Taylor Kitsch Workout And Diet

Actor
Born: 1981

Born in Canada, Taylor Kitsch grew up in a trailer park and started playing hockey when he was 3. A knee injury in 2002 ended his hopes of a professional career, and he took some college classes in nutrition, but he soon moved to NYC to pursue a career in modeling. He also studied acting and became a personal trainer and nutritionist. In 2004, Kitsch moved to LA where he did some modeling including appearing on the cover of Men’s Health magazine, and his breakout came in 2006 with a role in Friday Night Lights. Kitsch has also played in other tv series including True Detective, and Waco, and in films such as John Carter and Battleship. He supports the charity the African Children’s Choir. Kitsch has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 180 lbs.

Known For:

Taylor Kitsch’s Diet

Summary

Kitsch lost 30 lbs. to play the role of cult leader David Koresh in Waco. His approach to weight loss was old-fashioned calorie-cutting. He would have about 500 calories at breakfast, and then just vegetables for lunch and chicken broth for dinner. For his normal diet, he is still careful in what he eats but he consumes a lot more calories. His meals are centered around protein, and he throws in a lot of veggies, a reasonable amount of complex carbs early in the day, and takes a pass on junk food. He’ll usually have a protein shake during the day, and of course he stays hydrated with water.

Estimated Macros

  • Low-Medium Carb 20% 20%
  • Medium Fat 40% 40%
  • High Protein 60% 60%

Diet Details

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Start With Protein

Kitsch says he picks a protein as his base for each meal, and builds from there.

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Ditch the Sugar & Flour

Kitsch believes a great physique starts in the kitchen, and that means avoiding refined and processed foods.

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Get the Carbs in Early

Kitsch doesn’t believe in totally avoiding carbs, just the empty-calorie kind. He has a rule where he consumes complex carbs before 6 pm, and his final meal of the day is lean protein and veggies.

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Pay Attention

Kitsch also eats intuitively, and pays careful attention to how the foods he eats makes him feel physically, and how they influence his thoughts and mood.

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Shake It Up

For Kitsch’s protein shakes, he’ll mix in milk if he’s trying to gain, but uses water when he’s trying to cut.

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Classic Cheats

Kitsch says that he’s human just like everyone else, and enjoys a cold beer and some pipin’ hot pizza from time to time.

What to Eat

R

Lean Animal Protein

R

Eggs

R

Leafy Greens

R

Vegetables

R

Complex Carbs

R

Oatmeal

R

Brown Rice

R

Peanut Butter

R

Protein Shakes

R

Water

R

Milk

What to Avoid

Q

White Sugar

Q

White Flour

Q

Processed Foods

Q

Junk Food

Q

Chemicals

Q

Artificial Ingredients

Q

Trans Fats

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Kisch on Meals

‘I begin my meals with a lean protein, and then work around that.’

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Kitsch on His Eating Plan

‘I’ll be done with complex carbs before 6, and my last meal of the day will be just lean protein and veggies.’

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Kitsch on Clean Eating

‘As long as you’re eating right 85-90% of the time, you’ll be fine.’

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Kitsch on Diet Expectations

‘It’s not realistic to expect your diet to be perfect, especially when you’re busy.’

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Kitsch on Refined Carbs

‘I stay away from sugar and flour.

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Kitsch on How He Decides How Many Carbs to eat

‘It’s been years since I weighed myself; I just go on how I look in the mirror. If I’m happy with the way I look, great. If not, I’ll tighten it up.’

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Kitsch on Cheat Days

‘I love a…pizza and a beer just like anyone. And it’s good to have that day or 2 off sometimes.’

Taylor Kitsch’s Workout Routine

Weekly Routine

Divide and Conquer

Kitsch had 4 months to lose 30 lbs. for Waco, and his approach was to work in segments, focusing on losing 6-7 lbs. per month rather than an intensive crash routine.

Keeping It Real

Waco wasn’t Kitsch’s only body transformation. To train for the film Lone Survivor, Kitsch did a Navy SEAL training program under the hot Texas sun. He also did serious fight training for American Assassin.

