If you want to play a costumed superhero,
then you need to look the part, and that means intense workouts coupled with an insane diet. Let’s take a look at how Zachary Levi went
from supergeek to superhero, and got ripped “Shazam!” When Zachary Levi agreed to take on Shazam
as his next big role, he essentially agreed to make the gym his second home. After all, this is a character who has stood
his ground in a number of scraps with Superman over the years. If this confrontation is ever going to play
out on the big screen, then Levi has to at least keep pace with Henry Cavill, assuming
Cavill is still playing the Man of Steel by the time a crossover is viable. The movie’s official synopsis even described
Shazam as having a “ripped, godlike body,” so there’s little wonder Levi began hitting
the weights almost every day. During a chat with former Smallville Lex Luthor
actor Michael Rosenbaum, Levi said he’s working out five or six days a week. He elaborated: “Sometimes we’ll do two-a-days and then more
off days. But typically, we’ll just go, you know, hour-and-fifteen-minute
session every day.” That’s a lot of gym time no matter who you
are, and all that time pumping iron definitely shows. When someone who doesn’t work out regularly
starts hitting the gym hard, they usually experience what’s known as “newbie gains.” “Yes, you too can have a body like mine, if
you’re not careful.” This was evidently the case for Levi, who
managed to pack on an impressive amount of pounds within his first six weeks of training. He told Rosenbaum in February 2018: “Before I got the role, I was about 200 pounds. I’ve hovered around 200 pounds most of my
adult life.” Levi gave a similar account of his early gains
when Variety caught up with him almost a year down the line. Speaking to the Hollywood trade at the New
York City premiere of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2, the actor revealed that he’d started
seeing results right away: “I immediately put on about 24 pounds and
then we carved that down in about half. So I’ve been hovering around 215 pounds, and
I’m in the best shape of my life and stronger and happier and healthier than I’ve ever been.” “What’s going on?” “Oh, well, I got into really good shape. Am I hitting the light right?” “What is… what’s happening?” “Why?” “Why?” It probably won’t surprise you to learn that
Levi had to consume a heroic amount of calories to achieve a Shazam-worthy physique. When Variety quizzed him about his weight
gain at the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2 premiere, the actor revealed that he’d been
taking on between 3000 and 4000 calories a day ever since he won the lead role in the
DC movie. “Lemme just wolf down this peanut brittle
real quick… Why would you do that? Oh right, ’cause calories.” Levi went on to give a more detailed breakdown
of his Shazam! calorie count during his appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast: “3,700 calories, then with a bunch of other
supplements like fish oil, Omega-3s.” It’s an impressive amount of calories for
sure, but how does it match up against Levi’s DC counterparts? The short answer is that, well, it doesn’t:
both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill reportedly consumed up to 5,000 calories per day when
training to play Batman and Superman. Levi described his diet as “pretty lean and
clean,” and he really wasn’t kidding. To achieve his body goals the actor had to
give up some of his favorite snacks and make every single mouthful count, which is why
most of his meals consist of protein-rich chicken and large portions of broccoli, a
favorite of bodybuilders everywhere. Levi was even eating broccoli for breakfast
at one stage, documenting the experience on Instagram stories. One bemused follower took to Twitter to ask
the actor why he would do such a thing, and Levi revealed that he has a variation on chicken
and broccoli five times a day: “I basically eat the same macros all day long:
meat and veg of varying combinations. I used to eat a lot of eggs in the morning,
but I think I have an intolerance to them.” Hopefully that means he didn’t have to down
any raw egg shakes, Rocky style. Levi’s physical transformation has clearly
been a source of inspiration to his fans, with some even reaching out to ask the actor
for hints and tips on getting jacked. He told one of his followers: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve been in the gym five days a week for
the last five months, and eaten pretty darn healthy/strictly, but not so crazy that I’m
not still enjoying life. The system works.” When another fan asked how her skinny husband
could look more like Levi, the actor revealed that he himself used to struggle with adding
