Mackenzie Davis Workout and Diet
Actress
Born: 1987
Mackenzie Davis is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. A fan of theater from a young age, she moved to New York City after graduating from college and studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Her film debut came in 2012 in Smashed, and she has gone on to play bigger roles in films such as Breath In, The Martian and as the super-soldier from the future in Terminator: Dark Fate. Davis has also acted on television, including as one of the leads in Station Eleven and Halt and Catch Fire. She is an ambassador for the charity One Girl Can which empowers Kenyan and Ugandan girls through education. Davis does not engage on social media. She is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 130 lbs.
Known For:
Mackenzie Davis’s Diet
Summary
Davis did a lot of prep to get her body ready for Terminator: Dark Fate. Working with a trainer, she went on a strict diet for 3 months prior to filming, and it continued through the shoot which lasted a half a year. For a foodie, it was tough times, but it paid off. She had to give up all sugar, alcohol, and basically everything else besides meat, vegetables and water. In the weeks leading up to the nude scene, she even cut back on water to give further definition to her muscles. When she got past that, Davis celebrated with a huge carb feast.
Estimated Macros
- Low-Medium Carb 25%
- Low-Medium Fat 25%
- High Protein 80%
Diet Details
Dreary Diet
Davis said that while she was allowed to eat and actually ate plenty of food while prepping for Terminator, it was all the boring stuff that no one likes.
Eating Quarantine
To keep her body in shape for the nude scenes in Terminator, Davis followed a bodybuilder-like regimen she called ‘starvation weeks’ to be as lean as possible. Filming kept getting postponed and so the process had to be repeated several times. By the time they actually shot the scene, she was super confident to appear nude, and couldn’t wait to treat herself afterward.
Cloud Nine Time
After getting the nude fight scene out of the way, Davis really went to town. She says her trailer was filled with baked goods and Swedish candy and she stopped off for 3 pizzas on her way back to her hotel.
What to Eat
Lean Protein
Leafy Greens
Vegetables
Eggs
Protein Shakes
Water
What to Avoid
Alcohol
Refined Sugar
Salt
Processed Carbs
Junk Food
Fried Food
Artificial Additives
Chemical Ingredients
Davis on Having a Trainer
‘It’s the height of luxury to have somebody force you to eat well and train you all the time and be really invested in transforming your body. I couldn’t do it without that sort of infrastructure.’
Davis on Prepping for Her Nude Scene in Terminator
‘Before you shoot a scene like that, you do a bodybuilder slim-down so all of your muscles pop.’
Davis on the Isolating Factors of her Bodybuilder Diet
‘It was so limiting…You can’t be social on your days off…unless you just want to drink water with a pal.’
Davis on How She Celebrated after Shooting the Nude Scene
‘’I was so ecstatic…that I was going to get to eat.’
Davis on Thanksgiving
‘I love Thanksgiving…It’s a holiday devoted to food, and that warms the cockles of my being.’
Mackenzie Davis’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
Tough Stuff
Davis spent hours lifting weights and working out starting 3 months prior to the start of Terminator, and continued her intense training throughout the 6 months it took to shoot the film.
Urgent Training
Davis was in the middle of shooting another movie when she began training for Terminator. She started working out hard 4 days a week, ramping up to 6 as soon as she was released from the first film.
Life-Changing Lifting
Even after Terminator wrapped, Davis kept the gym habit going. Although she says she’s lazy at heart, she says she now feels at home at the gym.
Exercise Style
A Mackenzie Davis Terminator-Type Routine
Do 4 sets of 12-15 reps, last set to failure, max 30 secs rest be-tween sets.
You will need barbells, dumbbells and an EZ-Bar.
Barbell curls
Triceps dips
Hammer for biceps
EZ-Bar lying triceps press
Pushups
Triceps extensions
Concentration curls
Supinated rows
Reverse curls
Skull crushers
Davis on How to Get Ripped Like Her Character
‘You work out all the time and you eat so much meat.’
Davis on Prepping for Her Terminator Action Scenes
‘It was really challenging and taxing and invigorating…Every day, I was like, “Why did you cast me?”’
Davis on Working Out
‘I feel really comfortable in a gym, and I don’t need a trainer or anything anymore.’
Davis on Running
‘I’m not a runner, and I always dreamed about just throwing on my sneakers and really knocking everyone’s socks off with my joy of traversing the world by foot.’
Davis on Fighting in the Buff
‘It’s cool because you can’t get tripped up with anything so you just…understand your limitations.’
Davis on How Fighting Nude Changes Things
‘There’s a lot of adrenaline about being naked in front of people so that affects the weight of your punches.’
Mackenzie Davis’s Supplements
protein powder
electrolyte
BCAAs
multivitamin
pre workout
post workout
omega-3s
greens supplement
Mackenzie Davis’s Lifestyle
Sacrificing Sleep
Between night shoots and getting up early to for makeup that took 2-3 hours every day, Davis didn’t get much sleep while shooting Terminator, maybe 4-5 hours a night. She was pretty exhausted by the end of the 6 months of filming.
Addictive Personality
Davis admits to having an addictive personality and says she had to give up playing video games because she would never turn them off.
Ix-Nay to the Runway
Davis worked briefly as a model when she was in college but discovered she hated having her picture taken.
Say Yes to the Sex
Davis thinks sex scenes are a lot of fun and that she loves getting to make out with people.
International Fam
Davis was born and raised in Canada but her father is from England and her mother is from South Africa.
Davis on Growing Up
‘I always imagined that magically, at some point, I would settle into this very easy and refined sophistication. But it turns out that who you are at 11 is pretty much who you are at 27, so I don’t know how much I’ve learned over the years.’
Davis on Technology
‘I dream of not having access to technology…I would very gladly give it up.’
Davis on Sex Scenes
‘I’m always surprised when actors say they don’t like sex scenes. It’s like a freebie.’
Davis on Modeling
‘I didn’t like the expectation to be pretty all the time.’
Davis on Wardrobe
‘I like the idea of uniforms…choosing an outfit to wear for a month…keeping things very simple that way. I fall in love with something and wear it every day until it’s destroyed.’
Davis on While Clothing
‘I shouldn’t have white things. They were not made for my personality.’
Recommended Products
Barbells
References
https://flaunt.com/content/mackenzie-davis
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4496875/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a2684/mackenzie-davis-interview/
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/09/mackenzie-davis-future-perfect
https://www.gamesradar.com/terminator-dark-fate-mackenzie-davis-interview/
