Jake Gyllenhaal Workout Routine, Diet Plan & Supplements

Jake Gyllenhaal’s diet and nutrition plan consisted of six or seven meals a day, every three hours.

His diet required that he loaded up with carbs in the morning, giving him the necessary fuel to push through his morning workouts.

He then shifted to a high protein diet in the afternoon and evening to recover and rebuild his muscles.

Gyllenhaal’s diet for “Southpaw” consisted of the following foods:

• Eggs: Gyllenhaal ate a ton of these throughout the day.
• Lean Meat: Chicken, a staple for everyone looking to build muscle; and fish, low in calories, high in protein, and easily digestible.
• Fruit: Goji berries, apples, raisins, and bananas.
• Almonds: Every serving of almonds contains 6 g of protein and 4 g of fiber.
• Raw Cacao Beans: This bitter superfood is loaded with antioxidants and flavanols.
• Rye Bread: Gyllenhaal preferred freshly baked rye bread.
• Pasta: The extra carbs from this gave him the energy for his intense workouts.
• Couscous: Fat and sugar-free carb source.
• Sweet Potatoes: They're chalked with vitamin B6 and C, potassium, and magnesium.
• Vegetables: Gyllenhaal ate raw vegetables when training for Southpaw.

For salads, Gyllenhaal would have avocados, tomatoes, broccoli, and other dark-green leaves.

He avoided fried foods, and everything was as natural as possible.

He would also drink plenty of water throughout the day.

“My look really came from training in the ring and my diet. Nutritionally, it was eating 6–7 meals a day, eating every 3 hours or so. Often, it was to add fuel for my next session or get my energy back up from the previous one.”

- Jake Gyllenhaal, American Actor

Gyllenhaal took supplements like vitamins and protein powders. As I’ve gathered in my research, he took the following:

• Vitamin D3: This nutrient is important for muscle and strength building because it increases muscle protein synthesis, ATP concentration, physical performance, strength, and exercise capacity [1].
• Vitamin C: This may boost exercise performance by reducing inflammation, stress hormones, and oxidative stress [2].
• Whey Protein Supplements: A 2018 analysis of 49 studies confirmed that consuming protein shakes can significantly improve muscle size and strength in healthy adults who lift weights [3].

Read More:

• Best Multivitamins for Bodybuilding
• Should You Take Vitamins Before or After a Workout?

After going through many of his interviews and social media posts, I’ve figured out some of the workout and diet principles he adhered to.

Core workouts were a key component of Gyllenhaal’s training. Most sports require you to have an excellent core.

Gyllenhall focused on boxing workouts and compound movements that engaged his core so that he could carry that into the ring for Southpaw.

Before the film's release, it was revealed that Gyllenhaal trained hard like a real fighter. He worked with various boxing coaches (sometimes on Sundays) to study the ring and his moves.

Gyllenhaal would start his day with 1,000 sit-ups, training his mind to work hard throughout the day.

Gyllenhaal ensured that he loaded himself with quality carbs so he could burn through his workouts with ease.

His six meals a day would give his muscles and body enough nutrition to recover and rebuild.