muscle to his slender frame, and it was all down to diet. According to Levi, you can workout constantly,
but if you aren’t providing your body with all the right tools then you’re going struggle
to improve on those newbie gains. The former Chuck star replied: “The key, I found, was quite literally consuming
mass quantities. You have to feed your muscles. You have to give your body the building material
necessary to grow larger. You have to eat, even when you’re not hungry.” “14,000 calories later, I found myself down
at Subway, powering through a 12-inch veggie on whole wheat.” Levi might advocate eating as much as humanly
possible, but that doesn’t mean eating whatever you can get your hands on. When he was asked how he manages to eat well
while still enjoying his life, he gave a pretty straightforward answer: avoid processed foods. “From my perspective, the biggest favor you
can do for yourself is avoiding all processed foods. Sweet or savory, doesn’t matter. It’s all breaking down in your body as sugar,
that is then stored as fat. But there’s a lot of tasty CLEAN food out
there. Get into it.” “Why are you eating stem first?” “This is a new food for me. How else should I eat it?” “The other way.” Junk food is far from the only obstacle when
you’re trying to balance gym life with a social life, however. Alcohol certainly doesn’t help matters when
you’re trying to remain as trim as possible. “I’d like to purchase some of your finest
beer, please.” Levi discovered the benefits of cutting out
the booze when he took part in Sober October 2018. The star admitted: “It was a little difficult at first, and it’s
still kinda strange not having a drink when I do go out at night. But overall I feel so much healthier and happier
and clearer of mind and heart. It’s been a good cleanse. May even take it longer. We’ll see.” Finding the time to prepare five clean meals
a day can be a big challenge for anybody, let alone a busy actor. But that’s where having a major Hollywood
studio as your boss comes in handy. Levi praised Warner Bros. for helping him
reach his targets when he spoke to Michael Rosenbaum, revealing that the studio had arranged
for his meals to be brought right to his door. He said: “I do meal delivery… It’s part of the job. And they’ve been very awesome about taking
care of me.” That’s all well and good, but what does Levi
do when he’s not home? As an actor he has to travel a lot, but even
then he sticks to his regimented diet plan. He tweeted: “I use different meal delivery companies in
different cities, because I need to eat a lot through the day, and I don’t know how
to cook. Like, at all.” Imagine putting yourself through months of
training and hundreds of portions of broccoli only for one of the biggest names in fitness
to call you a fraud. That’s the situation Levi found himself in
during March 2018, when Men’s Health suggested that the actor was wearing a padded suit on
set. Some behind the scenes photos of Levi in full
costume were leaked online, and regular contributor Vinnie Mancuso took one look at the size of
Levi’s biceps and called foul play. In response to the Men’s Health investigation,
Levi posted a picture of his bicep on Twitter along with the caption “Sooo much padding.” It was the actor’s way of getting back at
the fitness mag, but the author of the original article wasn’t convinced. In fact, Vinnie Mancuso said the photo Levi
posted was actually evidence that he was correct about the suit padding all along. In a follow-up article, he said: “Yes, that is a large arm. That is a gym-earned, above average sized
appendage [but] try to tell yourself honestly that the arm in that photo is the same arm
[in the leaked photo]. You can’t. You just can’t do it.” Levi has had a hard time shaking the fake
muscle rumors since his spat with Men’s Health. Some people seemed to think that he looked
padded out in a trailer that dropped in January 2019, with one fan questioning just how he
looked so huge. The actor gave a purposefully non-committal
answer, but that’s likely because he’s sick of addressing the story by now. When Variety asked him about it on the red
carpet just a few weeks earlier, Levi again denied that he needed extra mass. “Especially in this area. Does that look like fake? Does that look fake to you? Come on.” According to a study by the Society of Behavioral
Medicine, having a workout partner can greatly improve your performance in the gym, doubling
cardio results in some instances. While many superhero actors are set up with
world-renowned trainers, the guy spotting Levi is actually a photographer by trade. Eric Blackmon has posted multiple pics and
videos of Levi pumping iron, unofficially documenting the actor’s progress. In October 2017, Blackmon tweeted: “Apparently I’ll be getting ripped for Shazam!
