Tom Hardy Workout Routine

Tom Hardy is a staple of global culture. Known for his striking good looks and breakthrough performances in the films Inception (2010), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the English actor is one of the biggest celebrity fitness inspirations nowadays.

That’s why in today’s post, I’m excited to share with you Tom Hardy’s workout routine so you can modify, borrow, or flat out steal his workout habits and motivating reasons. Keep reading until the end as I add Tom Hardy’s diet if you want to take your transformation further.

Let’s get started! 

Tom Hardy Current Stats

  • Birthday: September 15, 1977 (age 44)
  • Height:  5’9”
  • Weight: 165 lbs

Tom Hardy Workout Routine Overview

Tom Hardy’s Workout Schedule

Tom Hardy usually performs seven exercises and trusts his training to his long-time coach Patrick “P-Nut” Monroe, an ex-soldier and MMA fighter who has produced some of Hollywood’s best physiques. 

Among P-Nut’s essentials to a fit body and mind is a system of training called “signaling” and Tom Hardy follows this same workout routine. It’s where the body is training up to four times in small bursts. Exercise psychology researcher Dr. Andrew Keech even calls it working hard for a while, recovering, and then doing it all over again.

Going back to Tom Hardy’s routine, it’s concentrated on bodyweight exercises and weekends are his rest days to recover from his intensive training. 

His typical workout schedule looks like this:

Day 1: Chest and Triceps

On Monday, Tom Hardy performs 5 exercises within the 8 to 10 rep range. 

Incline dumbbell chest press: 8-10 reps x 3 sets

Barbell bench press: 8-10 reps x 3 sets

Low cable fly 8-10 reps x 4 sets

Decline skull crusher: 8-10 reps x 4 sets

Dips: 8-10 reps x 4 sets

Day 2: Lower Body

On Tuesday, the actor and former model target his lower body by performing seven different exercises. Here is his lower body workout routine.

Barbell squat: 5 reps x 5 sets

Barbell deadlift: 5 reps x 5 sets

Dumbbell step-ups: 8-12 reps x 3 sets

Dumbbell lunges: 8-12 reps x 3 sets

Leg press: 15-20 reps x 3 sets

Day 3: Traps and Shoulders

On Wednesday, Hardy focused on five major exercises for traps (trapezius muscle) and shoulders. A strong trapezius helps stabilize your upper back and neck and pulls your shoulders back. Here is Tom Hardy’s traps and shoulders workout routine:

Barbell row: 5 reps x 5 sets

Barbell shrug: 5 reps x 5 sets

Dumbbell shoulder press: 5 reps x 5 sets

Seated dumbbell shrug: 12 reps x 4 sets

Dumbbell lateral raise: 12 reps x 4 sets

Day 4: Back & Biceps

Thursdays are when Tom hits his back and biceps by performing four exercises. Each workout is performed for three to five sets and 5 to 15 reps.

Weighted pull-ups: 5 reps x 5 sets

Underhand grip lat pulldown: 12-15 reps x 3 sets

Barbell curl: 12-15 reps x 3 sets

Dumbbell palms-up curl: 12-15 reps x 3 sets

Day 5: Upper Focused

On Friday, Tom Hardy performs an upper body workout routine by performing six different workouts.

Bent over barbell row: 10-15 reps x 2 sets and 5-8 reps x 2 sets

Floor press: 10-15 reps x  2 sets and 5-8 reps x 2 sets

Neutral grip pull up: 10 reps x 1 set and 2 sets until failure

Push press: 10 reps x 1 set and 5-8 reps x 2 sets

Inverted row: 10 reps x 3 sets

Plank: 60 seconds x 3 sets

Day 6 and 7: Rest

This is the time when Tom Hardy relaxes so his body recovers from the 5 days of training.

What Was Tom Hardy’s Workout Routine for Bane in the Dark Knight Rises?

For his role in the Dark Knight Rises as the villain Bane, Tom had to do day-long workouts that comprise a mix of push-ups, sit-ups, and simple resistance training. He would often add up this routine to around a thousand reps a day. This workout routine is not something everyone can do if they are out of shape, although it’s manageable if done in chunks.

He shared that he had to do a lot of repetitions in his training to send messages to his muscles and they begin to grow in a way that doesn’t happen in gyms. His goal for that role was to achieve dense muscle. He also combined the training with a high-protein diet to pack on weight and muscle in a short amount of time.

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How Many Pushups a Day Did Tom Hardy Do for Bronson?

For his role in the biographical crime film Bronson, Tom used the bulk matrix of up to a thousand press-ups per day. During his training, he even said that he didn’t have time to waste so he complimented his training by eating rice and chicken. It was his staple diet throughout the day to meet the needed energy levels while hitting over 1,000 reps a day.

The two roles that Tom Hardy played had very different diets although quite similar workout routines. 

