Brandon Routh’s Superman Workout Routine Is Even More Impressive 18 Years Later

Brandon Routh had an enormous task ahead of him when he was cast to play Superman in 2006s Superman Returns, but he put a huge effort into training for the role. Routh was the first actor to take on the role of Superman, long before the DCU , after Christopher Reeve's quadrilogy which concluded in 1987. Of course, considering Reeve was lauded as the perfect Superman, and his career as the iconic comic book hero was cut short due to a severe spinal injury, the role went unoccupied for a considerable period of time.

Reeve passed away in 2004, and with the world now without it's Superman, the search for a new man to don the cape began. Routh was eventually cast against a competitive lineup of hopeful actors, but the more impressive part of Routh's work on the role came before he appeared on the big screen, or even got in front of the cameras. Reeve was famous for his towering six-foot-four inch frame, and his considerable muscle, and Routh needed to convince the world that he was Superman after the loss of this icon.

Brandon Routh's Superman Movie Workout Routine Explained

Brandon Routh Put In A Lot Of Work To Become Superman

Brandon Routh had always been athletic, and had a passion for sports, as illustrated in an interview he had with Men's Journal. However, when it came time to prepare to play Superman, Routh had a whole new challenge as he began weightlifting for pretty much the first time in his life. Routh committed wholeheartedly to a strict program which would see him train four days of every week with a personal trainer, giving a great deal of attention to his weight training.

In addition, Routh also adjusted his diet to intake a lot of protein-rich foods, like plain chicken and egg whites, which was a significant change. However, Routh understood that he had some huge shoes to fill after Reeve, and so he consistently and meaningfully put his focus into training both in the run-up to the movie being filmed, and during the shoot. This resulted in Routh having an outstanding figure for the film, but the Superman suit he wore largely masked the muscle he gained, which meant much of this work went underappreciated.

What Henry Cavill Said About His Superman Movie Workout Routine

Henry Cavill Had Another Challenging Workout Routine

Years later, when Henry Cavill was cast to play Superman in the DCEU, Cavill also committed to an intensive training regimen. However, he supplemented this routine with a calorie-rich diet of about 5,000 calories per day (via Fitmole). For his training, Cavill also trained for an average of 4 days per week, but his larger diet meant he was much more focused on bulking up and adding mass, rather than getting the perfect Superman physique. In fact, Cavill said that his cardio was largely non-existent when he went on The Tonight Show.

And in preparation for when Cavill needed to show off the Superman physique in shirtless scenes, he would switch from his 5,000 calorie diet to a lean 1,600 diet for the preceding 6 weeks to ensure his muscles were on full display. Ultimately, this was also a huge challenge, but Routh's workout routine and diet appear to have been more consistent and labor-intensive than Cavill's, despite not showing off the results.

How Long Did Brandon Routh Workout For His Superman Movie Role?

Brandon Routh Worked Out For A Long Time To Play Superman

Ahead of shooting the movie, Brandon Routh trained intensively for 6 months with a personal trainer, and he gained about 20 to 25 pounds of muscle. However, Routh did not stop there. Throughout the recording of Superman Returns, Routh continued to train and diet extensively in order to keep up the Superman physique and remain in peak condition. All in all, this meant he was training for four days a week for about a year.

This led to the actor standing out at approximately 220 to 225 pounds for the duration of his role as Superman. For comparison, the legendary Superman actor, Christopher Reeve, who stood a full two inches taller than Routh, managed to come in at about 230 pounds, with less muscle definition while playing Superman. This means that Routh effectively pushed his body further, eliminating fat for the role.

How Brandon Routh's Superman Movie Workout Role Is Different To Other Actors

It Takes A Lot Of Work To Be A Superhero

For one thing, there was a huge emphasis on making the flying look as realistic as possible. In the earliest attempts to create a Superman movie, back in the 1940s and 1950s, having the character fly was a distant dream. Some degree of special effects were used to imitate this, but for the most part, none were convincing. When Christopher Reeve was cast, it was important for both Reeve and director Richard Donner to get the flying right, and it was the first time Superman flew on screen and had audiences in awe.

This needed to continue and be enhanced for Routh's outing as the Man of Steel, and so, Routh employed a chunk of his training doing exercises like Rope Yoga, a specially designed combination from his personal trainer that would help him prepare to be in a harness for extended periods. This, in combination with Brandon Routh's intense training, weightlifting, cardio, and diet, resulted in his version of Superman being one of the most accurate visual representations.

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