as well, since Zachary Levi is kicking my ass in the gym. I need protein. Now.” Despite the bleak winter weather, the pair
remained dedicated to the Shazam! cause as 2018 rolled around. By February, Levi was already looking far
more heroic in their sessions, and by May both men were looking fighting fit. Levi replied to the second Men’s Health article
with another photo of his guns, and this one was harder to argue against. The actor posted a topless pic of himself
in the gym, along with a hilarious equation. “It’s like the old saying goes. Hard work, over time, plus chicken & broccoli,
minus carbs, divided by whey protein, in which ‘X’ represents the amount of supplements and
‘Y’ represents the sentiment of ‘WHY the hell am I doing this to myself?!’, multiplied by
shameless selfies whilst staring into nowhere.” Talk about taking your workouts to the next
level. “Why is it so hard to understand? This is not fffffff—ing string theory.” When he spoke to Variety in December 2018,
Levi was eager to discuss how being selected to play the lead role in Shazam! changed his
life in more ways than one. His name is now known across the board in
Hollywood and he likely picked up a pretty paycheck for his work on the Shazam! Movie. But he was also extremely grateful for the
chance to get healthy. “Honestly, that’s the stuff that I’m most
ecstatic about. Just the level of health that I’ve gotten
to, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, physical health, I am so jazzed about
that and I want to keep talking about that, particularly mental health.” It would have been easy for Levi to give up
after Men’s Health suggested that he just wasn’t big enough to play a superhero, but
he wasn’t working out for anyone but himself. He added: “I just feel like we’re in a place, particularly
nowadays, where people need to be encouraged and informed on what self-love is, and to
go and genuinely embrace themselves and love themselves, so I’m really happy about all
of that.” “Sorry, I just had to reboot.” Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite
superheroes are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and hit
the bell so you don’t miss a single one.
What's your early feel on Shazam! Think it'll live up to the trailers?
I know zach levi's muscle are real and bruh the fans are right he look like he's wearing a padded suit its not Levi's fault…literally the costume looks cartoony
Dat guy knoked of chris pratts box thing
Two things, one, he did this because he is an actor. It became his job to get in shape. The average joe is not in this position, so that wife who asked how her husband could be like him….. win the lotto. Two, he is wearing padding. A final thought, his body type should not have that muscle, he looks like a reverse bobble head.
steroids
still looks like a twig
His face same like Johnny cage in mortal kombat 11😂
Definitely padded. No shame in it. Henry Cavil got ripped AND padded for Superman.
More nonsense posts from Looper. Blah blah blah
Well he had a muscle suit on so why train
He did a great job and gave Captain Marvel a great look
His arms may be real but those shoulders were padded, even so those chicken legs needed a lot of work.
Also some sort of Performance Enhancing Drug/Steroid/similar. There's no shame in it, and they still have to put in a lot of work and training, but the amount of mass that actors put on in a short amount of time and then claim is due simply to hard working is irresponsible. To grow as fast as some actors in the timespan they have is impossible without some sort of PEDs, and transparency would stop average guys having unrealistic expectations for their own bodybuilding.
look any real gym goer can spot AND praise hard work.. and clearly Levi worked out.. u can tell… kudos to him.
but yes that suit is padded or cgi'd..this is not saying he cant get to that size.. but please….
I'm sure he choose the short cut coz that's what everyone does nowadays to keep in shape or for appearance. Rharesh 2nd year medical college boy.
the movie was full of LOL.
He looked hott
He looks great… But i do believe there is minimal amount of padding in the suit. Specially in the shoulders and biceps area… It looks a little to perfect and well balanced. But nonetheless… He nailed the transformation needed for the role.
Good for him man.. newbie gains feel the best 😁🔥
Cavill is jacked.. hey is the lord of the rings fitnes rings he
There are pads but only on the shoulders. Shoulders are padded and that's it.
he should have invested more in acting lessons
I loved chuck, and it is amazing what people can do.
I believe it is a muscle suit but molded after the actors physique while he was at his peak build, that way he isn't busting ass all the time to maintain that body.
What is up with the sideways hat and airpods? Dude you're not a teenager.
he got jacked, AND it's a padded suit. 7:59. come on dude, be honest.
so you can't get that body by being vegan?, you got it bro!
If its not a padded suit then its CGI layered over it which would explains why zach insists theres no padding. But I can clearly tell the shazam body is not the same size as his real body. The shoulders are bigger than human.
When I saw the trailer, I didn't think much about the movie…but now that I've seen the movie…damn..that was really good…
That's a professional Hollywood made suit thats all him that suit it prolly centimeters thin I mean recall the first Spider-Man suit with Tobey Maguire very similar characteristics
oh yeah levi is monster the wall was made to keep him out
Chuck got buff…
Steroids
which movie or tv show is this scene? @9:30?
i eat 3000 calories a day only weigh 150
Why do these idiots think that getting "ripped" is the same as being a mass monster?
Shazam is one big facepalm
B.s. supplemented with chemeicals.
Henry Cavill : "Hold my beer"
and it was all for nothing because he was in a padded suit the entire time and his muscles looked fake
He forgot to mention what steroid cycle he took
Yeah right… no way thats not padding on that costume.. he doesnt really look that big in any other video.
