I’ve put together a James McAvoy Workout Routine to break down how he added some serious muscle for ‘Split’ and then even more muscle for ‘Glass’ when playing ‘The Beast’.
Let’s take a look at the James McAvoy diet and exercise plan for his body transformation.

The James McAvoy Workout Plan was put together by his trainer Magnus Lygdback (who did the Alexander Skarsgård transformation to get him into shape for ‘Tarzan’). Magnus Lydback had James Mcavoy doing the following to get ripped to play ‘The Beast’ for Split and Glass.
- A lot of Clean Carbs (Rice, Potatoes)
- Eating Frequent Meals (5-6 meals a day)
- Lifting Heavy Weights (5-6 Days a week for 45 mins – 1 hour)
- Swimming and Cycling for cardio
If you want to get into ‘BEAST’ like shape then I’ve put together two James McAvoy training programs. The first is a two day bodybuilding split based on James Mcavoy’s ‘Split’ and ‘Glass’ workout, the other is a home bodyweight calisthenics workout.

James McAvoy Workout
For this workout we’re going to go with heavy weights, low reps.
“I googled ‘good way to put on muscle quick’, just went into a gym and did it myself: a power-lifting routine called 5×5. You do five different exercises four or five times a week, and they’re huge, big exercises. It’s super-simple, but it works every muscle” – James McAvoy on his Split Workout.
Workout A (Push)
- DB Chest Press (5 x 5)
- DB Shoulder Press (5 x 5)
- Lat Raise (3 x 8-12)
- Tricep Extensions (3 x 8-12)

Workout B (Pull)
- DB Rows (5 x 5)
- Weighted Chin Ups (3 x 5-8)
- DB Seated Row (5 x 10)
- DB Curls (5 x 5-8)
James McAvoy Bodyweight Workout

To build size and strength to get big and bulky like James McAvoy with a calisthenics workout I’ve put together a two day workout split.
Workout A (Push)
- Push Ups (4 x 25)
- Dips (4 x 25)
- Diamond Push Up (10 x 25)
- Tricep Bench Dips (4 x 50)

Workout B (Pull)
- Pull Ups (10 x 10)
- Chin Ups (10 x 10)
- Resistance Band Curls (10 x 25)
James McAvoy Bodyweight Workout
Magnus Lygdback stated this on diet and nutrition:
“I’ve never counted calories, because you can eat a bag of crisps and get 1,000 calories or eat a chicken breast and get 1,000 calories. It’s about the quality, the proportion of the macros: fat and carbs are the energy source and protein is the building stone of the muscles and tissue.”

James McAvoy utilised clean carbohydrates and lean protein to pack on muscle mass.
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Sweet Potato
- Brown Rice
- Oatmeal
James McAvoy on his diet for ‘Split’ (2017):
“Instead of eating two eggs in the morning, I’d eat eight. Then a snack of chicken breast. Then two chicken breasts for lunch, and then a steak or another snack. Then two salmon steaks for dinner.”
James McAvoy on his ‘Glass’ (2019) diet:
“I ate a lot of food, I ate a lot of carbs, a lot of rice, a lot of potato, a lot of protein”.
The Push Ups Program
If you want to rock a muscular and lean hollywood physique using just push ups then check out the PDF eBook now!