Eli Goree
Actor
Born: 1994
Eli Goree is Canadian. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and started acting at age 6 on the Canadian version of Sesame Street called Sesame Park. As a teenager,Goree also worked in radio and as a freelance journalist. In 2006, he hosted the final season of Street Cents. After graduating from high school, he played in Da Kink in My Hair. Goree has played in several tv series, including in The 100 and he has a recurring role in Riverdale. His first major film role came in 2016 with Race, but he is perhaps best known for playing Muhammed Ali in One Night in Miami.… Goree has also appeared on stage. He has over a hundred thousand followers on social media. Goree is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs about 225 lbs.
Known For:
Eli Goree’s Diet
Summary
To play the role of The Greatest, Goree put on 40 lbs., then, 2 months prior to shooting, he cut 20 lbs. of fat. The cutting phase meant a keto-style diet that was high in quality fats, moderate in lean protein and low in carbs with just a single serving of rice and a piece of fruit daily, with a weekly carb reload. Hydration was also extremely important so he made sure to drink plenty of water.
Estimated Macros
- Variable Carb 30%
- Variable Protein 50%
- Variable Fat 65%
Diet Details
Bulk Up
The bulking phase was obviously more fun for Goree, getting to eat over 4,000 calories per day.
Counting Macros
Despite the high calorie count, Goree’s diet wasn’t a no-holds-barred type deal. His trainer still counted all his macros and calories to be sure he stayed on track with growing muscle and not gaining too much fat.
Lean Out
To get cut, Goree’s caloric intake was slashed in half. Protein was lean, things like chicken breast and bison and carbs very limited with a once-weekly carb replenishment.
Stay Hydrated
When following a keto-type diet, hydration is especially important and Goree took care to drink plenty of water all day long.
What to Eat
Eggs
Chicken Breast
Steak
Ground Beef
Bison
Olive Oil
Healthy Fats
White Rice
Vegetables
Fruit
Water
What to Avoid
Junk Food
Prepackaged Foods
Fast Food
Carbs (cutting phase)
Chemicals
Artificial Ingredients
Goree’s Trainer On His Diet
‘We tracked his macronutrients daily, increasing every week, maxing at about 4,500 calories.’
Goree on The Importance of Mental Health
‘A lot of people give 110% at whatever it is they’re doing without focusing on their mental wellbeing.’
Goree on Muhammed Ali’s Approach To All-Around Health
‘It’s nice to see that he spent some time on himself…I think that positively translated to a better, more successful career.’
Eli Goree’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
More Than Just Looking the Part
Although Goree had long dreamed of playing Ali, actually transforming himself was a whole other level of work. He trained for 8 months before filming began, and continued during the 2-month-long shoot.
Targeted Training
Goree worked especially hard on his legs to build them and make them look more like Ali’s.
Get Help
Goree worked with a personal trainer Kenneth Oh and a fight coordinator to help him float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Mega Daily Dose
Goree trained 6 days a week with his trainer, then he’d have 3-4 sessions a week with his boxing coach.
Master the Moves
Goree worked with boxing trainer Robert Sale to master lightning-fast punches and the signature Ali shuffle.
The Positives About Negatives
Goree liked to do an inverted pyramid style training, starting with 10 reps and reducing each set by one until he hit zero.
Strong & Loose
Goree’s training also included a lot of mobility work to keep him loose and avoid injury.
Exercise Style
Some Eli Goree Routines
Lower Body Workout
Warm up:
Jump rope: 2 min x 3 rounds
Core:
Dead bug w/ medicine ball: 10-15 reps x 3 sets
Workout:
Bulgarian split squat: 12-15 reps x 3 sets
Hack squat: 10-15 reps x 3 sets
Shadowboxing
Sparring
Drills
Heavy bag
Long walks for slow, steady cardio.
Goree on His Physicality
‘Obviously, I’m not a professional athlete.’
Goree on Prepping For The Role of Muhammed Ali
‘It was just a lot of hard work and I hope I honored it at some level.’
Goree on Muhammed Ali’s grace
‘Guys don’t move like that at that size, and they’re not that fast or agile.’
Goree’s Boxing Trainer on His Determination
‘Eli had the mechanics, the physicality and the work ethic.’
Eli Goree’s Supplements
Goree is keeping quiet when it comes to his supplement routine, so below are options that can benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.
protein
Protein is a smart choice to bulk up, cut cravings, and rev up metabolism.
creatine
Another top pick of pro athletes is creatine to help you endure long training sessions.
pre workout
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids)
Glutamine
Calcium
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Eli Goree’s Lifestyle
Sleep When You Can
Goree’s days on set could be long. Between training and filming, his work schedule often went 16 hours.
No Pulled Punches
In One Night in Miami…, Goree faced off an actual pro boxer, Sean Monaghan, who did not pretend to hit. Goree had to be prepared to fend off real punches.
Lucky Break
Goree’s mom’s friendship with a junior TV producer lead to her son being cast in the Canadian version of Sesame Street when he was 5 years old. This then led to playing a correspondent on a teen news show and regular work on Canadian TV.
It Had to Be Fate
Goree grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Ali famously promoted a bout back in 1987. Goree says is friends had pictures of Ali visiting them in their homes, and people always told him he look like a young Cassius Clay which made him think he might get to play The Greatest one day.
Be Prepared
Goree auditioned to play Muhammed Ali in a different film but didn’t get it. He continued to train as if he did, and eventually he was right.
It’s All in the Details
Goree wasn’t a shoe-in for Ali in One Night in Miami… either. It was the director hearing him talking like Cassius Clay and using his mannerisms when he wasn’t auditioning that sealed the deal.
Goree on His First Agent
‘It was like a perfect mix because we were both awful. He was always on vacation, and I was always not knowing my lines, and we both didn’t know what the hell we were doing.’
Goree on filming One Night in Miami…:
‘It felt like I had been preparing for a real fight.’
Goree on Ali’s Influence On His Life
‘My grandmother had Ali’s picture up in her house.’
Goree on His Resemblance to Muhammed Ali
‘I’ll be in a store, and someone’ll be like, “You know who you look like?” I mean, I get it constantly.’
Goree on Missing Out on Playing Ali in Ang Lee’s Film
‘I didn’t find out until later, which is good because I was devastated.’
Goree on his Competition
‘I’m just glad he aged out of Cassius because I don’t want to be auditioning up against that brother no more, ever!’
Goree on Boxing & Life
‘Stay on your toes, always moving, always dancing, never a stationary target, never able to be kept in one place by what people expected.’
Goree on Mortality
‘You don’t know when your time is going to come…I have a gift, I have an opportunity. I’m going to do everything I can in this world to make a difference.’