, we recommend you do the same.

This will ensure you are hitting those massive calorie targets while getting enough carbs for fuel, protein to build muscle, and fats to absorb essential nutrients.

To do this, we recommend using our advanced calorie and macronutrient calculator.

Just put in your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level to receive a precise calorie and macro figure to nail your training goals.

Henry Cavill Supplement Preferences

Henry Cavill’s intense workout routine requires top nutrition to keep his body in peak shape for his demanding roles.

However, to get the most out of his training he uses a range of supplements from MuscleTech, where he is Chief Creative Director. He claims the products increase his muscle mass, boost his performance, and improve his recovery. 

Below is a list of Henry Cavill’s supplement preferences to help you maximize your workout routine. 

Supplement	Purpose
Grass-Fed Whey Protein	Builds lean muscle and improves recovery
Pre-Workout	Increase energy and improves performance
Amino Acids	Improve health span and metabolic health

Final Thoughts

Henry Cavill’s dedication to his roles is second to none. He embodies the lore and physicality of his characters like few others in the industry.

His ability to pack on a massive 18 lbs of muscle, combined with his incredible swordsmanship, are a testament to his drive and programming.

If you are considering trying Henry’s workout routine and diet plan, remember to prioritize sleep, correct nutrition, and follow a structured plan.

Do these three things and you will be taking superhuman steps toward reaching your goals.

So, are you thinking of trying out the Henry Cavill workout routine and diet plan? Which one of Henry’s programs caught your eye?

Let us know in the comments. 

Popular Celebrity Workout Routines: