Zac Efron Workout Routine for a Beach-ready Sculpted Body

Zac Efron’s workout routine unveils the secrets behind his well-toned body that gives major fitness goals. Discover more about his healthy lifestyle here.

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Jul 05, 2024 | 01:31 PM IST | 463.8K
zac efron workout routine
zac efron workout routine

A well-sculpted body involves consistent hard work and dedication. Zac Efron’s workout routine demonstrates what goes into the making of a body that leaves people in awe. Popularly known as the Baywatch star, he has been an icon for teens since his role as Troy in High School Musical Trilogy. Apart from Efron’s commendable roles, he has been in the spotlight for his physique and lifestyle changes. This admiration also has to do with how he opened up about his struggles especially while maintaining a routine while preparing for his role in the Baywatch movie yet relentlessly worked with discipline.

Zac Effron has received many compliments from other celebs including The Rock, Craig Roberts, and Seth Rogen who not only complimented his body but his work and personality too. Read through this article to find out more about his awe-inspiring fitness journey and sustainable diet plans.

Who Is Zac Efron?

 

zac efron workout routine

Zachary David Alexander Efron, popularly known as Zac Efron is an American actor. Born on 18th October 1987 in California, he began acting as early as the 2000s. Even though neither of his parents belonged to the film industry, he felt inclined towards acting and singing at an early age. He worked in the theaters The Great American and Vaudeville and also participated in singing lessons. Efron earned the spot of being a teen idol with his role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical Trilogy. His breakthrough roles were in the movies New Year’s Eve and The Lucky One. Efron’s contribution to different movies reflects his versatility as an actor. He has also performed in shows such as Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, Gypsy, etc.

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Efron’s drama teacher acknowledged his work and recommended him to an agent in Los Angeles soon after which he was signed to the Creative Artists Agency. However, his commendable work since then won him many accolades and acclamations. He bagged the Young Artist Award for his role as Steve Morgan in the television film, Miracle Run. He was also listed as the 82nd celeb on the Forbes Celebrity List in 2008.

Efron dealt with alcoholism and substance abuse. He also suffered from a lethal bacterial infection in 2019. Being admired by one and all, especially teens, his journey of fitness is an inspiration to find your way back to healthy and sustainable eating patterns. In one of his interviews back in 2022, he revealed how jaw wiring caused his face to swell and even proved to be fatal for him. He also revealed how he dealt with depression, mental illnesses, insomnia, and other behavioral disorders while preparing for his role as Matt Brody in Baywatch which involved the consumption of diuretics throughout his preparation. Nonetheless, his dedication and commitment to giving his best amidst these consequences shines through. And, people have been eyeing his workout routine since then.

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Zac Efron’s Workout Routine


Zac Efron was trained by Patrick Murphy, a certified fitness professional, who shared that Efron was able to reduce his body fat to 5% only after 12 weeks of training. He added that despite having only 3 months to attain the transformation for his Baywatch role, Zac’s motivation and willingness to build muscular endurance were admirable. For this movie training program, Zac worked on his posture and alignment through balance training by Patrick. However, to keep himself motivated he did choose a variety of other intense exercises. 

Zac Efron's workout routine included:

  • Weight-training: Weight training was one of the most important parts of Efron’s training method to build his strength and power. To build his upper body strength, he did a variety of exercises like dumbbell bench press, dumbbell incline press, bar dips, tricep extensions, forearm planks, Ab crunches, etc. According to research, weight training enhances upper and lower body strength effectively as well as reduces social physique anxiety to give greater body satisfaction (1).
  • Muscle Training: Zac Efron’s muscle training ensured that his workouts were targeted to build and gain lean muscle mass consistently. He did workout for 5 days including abs exercise every day. Following sets of 3 for each workout routine, he did straight arm pulldown, neutral grip pull-up, seated cable row, chin-up, dumbbell biceps curl, etc. For his leg routine, he did leg press, suspension squat jump, swiss ball hip extension,  reverse walking lunge, kick butts, and a variety of other exercises to boost his spirits. His shoulder, chest, and arm workout routine included front raise dumbbell squat, mountain climbers, lateral raises, cross-body cable raise, shoulder presses, dumbbell floor press, push-ups, and chest cable fly. 
  • Biking: Efron actively went biking for as long as 30 miles. Zac’s workout routine also included a light jog and walk in between his workouts or as a warm-up before he began with his intense workout routine.
  • Lifeguard Training: Zac followed weight lift training with a lifeguard training session that lasted 2-3 hours every day.
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Zac Efron’s Diet Plan Explained

Zac followed a wholesome diet plan and cut out on refined and processed foods ensuring reduced caloric intake. Speaking of his diet plan, Zac added “After a while your body stops craving junk food and you look forward to these meals.”

Breakfast:  Zac’s breakfast included oats, egg whites, and avocado. Oats make up for a healthy breakfast as they are rich in dietary soluble fiber, carbohydrates, balanced protein, vitamins, minerals, etc (2). They also contain other micronutrients such as vitamin E, folates, iron, selenium, copper, manganese, and essential amino acids (3) Avocados are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, oleic acid, dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and other essential agents that makes them a superfood (4). As for eggs, they enhance skeletal health and reduce calorie intake (5).

Lunch: For lunch, Zac had a variety of options to choose from. He had chicken breast, or turkey breast sometimes along with quinoa or brown rice. He also included green leafy vegetables in his lunchtime meal. Quinoa, also called the “golden grain”, is highly enriched with essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and can be used as an alternative to milk proteins (6).

Dinner:  Zac’s dinner included steak, fish, sushi, or pork loin sometimes. Fish gets the spotlight as it has massive health benefits including reducing chances of stroke, heart failure, and myocardial infarction besides improving cardiovascular activity (7).

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Reducing Body Fat: Zac had a high-protein diet and reduced the intake of fats. Along with rigorous physical activity and reduced calorie intake, Zac was able to keep his body fat in check, throughout his body transformation program. Some research indicates that prevention of excess body fat may contribute to weight loss (8).

Intermittent Fasting: Zac shared that after his illness, he chose to start intermittent fasting which included having 2 healthy meals per day. His meals contained a rich lean protein intake and vegetables and less carbs. Research indicates protein intake has great muscle-building benefits as increased protein intake contributes to muscle mass gain and enhances body strength (9).

Unflavored Whey Protein Supplements: Zac consumed unflavored whey protein supplements after his heavy workouts. According to a study, consuming a source of protein after resistance training maximizes muscle protein synthesis and as such may promote muscle remodeling and speedy recovery of muscle function (10).

Wholesome Nutrition: Zac had lots of fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts throughout his training. He mostly ate almonds, walnuts, apples, blackberries, strawberries, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc to avoid indulging in junk food or unhealthy food habits. A sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve weight management (11).

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No-flour Intake: According to Patrick, Zac had a clean diet rich in essential nutrients. He didn’t indulge in flour-based products like brown rice pasta, or quinoa crackers. Some studies indicate that refined wheat flour with 60% fructose hastens the development of metabolic syndrome (12).

Drinking Water: Zac made it a point to drink at least 3 liters of water every day. Hydration has proven to result in improved exercise and protection of the body from dehydration (13).

Cheat Meal: Zac didn’t cheat often but if he did at all, he would consume carbs to give his body more energy.

Conclusion

Getting in shape is a huge boost to your health and the overall functioning of the body. It also enhances your body satisfaction and makes you feel more confident. However, workouts may be quite challenging and demand discipline in your dietary choices and workout routines. Zac Efron’s workout routine is a great example of how commitment and diligence are crucial to undergoing massive body transformations that lead to an appealing physique and active lifestyle.

FAQs

What protein does Zac Efron use?
Zac eats unflavored whey protein that is free from artificial sugar and other artificial additives.

How long did it take Zac Efron to get abs?
It took Zac approximately 12 weeks to get abs.

Did Zac Efron do cardio?
Yes, Zac does cardio to maintain his fit shape and burn calories.

Is Zac Efron a vegan?
Zac Efron was vegan for a period of 2 years. However, after undergoing food sensitivity tests in 2022, he started consuming meat again.

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About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach

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