Shazam was a garbage movie…
It's steroids, people. Everyone in Hollywood uses them to get big because hard work in the gym + strict diet is unfortunately less effective than hard work in the gym + strict diet + steroids. When there's millions of dollars at stake I don't blame them.
legit thought it was jimmy falon
Well I could watch this video over….n over….😳🤯😅🤩😍😍😍
Meanwhile Thor got fat…
I love Zach…haters always hate.🤩
Tats a shoulder padded suit
So what.
Looking the part means nothing
Unfortunately
His acting skills were shite
This actor has alway been a shit actor in any films.
What a fcuking waste of space
As with the script and film itself
That’s was fcuking awful.
No wonder it never achieved anything
Cut your losses
Sack the whole film team.
Yummy
HEY LOOPER, HE CHEATED AND WORE A GUL DARN INFLATABLE SUIT!!!!!!!!!
What bad casting!
Definitely padded. Look at those four arms.
Had my doubts when I saw the leaked costume pics from early shooting. Even though it's a padded suit I think it looks pretty good in the final product.
… and i'm in the best shape of my life and stronger and happier and healthier than I've ever been.
Says most people who stop accepting being out of shape and instead works hard to change it. Stop sitting on your arses and go out there and boost your confidence and esteem!
He is pretty pumped to me. I hope they do more Shazam movies
Ste…ste..ste….steroids!
it was a padded suit
i only know Levi Ackerman
So he got into shape the same way every other actor has. Amazing work guys.
summary of video: bulk and cut cycles, use PED.
Its called fucken steroids!.
I cant wait to see this movie!
why are people still on this. celebs get fit for their roles, its no secret
Simple, he got paid to do it!
i mean come on. love zach levi and he def got ripped and mad respect to him but that it for sure a slightly padded suit. His shoulders in that suit and wayyy bigger and more rounded. Again not saying he didnt get big, but it looks like the studio wanted to add just a little bit…
I'll save everyone 11 minutes of their lives : He worked out.
so basically… exercise + keto diet with fish oil and a daily multivitamin.
The movie sucked like all dc movies tho 😂
Let's be honest.
He got fit, nothing more or less.
He is absolutely "padded out". Not to say he isnt in good shape. But, he is wearing padding.
Shazam: I don’t know how to cook at all
Me: sit down bitch an put this dry noodle up your ass without braking it.. then you will be chef
Shazam: yes
4 meals a day lean , and give MUTANT MASS a try stuff works !!!!
No he didn’t that Shazam mussle suit look fake asf
What's the movie at 9:30 ?
i'm here because i'm watching the movie and i thought he looked padded out when i first saw him
I know great place to learn about workouts. Just google for 'Unflexal' 🙂
This movie was hilarious.
Shoulders are for sure pads.. Hahaha no way..
If you're famous, video about what you eat and how you eat and what you do next is watched like 3.5 mln times. God give us a life of our own! Me just came here to see Zach naked.
That guy at the gym, the one that tries to go 5 days but ends up going 2 or 3…the one with the inconsistent regiment.. yeah, that guy is in better shape than Zach. Absolutely pathetic. 🤣😂
I eat one Ben & Jerry's its 5000 cal, so no big deal ;D
2:26 chris pratt
shazam is awesome
And… Some steroids
It's a padded suit. So what. Both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill had padded suits too on top of their muscular physiques. There's no doubt that Zachary Levi put on a lot of muscle and got in tremendous shape. But the reality is a spandex suit is going to hide most of the muscle tone and definition, so the padding is necessary to display a god-like body.
He needs traps , no traps at all man , others body parts hes ok !
The rock: that's cute
total fake levi is fake
I thought he was wearing a muscle suit
There is definitely padding in the suit
Loved chuck! Levi is awesome in everything!
He got into shape alright! Just not quite the shape that came with the costume!😉
Have you guys checked out Natalie Portman's ( new Thor )
work out routine?
Omg she is huge. I think it might be HGH growth hormone
lol marvel is doomed. Disney will coffin it.
I thought it had padding
Doesn’t it have padding though
THANKS TO: Steroids and HGH……..padded muscle suit does the rest. SHAZAM…SHAZAM…SHAZAM
Watched Shazam last night. Kind of corny. The suit does have some padding but if you look at his neck/ chest area you can easily see hes very fit.
Actually, if you work out like a sprinter with maximum effort and short rest periods. You will gain better muscle than working for a marathon.
there’s always a dirty bulk