Becoming Wolverine

Whether it’s playing a claw bearing beast or gun slinging Van Helsing, it’s what Hugh Jackman does to play these roles that defines him.

Starting his career on the stage in Disney classic The Beauty and the Beast, Jackman’s charisma and talent as a singer, dancer and actor shaped his career.

Now though it is his body that’s been shaped. It is only recently his perfectly formed physique has come into the spotlight. Many would think his body deserves all the credit but Jackman says it’s his mind that is the secret behind the success.

He claims: “I search for the tipping point between what the mind wants and what the body can achieve.” “How do you keep that fearlessness of a kid? You keep going. Luckily, I'm not afraid to make a fool of myself."

People would think setting the goals is the key to accomplishment however Jackman disagrees: “In this country, people are all about goal-setting. And I concede, to a point, how it can help you get going,” he says. “But we limit ourselves with goals, we have far more ability than we give ourselves credit for.”

Modesty surrounds Jackman as his laid back personality is far from his rugged, brutal performances in the X-Men films. This is the case in Origins of Wolverine where his strong, vicious personality escalates to new levels.

 Now it is time to reveal how he gained what is known as the ‘Wolverine physique.’

His personal trainer Mike Ryan played a major part in success saying evolution was crucial to the workout plan.

He says: “From one workout to the next I’ll always have something new to add to the equation.” Ryan also talked about when he first met Hugh: “He was really, really skinny, we used to call him chicken legs.”

Adding something new is also in sync with Jackman’s movie career. His two latest box office hit’s Australia and Origins of Wolverine couldn’t be further apart in genre. Both characters show the different qualities he possesses as an actor.

In science fiction flick The Fountain it took Jackman nine months of intense yoga training just to be able perform ‘The lotus position,’ in a scene lasting no more than a minute. A tribute to the commitment he has to the profession.

At 6'3", Jackman's an imposing presence, and he backs up that looming quality with muscle power: He benched 315 pounds and leg-pressed 1,000 prepping for X-Men: The Last Stand.

When scheduled to be onset by 6am, Jackman slots his workout in before, starting it at 4am.  He says: “Research suggests that people who train in the afternoons consistently do workouts of far less intensity than those who do train in the morning.”

Eating is just as important to gaining the physique. Hugh shared his eating plan that consists of six small meals a day and a lot of protein. Using supplements such as protein powder before and after workouts provides the body with plenty of amino acids to help it recover. In Jackman’s case it was crucial to help him be ready for his film role as it came just 30 minutes after the extreme workout session.

The fearsome aggression in the character Wolverine comes through in his training sessions with Jackman claiming he yells and screams whilst working out. Training for an hour and half, seven days a week, it is no surprise the drive inside Jackman is just as strong as the outside. We can all look forward to more powerful excitement with Wolverine 2 in production.