Back in the 1980s and 1990s, most action heroes looked anything but invincible. With the exception of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, most movie stars looked unconvincing as they battled the bad guys.
Fast forward to the current crop of cinematic heroes, and many of them have very impressive physiques. The stars of the Marvel and DC Universes look every inch the superheroes they portray.
Of course, some ARE the product of CGI and cleverly designed costumes, but many others have paid their dues in the gym to sculpt their physiques.
One of the most powerfully built actors around at the moment is Terry Crews. But what makes Crew’s physique so impressive is that he’s in his 50s! Despite being older than most of his contemporaries, Terry Crews is still built like a tank and very fit too.
Like the rest of us mere mortals, Crews has also had to battle his weight and was once close to being morbidly obese. However, realizing it was time for a change, Crews pulled himself up by the bootstraps and got back in the gym.
He’s now a great advocate of life-long exercise and healthy eating.
In this article, we take a look at the Terry Crews workout routine, his diet, and what supplements he uses.
Who is Terry Crews
Terry Crews is an American actor known for his action and comedic roles. He’s been in many films and TV shows and is one of Hollywood’s leading stars.
However, Crews came into acting quite late, and started out as a professional football player in the NFL, playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Washington Red Skins, and Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive end and linebacker.
He retired from football in 1997 and then, at the age of 30, made the move into movies.
Terry Crews made his acting debut in 2000 in the action movie The 6th Day, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As you’d expect from a professional football player, Terry Crews is a BIG man and is very much the action hero he portrayed in movies like Deadpool 2 and The Expendables.
Current stats:
- Height – 6’ 3”
- Weight – 245 lbs.
- DOB – 30th July 1968
- Birthplace – Flint, Michigan
Despite being in his 50s, Terry Crews shows no signs of slowing down, either as an actor or in his workouts.
His Weekly Workout Routine
Terry Crew’s physique is the result of many years of intense, consistent training. He’s dedicated to working out and eating healthily to support his training. As most people do, Crews varies his workouts from time to time to maintain his progress and avoid boredom, but a typical week in the training life of Terry Crews looks something like this:
- Monday: Legs
- Tuesday: Chest and arms
- Wednesday: Abs
- Thursday: Back
- Friday: Shoulders
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Cardio (optional)
Monday – Legs
- Leg press: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set (increasing the weight set by set)
- Standing calf raises: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Hack squats: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Leg extensions: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Tuesday – Chest, and Arms
- Incline bench press: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Barbell bench press: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Cable crossovers: 4 sets at 15, 12, 10, 8 reps per set
- Dumbbell curls: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Bicep curl 21s: 4 sets at 21 reps per set
- Pushups and dip supersets: 3 sets to failure
Wednesday – Abs
- Hanging leg raise: 4 sets to failure
- Crunches: 4 sets to failure
- Oblique crunches: 4 sets to failure
Thursday – Back
- Barbell deadlift: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Pull-ups: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Chin-ups: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Reverse-grip bent-over rows: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Smith machine bent-over rows: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
- Seated cable rows: 4 sets at 10, 8, 6, 4 reps per set
Friday – Shoulders
- Upright barbell row: 3 sets of 5-6 reps
- Power clean: 3 sets of 5-6 reps
- Front dumbbell raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Lateral raise: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Arnold dumbbell press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Just in case Terry Crew’s workout plan wasn’t impressive enough, it’s worth noting that after each of his five training sessions, he heads out for a brisk four-mile run. That’s an impressive feat for a guy in his 50s and weighs close to 250 lbs!
Terry Crews Diet plan
After retiring from football, Terry Crews suffered from a bout of depression and ate his way up to a bodyweight of over 300 lbs. However, he soon recommitted himself to working out and eating healthy and built one of the most impressive physiques in Hollywood.
To maintain his muscularity while staying lean, Crews uses a nutritional approach called intermittent fasting. This means he only eats between 2pm and 10pm and fasts the rest of the time.
Restrictive eating plans like intermittent fasting have been shown to enhance fat burning and increase growth hormone production. They are also thought to have several health-boosting benefits.
Like most people, Terry Crews doesn’t have a fixed menu, and his meals vary according to how he’s feeling, whether he’s eating at home or on location. However, a typical day in the diet of Terry Crews usually looks something like this:
Meal 1:
- Green smoothie
Meal 2:
- Protein shake
Meal 3:
- Yogurt with granola
Meal 4:
- Grilled chicken
- Bacon
- Eggs
- Salad
- Brown rice
Meal 5:
- Protein shake
Meal 6:
- Grilled chicken breast
- Vegetables
As you can see, instead of eating the normal three square meals and snacks a day, Terry Crews eats just 1-2 large meals and several small snacks, all compressed into an eight-hour eating window.
While this may seem unusual, it’s an effective nutrition approach that enhances your ability to burn fat and build muscle. And judging from how Terry Crews looks and how hard he trains, it’s clear that this method really works.
What Supplements Does He Take?
Terry Crews supports his intense workout schedule with several popular supplements, including:
- Green tea
- Protein shakes
- Pre-workout
- Multivitamins and minerals
- Branched-chain amino acids
- Aminolast recovery drink
Bottom Line
Former NFL player turned actor Terry Crews is the embodiment of what a superhero should look like. Insanely muscular, athletic, and lean, he really does look like he can do the things his characters do on screen.
It’s clear he takes his fitness and health very seriously and has dedicated himself to building one of the most impressive physiques in Hollywood.
Unlike many movie and media stars, Terry Crews doesn’t just get in shape for a role, only to let himself gain weight and get fat afterward. And he’s no ex-professional athlete who quit training as soon as he stopped getting paid.
Instead, training and eating right are part of his lifestyle. Despite being the wrong side of 50, he’s still working hard to maintain the body that has seen him on-screen with so many other Hollywood greats.
Like most of us, Terry Crews has had his problems and has sought solace in food in the past. But rather than letting that define him, he got back into training and eating healthily, which was bound to have had a positive effect on his mental health.
Should you train like Terry Crews and follow his diet? You could probably do a lot worse! As approaches go, it’s refreshingly free of fads and is based on hard work and dedication. You might not end up looking like Terry Crews, but you’ll never know unless you try.
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Patrick
Patrick Dale is an ex-British Royal Marine and owner and lecturer for a fitness qualifications company. In addition to training prospective personal trainers, Patrick has also authored three fitness and exercise books, dozens of e-books, thousands of articles, and several fitness videos.
