Hugh Jackman bulks up for Wolverine

FRIDAY, 18 JANUARY 2008

Filming of the upcoming movie Wolverine begins soon, with star Hugh Jackman working out in preparation for his role. Personal trainer Michael Ryan has been helping Hugh achieve greater muscle mass and significantly lower body fat, in order to transform himself into the beastly character he'll portray.

Widely known as trainer to the stars, Michael often calls upon Aussie Bodies support in finding high quality products to accompany his training programs. He reports on the changing physique of his client and long-term mate. "Hugh's weight has actually dropped over 4 kilograms since we began training for Wolverine. However we use a body scanning machine that has proven we have only lost .3 of a kilogram of muscle through that weight loss period so it is predominantly body fat that has gone. Initially we concentrated on building muscle and there was a significant increase in muscle mass so we're happy with the results".

In terms of training, Michael has given Hugh a high intensity weight training regimen with constant evolution; mixing the program up enough to shock the body into change. Medium amounts of cardio have also been used at the end of their workouts and in the early evening to encourage fat loss. To help them attain these goals the dynamic duo are using Aussie Bodies Mega Weight Gainer with other products including branch-chain amino acids, L-Carnitine, Arginine, and a slow release protein formula.

We asked Michael if he has any other dietary or training tips for people who need to bulk up in a certain time period. "There is no doubt the 6 meal per day theory works together with high protein to help reduce the potential to lose muscle mass. And it is important to use whey protein isolate and not some of the inferior products out there" he said.

Hugh and his wife Deborah Lee Furness are associate producers for Wolverine (of Marvel Comics and X-Men movie fame), which will be directed by Gavin Hood. Filming is expected to take 3-4 months in New Zealand and Sydney, during which time Hugh will continue training.