Michael Fassbender Workout and Diet

Actor
Born: 1977

Micael Fassbender was born in Germany to an Irish mother and German father. The family moved to Ireland when Fassbender was 2, but he continued to spend summers in Germany. After acting in a play when he was a teenager, Fassbender decided he wanted to become an actor and at age 19, he moved to London to study at the Drama Centre. His first role on screen came in 2001 in Band of Brothers but his breakthrough wasn’t until 2006 when he was cast in 300. He has since gone on to act in several films including Inglourious Basterds and X-Men. Fassbender has been nominated for many awards including Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and he won a SAG for Inglourious Basterds. He has a production company called Peanut Productions. Fassbender mostly steers clear of social media. He married actress Alicia Vikander in 2017. Fassbender is 6 feet tall and weighs about 175 lbs.

Known For:

Michael Fassbender’s Diet

Summary

Fassbender followed a high-protein diet to get in shape for Assassin’s Creed. He ate a lot of lean animal protein, egg whites and protein shakes, and avoided carb-y foods. He tended to eat smaller meals and refuel every few hours to keep the metabolism fired up. However, Fassbender didn’t totally avoid carbs, and would eat things like berries and whole grains. He always drinks plenty of water.

Estimated Macros

  • Low Carb 15% 15%
  • Low-Medium Fat 35% 35%
  • High Protein 70% 70%

Diet Details

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Protein Power

Fassbender beefed up for Assassin’s Creed and other films, literally. He would start his day with a protein shake. He also ate plenty of the old standby, chicken breast.

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Extreme Dieting

For the film Hunger, Fassbender undertook a severely calorie-restricted diet of 600 calories per day consisting primarily of nuts, berries and sardines. He lost 33 lbs.

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Humbling Experience

Fassbender says going hungry for his movie role changed his attitude toward food. He learned how much he appreciates food.

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Confident Chef

Fassbender’s parents ran a restaurant and his dad is a chef. His own personal speciality is rack of lamb. However he doesn’t often cook for himself.

What to Eat

R

Natural Foods

R

Eggs

R

Poultry

R

Lamb

R

Fish

R

Steak

R

Seafood

R

Leafy Greens

R

Broccoli

R

Vegetables

R

Oatmeal

R

Sweet Potatoes

R

Avocados

R

Berries

R

Nuts

R

Protein Shakes

What to Avoid

Q

Refined Sugar

Q

Refined Carbs

Q

Junk Food

Q

Fast Food

Q

Chemicals

Q

Artificial Ingredients

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Fassbender on Cooking

‘I would say I’m relatively okay at cooking. I’m definitely not afraid to be in the kitchen.’

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Fassbender on Preparing for Hunger

‘I felt really focused, really strong. Hungry all the time, obviously.’

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Fassbender on the Ease of Modern Life

‘We live in a society where nowadays, if I want something, I eat it. It’s so easy and readily available. When you take all of that away, you actually become more appreciative of the things around you. I don’t want to do it again, but there is a level where it humbles you in a good way.’

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Fassbender on Cooking

‘If there’s friends around, I’ll cook…but on my own, I kind of fell out of the habit, and that’s a shame because I know it’s good for me. It’s something quite therapeutic.’

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Fassbender on the Well-Stocked Pantry

‘Any good kitchen should be stocked up in oysters, shouldn’t they?’

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Fassbender’s tip on Beef Wellington

‘It’s all in perfecting the pastry.’

Michael Fassbender’s Workout Routine

Weekly Routine

Go Pro

To get in shape for Assassin’s Creed, Fassbender worked with trainer David Kingsbury.

Safety First

While Fassbender worked on getting stronger, his trainer also prioritized avoiding injury. This translated into a super-strong core.

Work With What You Got

Filming often took place in remote locations for Assassin’s Creed, and so Fassbender had to improvise gym equipment. Sometimes they would use scaffolding. Bodyweight and martial arts were other alternatives.

Rise & Grind

For Assassin’s Creed, Fassbender would be up early to squeeze in an hour and a half of physical conditioning before shooting every single day.

Circuit King

A big part of Fassbender’s training is circuits. Circuit training is one of the best ways to get in peak condition.