Just Do It

Kitsch says that if you’re ever debating whether or not to hit the gym, you should just go. You’ll feel better, have more energy, and gain an edge over all those lazybones who opted out.

Daily Dose

Kitsch does his best to get to the gym, but admits that sometimes life gets too busy to hit it every day.

Box Out

Kitsch is into all aspects of boxing, including speed bag, jump rope and 3-minute rounds in the ring. He says the intensity helps keep it real.

HIIT It

Kitsch does a mix of high- and low-intensity exercises, such as walking, running, and weight training, along with specialized training for specific roles, including sword training and wire work.

The Right Mindset

Kitsch says SEAL training is as much mental as it is physical. Every workout, no matter how strenuous, ends with at least 10 pull-ups. Kitsch also recommends patience, and not to expect miracles because you hit the gym twice.

Exercise Style

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A Taylor Kitsch Routine

HIIT with weights

Bodyweight exercises

Boxing

Sprints

Navy SEAL training

Core work

Specialized training (sword training, fight training, etc.)

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Kitsch on Motivation

‘You’re never going to regret going to the gym. When you have your workout behind you, you feel a lot better.’

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Kitsch on His Fitness

‘I’m in shape year-round for sure.’

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Kitsch on Hitting The Gym

‘There are times when you simply can’t get to the gym as much as you’d like.’

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Kitsch on High-intensity Routines

‘Keeping up that pace revs up my metabolism and keeps it there all day.’

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Kitsch on SEAL Training

‘God knows those guys train harder than anyone.’

Taylor Kitsch’s Supplements

Protein Powder

Protein

Kitsch usually incorporates a protein shake into his diet, with milk when he’s bulking, with water when he’s cutting. Protein builds muscle, burns fat, and helps you feel full.

See best products

Omega 3 Fish Oil

Fish Oil

Kitsch subscribes to the ‘food as medicine’ approach to diet, but he will add fish oil to his protein shakes if he’s working out hard.

Get it here

Taylor Kitsch’s Lifestyle

One False Move

Kitsch was well on his way to a career in ice hockey when a knee injury ended it all. He says hockey is Canada’s ‘religion.’

Whatever It Takes

Kitsch was homeless for a time when he first moved to New York City to pursue his dreams of modeling and acting and would sometimes sleep in the subway.

Natural High

Kitsch says taking risks is what makes life worth living. He had it recommended to him to be bold, and he told his younger siblings to do the same.

Get In the Mood

Kitsch says he uses music to get into character and creating his alter ego. He also says the right playlist can transform a workout and make it easier to finish.

Get Out of Your Bubble

Kitsch says that when he’s not working, he likes to be as normal as possible. He reads books, watches the news, and plays golf because when he’s shooting, he doesn’t have time for any of that.

A Sense of Place

Kitsch says that while it was hard living in New York City because he was broke, the people were actually quite nice. He doesn’t care for LA, and keeps it real at his home in Texas where Friday Night Lights was filmed. He says Texas has some of the world’s best sunsets, along with Africa.

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Kitsch on His Hockey Career-ending Knee Injury

‘Obviously, it’s a blessing in disguise.’

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Kitsch on Upside to The Hard Road to Suc-cess

‘Paying your dues…puts so much into being a success…Being on your own for 3 or 4 years and living day to day on $3, or living in an apartment with no electricity.’

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Kitsch on Risk-taking

‘I had someone very close to me say that hopefully I’ll have many more ups and downs, not in just my career, but in life. If you don’t have that, you’re not taking enough risks.’

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Kitsch on Being Behind The Camera

‘I’ve always been intimidated by the technicalities of taking photos.’

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Kitsch on The Power of Music to Create a Mood

‘Music is a huge part of developing and getting into a certain mindset.’

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Kitsch on New York

‘There’s that stigma about New Yorkers, how they’re so mean, but in my experience, it was quite the opposite. People were very genuine and very nice, even on the subway.’

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Kitsch on LA

‘I don’t do the LA scene. I stay focused and very myopic. I don’t feel I need to prove myself.’

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Kitsch on Sunsets

‘I work a lot in Africa. Texas and Africa have the best sunsets on the planet that I’ve ever seen.’

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