Russell Crowe Workout and Diet

Actor

Born: 1964

Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand. His family moved to Australia when he was 4, then back again to NZ when he was 14. Crowe’s first professional acting gig happened at around age 5 or 6 when he landed 1 line of dialogue in the tv series Spyforce. At 16, he left school to pursue a career in entertainment. As a teen, Crowe was a musician and released several singles, and busked when he was between acting jobs. In 1986, he landed a role in a New Zealand production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. His first film role came in 1990 with The Crossing. Crowe continued his climb up the ladder of success with hits like L.A. Confidential, until he hit it big with Gladiator in 2000 for which he won an Academy Award. He has played diverse roles, including in Les Misérables, Man of Steel, and in MCU’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Outside acting, Crowe still sings, and he co-owns an Australian Rugby team. He has 2 children with ex Danielle Spencer. He has millions of followers on social media. Crowe is 6 feet tall and weighs about 250 lbs.

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Russell Crowe’s Diet

Diet Summary

Crowe’s weight fluctuates with his roles. He dropped 40 lbs. to play a ripped Gladiator, gained 50+ lbs. for The Nice Guys, then had to lose it all over again. It’s easy to gain, but roles like Gladiator required serious commitment. For that, he ate 6-8 protein-focused meals a day, aiming for 1 g of protein per pound of body weight, along with veggies for fiber. He is sensitive to gluten and found that cutting it out helped him drop some lbs. Crowe has been struggling with his weight lately, but is motivated by his fitness-fan girlfriend and actress, Britney Theriot.

Estimated Macros

High Protein

Low-Medium Fat

Low-Medium Carb

Diet Details

Protein Power

To get in Gladiator shape, Crowe followed an extremely disciplined diet, eating lean protein every few hours, along with fiber- and nutrient-dense vegetables to keep things moving through his system.

Going Gluten-Free

While prepping for Man of Steel, his nutritionist noticed he was having trouble digesting gluten, so Crowe cut it out, and quickly dropped over 10 lbs.

It Takes Work

Crowe embodies his characters completely, undergoing physical transformation to match the role. Gaining is certainly easier than losing, but knowing he’ll have to take the weight off again makes it a lot less fun.

Beer Buff

When Crowe isn’t prepping for a role, he’s a big fan of beer. He says the hardest thing he ever did was give up drinking for 5 months while filming L.A. Confidential.

What to Eat

Lean protein
Poultry
Lean beef
Egg whites
Veggies
Fruit
Coffee
Beer (when not prepping for a role)
Water

What to Avoid

Empty-calorie foods
Carby foods
Junk food
Processed food
Fast food
Artificial additives
Chemical ingredients
Gluten

Crowe on gaining weight for The Nice Guys

I wanted to be the physical juxtaposition of Ryan Gosling.

Crowe on dropping 50+ lbs

I’m clawing my way back.

Crowe on gaining weight for a role

When I see my gut hanging between my legs, I don’t know what I was thinking.

Crowe on beer

I have respect for beer.

Russell Crowe’s Workout Routine

Workout Style

Natural Exercise

Crowe owns a ranch in Australia, where he rides around on a horse, taking care of business. He says he needs to stretch before getting into the saddle, but he still loves the work.

Cardio for Fat Loss

When Crowe needs to slim down, he hits the cardio hard, particularly biking.

Specialized Training

Besides pumping iron, Crowe did a lot of sword training to convincingly portray a career fighter.

Genuine Gladiator Training

Training to act like a gladiator is perilous. Crowe broke bones in his foot and hip, sliced his face requiring stitches, and cutting his finger so deep, he lost feeling in it.

Game, Set, Love Match

Crowe has been inspired to drop some lbs. thanks to his sporty girlfriend, Britney Theriot, including friendly tennis matches.

Workout Routine

Gladiator Workout Routine

Warm up
Light cardio (jogging, biking, rowing, etc.): 5-10 min

Do 2-3 sets x 10-12 reps of each of the following exercises:

Deadlift
Bench press
Bent-over row
Lat pulldown
Seated cable row
Military Press
Goblet squat
Lunges
Plank: 1 min

Crowe on prepping for Gladiator

I injured myself a lot on Gladiator.

Crowe on getting ready for a role

Preparation is key, and attention and collaboration are the rule.

Crowe on sharing his exercise routines

The mathematics of how you get there is nowhere near as much fun as what you did when you got there.

Russell Crowe’s Supplements

Crowe isn’t big on sharing personal details, including any supplements he might take. So, below are options that may benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.

Protein

Protein would be a good bet back when Crowe was bulking up for Gladiator. Protein also curbs hunger by making you feel fuller for longer.

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Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps keep muscles strong. Also popular with those looking to make gains include BCAAs, creatine, and glutamine

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Green Tea Extract

Crowe cares about his weight, and green tea extract can help burn fat and zap free radicals, which protects against certain cancers.

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Fiber

Sufficient fiber is essential to keep things moving through the digestive tract. Crowe is closing in on 60, making a testosterone booster a smart pick, increasing the ability to add muscle and strength.

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Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is another smart choice for mature folks as the body does not absorb it as well as we age.

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Russell Crowe’s Lifestyle

Proud Heritage

Crowe’s great grandmother was Maori, and he considers himself to be a native New Zealander. He is truly a mutt, and his heritage includes English, German, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Swedish, Norwegian and Italian ancestors.

Enforced Dentistry

When Crowe was 10, he lost his front teeth playing rugby. He never had the problem fixed until a film director insisted, and paid for the service out of his own pocket.

Home Sweet Home

Crowe’s 1,400-acre ranch in Australia is his happy place. He has over 500 cows on the sprawling farm. Every day at home is a work day, and he loves the work. In 2020, wildfires ravaged the property, and Crowe opted out of the Golden Globe Award ceremony to stay home and fight the fire instead.

Tough Choices

Crowe turned down the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings. Although he loved the idea of getting to spend an extended period in his homeland of New Zealand, he was already committed to filming A Beautiful Mind.

Sporty Fam

Crowe is co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league. Two of Crowe’s cousins have been captains of the New Zealand national cricket team.

The Real Deal

To prepare for Master and Commander, Crowe took violin lessons to play the role convincingly.

Ultimate Road Trip

After wrapping Gladiator, Crowe and friends took a 4,000-mile motorcycle ride around Australia.

Walk of Shame

Crowe is infamous for throwing a phone at a hotel concierge, and doing the perp walk in front of the media in NYC. He says the experience permanently changed him. It had a long-lasting negative effect on the public’s perception of him too.

Dirty Habit

Crowe began smoking when he was 10. He gave it up for a time for his kids’ sake, but admits to slipping back into his old ways.

Crowe on acting

I want to make movies that pierce people’s hearts and touch them in some way, even if it’s just for the night while they’re in the cinema.

Crowe on the work of acting

A lot of things that other people from outside the business would see as crazy or strange are just a natural part of the working process.

Crowe on himself

I’m not arrogant. I’m focused.

Crowe on relaxation

There’s nothing like sitting back and talking to your cows.

Crowe’s advice for career & life

You need to learn to live with your mistakes, and you need to be in a position to say “No” once in a while.