By When you think of actor Jason Momoa, two things spring to mind – that he is one the nicest guys in Hollywood and that he has the most insane physique. Not that we are objectifying him in any way…but his body is kind of hard to miss. Since his breakthrough role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, Momoa has been noticeably ripped and if you follow his Instagram account, he regularly posts clips of him working out and climbing. But when the Aquaman role came knocking, it was time to elevate his already fantastic body to another level.
Jason Momoa stands tall in his Aquaman costume looking super ripped
In order to achieve his body, he worked super closely with trainer Mark Twight, who when speaking to Men’s Health explained how every day was tailored to what Momoa wanted to do workout wise and what filming demands he had on.
The main issue is that Momoa loves climbing – he even went climbing with Free Solo star Alex Hannold – but for this activity weight tends to be lower, whereas Aquaman required major muscle mass. This meant Twight designed workouts which were able to be revved up for scenes where his body needed to be out with less aggressive sessions for the in-between. But of course, even on those days the workouts weren’t easy with the focus being on functional strength.
Workouts were often 2 hours long, 5-6 days a week, plus they were completed super early in the morning with Momoa stating to Train Magazine:
I like to workout in the morning, at the crack of dawn, and love to workout outside: whether that’s climbing, hill sprints, boxing, surfing, swimming, skateboarding – it gives me some time to think and focus. It helps me start my day off positively.
Credit: Jason Momoa/Train Magazine
Alongside his love for outdoor sports, Momoa also had to get into the gym to bulk up enough for his role using a mix of weights and bodyweight exercises. A classic set of exercises was used to ensure he achieved the powerful strong arms and legs needed:
When I am in the weights room, there are a lot of dips, pull-ups, press-ups and squats – changing up my grips.
Credit: Jason Momoa/Train Magazine
In the workout room, Momoa shows off his muscles in prep for Aquaman
Momoa’s diet was of course restricted, with carbs only allowed around training to serve an energy purpose and definitely no alcohol before key scenes, which must have been hard for the whiskey and Guinness lover! Momoa admitted:
I’ve always been about healthy living…apart from the fact that I love a good beer and cigar.
Credit: Jason Momoa/Train Magazine
There is no doubt this schedule is hard, especially when it means giving up your favourite treats but Momoa did look incredible in the role meaning the whole process was worthwhile. Plus, by using a dedicated trainer he was able to still continue doing activities he loves like climbing alongside the more boring and repetitive gym work. It is this fun and varied approach to working out that makes Momoa the ultimate fitness inspiration. Hopefully he gets some downtime though before training starts again for the Aquaman sequel, currently scheduled for release in 2022.