From Jennifer Lopez to Hugh Jackman: Hollywood stars who are true fitness fanatics

At 55 years old, J-Lo looks as incredible as ever, thanks to her decades-long dedication to health and fitness. Initially a dancer before her singing and acting career took off, the mother of two still loves dance workouts and integrates a variety of different exercises to ensure holistic health.

“I am 100 percent convinced that working out is part of what makes me so happy,” she told Hello! in 2016. “Dance has always been a huge part of my life, and taking the time to move my body and do something that’s so good for me is key to my happiness.”

She continued: “And I really believe that when you take care of yourself and work to stay healthy, you’re better able to take care of those you love. So working out is definitely a priority for me.”

Jennifer maintains that she doesn’t just work out to look good; she does it to feel good. “I’m in the best shape of my life,” she told InStyle. “In my 20s and 30s, I used to work out, but not like I do now. It’s not that I work out more; I just work out harder and smarter.”

“I do it more for my health than I do for looks, which is funny. When you do things for the right reasons, you actually look better!”

It’s no secret that the Wolverine star is ripped; he has been open about his ab-building journey online, often sharing sneak peeks of his workouts or food for the day as he bulked up for Deadpool & Wolverine.

“Where we started is completely different from how this Wolverine ended up,” his coach, Beth Lewis, wrote on Instagram. “Not only did Hugh get jacked, he also got super strong, stayed healthy for performance and achieved a VO2 max of 59 mL/min/kg.”

VO2 max measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise and a score of 59 is incredibly high — comparable to elite athletes. For someone in their mid-50s like Hugh, it shows exceptional and dedication, and will help him perform physically demanding roles with ease.

Unsurprisingly, the actor wasn’t starting from the bottom; he was already in fighting shape thanks to gruelling performances in Broadway’s The Music Man. “I’m really fit right now,” he said in an interview on Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace.

“There’s one thing that about eight shows a week, being on Broadway singing and dancing, is I’m fit. So I’m healthy. I have a good place to start.”

He also revealed on the show that he dedicated himself to working out for six whole months in the lead–up to filming the superhero movie. “I’ve learned you can’t rush it. I’ve learned that it takes time,” he said. “So we have six months from when I finish [The Music Man] to when I start filming. And I’m not doing any other work. I’m going to be with my family and train. That’s going to be my job for six months.”

Perhaps the poster child for celebrity fitness is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who started his career as a pro-wrestler, thus setting him up for life as an expert in all things health and fitness.

For the 52-year-old, working out keeps him grounded and brings consistency to his crazy, jet-setting lifestyle. “No matter how many hours I’ve flown, no matter how many miles I’ve travelled, regardless of what country it is, the first thing I need to do to get ready for the work day is I gotta find the gym,” he said on Instagram.

“Life is so crazy and busy for me… like we’re on this treadmill that just doesn’t stop and continues to go, so I do need working out to anchor my day. It helps me balance myself.”

He revealed in a tweet that he wakes up every day at 4am to start working out and trains six days a week, focusing on different muscle groups each day, as well as a cardio session. Dwayne famously has a huge home gym, aptly named the “Iron Paradise”, which allows him to train at any hour and blow off steam.

Khloé famously became fitness–obsessed after her 2013 divorce from Lamar Odom, even hosting the show Revenge Body, where she helped people reinvent themselves through fitness and health.

The mom of two has since changed her outlook on fitness, explaining on The Kardashians why she urges people to work out for themselves and not the aesthetic. 

“I really want to encourage healthiness,” she said. “I am not about the number on a scale. I just think people should be active, and I don’t really care what your size is. You should just be healthy and stronger for yourself.”

For her workouts, Khloé focuses on circuit training, resistance, and lots of cardio. She loves to use the rowing machine and focuses on weightlifting to gain power in her body.

“At first, your body is, like, dying. But emotionally and mentally, the release that I got was worth it,” she said on the show of her fitness routine. “I quickly realised how good I feel when I’m consistent with it.”

Mark’s jam-packed daily routine went viral in 2022 for its intensity and focus on working out, so it’s safe to say that the actor is extremely dedicated to fitness. He starts his day at 2:30 am with a cold plunge and vitamins, followed by two workouts throughout the day and a round of golf.

He is also the chief brand officer of F45, the group exercise program focusing on HIIT and circuit training, and owns a stake in the company. He revealed his typical workout to Men’s Journal, explaining that he starts with “RAMP, which stands for range of motion, activation, and movement prep — things like Spiderman stretch and hip bridges, plus foam rolling.”

“Then we switch between bilateral and unilateral strength moves using mostly heavy bands. TRX, dumbbells, and kettlebells. The lower body work includes balance and agility drills.”

The Friends star is a fitness fanatic who has learned to trade less intense workouts for exercise where she can connect her mind and body. She also became an ambassador for Pvolve, which focuses on low-impact fitness.

“That’s what I love about it,” Jennifer told Women’s Health. “It’s such a mind-body connection because it’s not just throwing your arms out to the side or doing jumping jacks. You’re really mindful of your body and its movement.”

The 55-year-old told the publication that she works out four to five days a week, with a hike or walk thrown in for some extra oomph. She also loves doing yoga and pilates to build core strength, helping her achieve her incredibly toned figure, and enjoys boxing for mental release.

Another hot tip from the core queen? To not take fitness too seriously. “I went from being a crazy workout girl to sort of saying, ‘My body wants a little bit of a break,'” she said. “So I kind of stay with more simple stuff and taking walks and not being neurotic about working out and eating right. I started to enjoy life a little bit more.”

The Disney star turned Baywatch heartthrob had to get into fighting shape for his role as a lifeguard in the iconic show’s reboot, and boy, did he deliver. His typical workouts would include “20 alternating jump lunges in one place, 20 jump squats, 60 mountain climbers, power push-ups, followed by a run up five flights of stairs, then one-leg squat hops using a TRX rope”, so he told E! News.

He also revealed that instead of sticking to bodybuilding techniques to achieve his eight-pack, Zac’s trainer, Patrick, helped him to try a bit of everything. 

“Patrick pushed me to my ‘functional’ limits with a very multifaceted style: strength, explosiveness, fast-paced, calculated, diverse and gut-wrenching workouts. It was fun… you never know what he’s going to throw at you the next day,” he told the publication.

Chris’ name is synonymous with fitness; he even has his own app, Centr, which provides daily workout routines, meal plans and sleep meditations for holistic health. He’s done everything from slimming down for his role in In the Heart of the Sea to bulking up for Thor to getting lean and fit for his turn in Furiosa. However, functionality is Chris’s most important aspect of fitness.

“It’s very easy to go for the showy muscle, but for Thor, I don’t want cosmetic muscle,” he said, as per Boss Hunting. “You can really tell when someone has functionality — they move differently. And for me, I found it so much better with injuries and general well-being when I upped my functional and core workouts.”

“I now have a far greater range of motion and a stronger core. I do a lot more pull-ups and things like that, more high-intensity stuff and extra bodyweight moves.”

The Thor actor is also a huge fan of martial arts and combat, with a penchant for boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling.

The former Bond girl has always been a fitness inspiration for many, with her incredible figure and dogged dedication to working out. Halle’s personal trainer, Peter Lee Thomas, gushed about the 58-year-old to People in 2018, revealing that she worked harder than any celeb he knew. 

“I had no idea what her age was when I met her,” he said. “I never looked or was interested in that, and when I found out, I was absolutely shell-shocked because she has the discipline and athleticism of a 25-year-old.”

“If Halle wasn’t an actress, she would very easily transition into becoming a professional athlete if she was coached the right way,” he continued.

“She’s also not afraid to experiment and explore and take risks when it comes to fitness because she understands that in order for there to be potential growth and change, she’s going to have to do things that are commonly difficult to do.”

Halle works out at least five days a week, focusing on weights, repetition, and exercising outside to add variety. She often posts about her progress via Instagram, even creating a weekly check–in with her followers called #FitnessFriday, where she keeps fans updated with workout routines and tips.

Another superhero on this list is none other than Superman, Henry Cavill. The 41-year-old focused on cardio and bodybuilding techniques to achieve his incredible figure for both Superman and the fantasy series The Witcher, with some combat sports thrown in.

“I’ve done a little bit of boxing, mostly based upon stunt fights and stuff,” he told Boss Hunting. “But for me, the martial art that I do the most is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

The most important thing for Henry is not being the fittest or healthiest person but enjoying himself and doing it safely, as he told bodybuilding.com. “Do it your way. Get the right information, get the right knowledge from someone who knows their stuff. But also, do fitness your way — whatever you enjoy doing — and you’ll get the most out of it,” he said.

The next superhero to grace this list is Aquaman star Jason Momoa, who, despite being a fitness fanatic, actually stays away from the gym as much as possible. 

“I don’t like lifting weights; I love surfing or rock climbing, you know, that kind of thing. I don’t like going to the gym,” he told the Daily Mail in 2018. The actor prefers enjoyment and variety in his fitness routine to prevent boredom and monotony.

Jason also likes to do workouts with portable equipment so he can exercise anywhere, anytime, no matter how busy his schedule is. 

“I travel with kettlebells, and it helps me with my core, fighting, and doing stunts,” he told Men’s Health. “Aside from that, bands. I’ll do band work on set; it’s just so simple and easy. I like stuff I can just take with me anywhere.”

He also told the publication how much he loves boxing and riding bikes for cardio and mental clarity.