Box Master

Fassbender would often do Muay Thai or regular boxing as part of his training, and it also helped improve the look of his combat scenes. It was one of his favorite things, and his trainer says he got really good on the pads.

Exercise Style

Z

A Michael Fassbender Routine

Deadlift: 5 reps x 5 sets. 2 min rest between sets.

Circuit 1
Weighted lunges: 10/side x 5 sets
Weighted pull-ups: 8 reps x 5 sets
Weighted push-ups: 10 reps x 5 sets

Circuit 2
Dips: 12 reps x 4 sets
Single-arm rows: 12/side x 4 sets
Ab wheel: 8 reps x 4 sets

Boxing: 3 min x 3 rounds

Cool down: 10-15 min with foam roller

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Fassbender on Prepping for Assassin’s Creed

‘I really wanted to do those justice, and that was going to be a lot of work.’

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Fassbender on Performing his Own Stunts

‘I got to do about 95% of the fight scenes myself. It was important to me that I did as much as possible.’

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Fassbender on Pushing Himself

‘What I find really interesting is to try and mix it up, to push myself and try different things. I don’t want to stay in my comfort zone. I want to take risks and keep myself scared.’

Michael Fassbender’s Supplements

Protein Powder

Protein

Fassbender drank a protein shake every morning as part of his diet for Assassin’s Creed. Protein helps build and retain muscle while cutting fat, as well as reducing cravings.

Get it here

Pre Workout

pre workout

Other than protein, Fassbender is keeping quiet about any supplements he might take, but anyone who works out as hard as he does could use a pre workout to boost energy and focus, and stimulate blood flow to muscles.

Get it here

L-Carnitine

l-carnitine

Another good supplement to try if you’re looking to get ripped is l-carnitine. It helps prevent the build-up of lactic acid, allowing you to train for longer. It also increases endurance and recovery.

Get it here

BCAA

BCAAs

Branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs are another rock star in the world of supplements for athletes. They boost muscle growth, strength, endurance, and metabolism and also support recovery.

Get it here

Multivitamin

multivitamin

A multivitamin is another smart idea to cover any essential nutrients your diet might be missing, and probiotics help keep the gut firing on all cylinders.
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Michael Fassbender’s Lifestyle

Motorcycle Maniac

After wrapping the film Prometheus, Fassbender went on a 5,000 mile, 2-month long motorcycle tour of Europe with his dad. Then his bike got stolen.

Terrible Technophobe

Fassbender may have played Steve Jobs, but he calls himself ‘technophobic.’ He avoids technology, says it always behaves strangely around him, and sticks with his original cell phone that he was bullied into buying in the first place.

Famous Friends

Fassbender is good buddies with Steve McQueen and James McAvoy.

Infamous Intro

Fassbender met his future wife Alicia Vikander through Harvey Weinstein. Vikander played Fassbender’s wife in the film The Light Between Oceans.

Psychology Student

Fassbender says one of the things he likes most about acting is figuring out why humans behave the way they do.

Alternate Reality

In his youth, Fassbender wanted to play guitar in a rock band, but he wasn’t that good. He and a friend only scored one gig.

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Fassbender on his Heritage

‘I suppose the German side wants to keep everything in control and the Irish side wants to wreak havoc.’

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Fassbender on Keeping Things Real

‘Even if I’m playing a superhero, it has to be steeped in reality.’

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Fassbender on Being a Regular Guy

‘You know, it’s amazing. I don’t even have a car, would you believe it? I had a motorbike and it got stolen last year. So I’ve got to buy another one of those, I suppose. I can treat myself to that.’

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Fassbender on Being Thought-Provoking

‘Why not provoke some thought and get people talking about things? I like characters that are flawed because we all are.’

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Fassbender on Work

‘I spent a lot of time out of work. Now I’m trying to make hay while the sun shines.’

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Fassbender on his Dream Becoming a Rock Star

‘Nobody wants to hear Metallica at lunchtime.’

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Fassbender on School vs. Work

‘I’ve always been more inclined to go out to work than carry on with academic studies.’

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Fassbender on Being Serious

‘I take my work seriously but I can’t take myself too seriously.’

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