Tom Hardy Workout Principles

Perseverance

Tom Hardy puts his body through the paces when preparing for a role. So, he uses perseverance to achieve his physical activity goals. While you and I are not like Tom Hardy who is used to the kind of “punishment”, he subjects his body to take a brand new shape in a short time, it doesn’t mean we can’t take inspiration from it to better ourselves.

Food as Fuel

This Tom Hardy workout routine guide wouldn’t be complete without emphasizing the importance of the food. He’s the kind of person who trains himself to see food as fuel. Hardy, for instance, used a common cutting diet approach to get lean by eating low-carb vegetables, like broccoli, and lots of chicken.

He shared that eating this way ensures your body will be extremely tough to keep up with the training.

And because he had the mindset that food is fuel, he also makes sure to avoid foods that are unhealthy for him. These include refined sugar, artificial ingredients, processed foods, fried foods, chemical additives, and junk foods at all costs. It doesn’t mean he’s not permitting himself to eat what he craves.

For his Bronson diet, he even said it was fun. “ I just ate chocolate and pizza, lifted Pnut up and down the stairs, played Xbox, shaved my head, and grew a mustache.”

Box Out

For his role in Warrior, Tom practiced various boxing methods, including kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai. Martial arts also offer full-body training by combining it with strength and cardio training.

Rest for the Week

Tom Hardy makes sure he gets a rest day or two. He understands that running himself ragged throughout the week will only ruin his output. But if taking a rest day makes you feel antsy, you can remain active but not as intense as your weekday training. Do light activities instead, like getting your chores done or puttering around the house. Things like yoga or cardio are also great options to get your body moving even during rest days. 

Tom Hardy’s Diet/ Nutrition and Supplements

For his role in the Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy’s diet comprises 6 meals a day. His diet also included lots of protein shakes, milk, carbs, and other supplements. He shared that he had to gain 30 pounds for his role as Bane so he made bulking up important. 

For his role on Warrior, he consumed meals of complex carbohydrates and lean protein, like oats, vegetables, fish, and chicken. But on usual days, here’s his diet plan:

  • Meal 1: Veggie omelet with 3 full eggs and 4 white eggs, 1 cup of mixed fruit, and 4 slices of Ezekiel toast with 2 tbsp. of honey.
  • Meal 2: Green leafy vegetables, 1 cup of white rice, and 4 0z of grass-fed beef.
  • Meal 3: Protein shake with 2 scoops of protein, 1 banana, and 2 tbsps of peanut butter.
  • Meal 4: Green leafy vegetables, 6oz of chicken breast, and 1 cup of brown rice.
  • Meal 5: 1 pouch of tuna, lettuce and tomato, and green vegetables, 1 tbsp of mayo or preferred dressing, 2 slices of whole-grain bread
  • Meal 6: Casein protein, 1 tbsp of chia seeds, 1 cup of dried oats cooked and mixed with one-half cup of blueberries

Some kinds of foods you’ll often find in Tom Hardy’s diet are:

Eggs

Eggs, especially the hard-boiled ones, are healthy and can easily satisfy one’s appetite. This gives your body protein, which is the main building block of the body. That is why Tom eats eggs for muscle building because muscles are made of protein.

Brown Rice and White Rice

Since Hardy wants to bulk up during training, rice is an obvious choice. He even switches between white and brown rice. Brown rice has more calories and provides a bit more fiber while white rice is gluten-free, a powerhouse of energy, and can help stabilize blood sugar levels.

Mixed fruit

Tom Hardy knows the importance of fruits. That’s why he’s very fond of these as snacks. You can consider fruits as your pre-workout meals or eat them with your breakfast. Fructose in fruits help provide energy. 

Pears, apples, grapes, and watermelons are great as pre-workout snacks. You can also eat honeydew, bananas, oranges, or pineapple. Tom Hardy includes blueberries in his diet. It’s a smart choice because blueberries are high in antioxidants that help prevent certain diseases and aging. They can reduce cholesterol too!

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During his bulking phases, Tom’s diet included lots of complex carbohydrates and he avoided simple carbs, especially sugar.

What Supplements Does Tom Hardy Take?

Tom hasn’t spoken much about taking supplements but based on interviews, he most relies on protein shakes, whey protein, pre-workout, BCAAs, and multivitamins to help fuel his gains. He hasn’t shared the extra brand of supplements he uses.

Final Words

Tom Hardy’s body (especially in movies) is proof that he worked hard to get ripped. He had no time to slack off. 

So, you can take inspiration from his workout routine but first, assess where you are in your present fitness journey. That way, it’ll be easier to incorporate Tom Hardy’s or any celebrity’s routine into yours. Remember that Tom Hardy’s workout routine is not meant for a half-hearted attempt. Should you decide to follow his routine, make sure to apply as much effort and dedication.

I’m excited to see your awesome results!

For more fitness tips and advice from top celebrities, you might want to read our other reviews at ExpertFitness.org.

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Nathan Lloyd, MSc
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