Not Superman Yet! Henry Cavill Survived on Half-Hour Lunches & 6% Body Fat For This Grueling 2011 Role ( Photo Credit – Facebook )
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Before he became a symbol of hope in Man of Steel, Henry Cavill was sweating it out for a very different kind of hero. In 2011, he starred in Immortals, a sword-and-sandal epic where he played Theseus, a mortal handpicked by the gods. Unlike Superman, who wears a cape, Theseus wore scars, and discipline carved out through months of serious grind.
While it wasn’t his first physical role, this one pushed Cavill into survival mode like scraping through long shooting hours, strict meals, and a training routine that never gave him a breather.
How ‘Immortals’ Left Henry Cavill Him Running on Empty While Staying Ripped for Weeks
Before you assume his superhero body was built in Man of Steel, wait! Immortals came first, and with it, a fitness prep that can only be called brutal. The film’s demand from the Hollywood heartthrob was so intense. Cavill had to stay camera-ready with just 6% body fat, and that wasn’t something he could dip in and out of. Once filming began, there was no going soft. The body had to hold up under the glare of studio lights and the weight of 14-hour workdays.
It wasn’t just lifting weights and clean meals. Cavill was balancing swordplay sessions, choreography drills, and training blocks. Add to that half-hour lunches and a limited calorie count. His biggest test was not just the physical pain. It was keeping his cool while running on fumes. In his own words, via IMDb:
“Getting in shape was a tough challenge. It was staying in shape, without going on a killing spree, which was the really difficult thing. At 6% body fat, you are working 14 hours days, doing fight choreography, getting half hour lunches, having to stay in shape, having to train when you can and not being able to eat much. It’s a real challenge to keep yourself professional and not losing your temper while juggling all the training with it. That was the biggest challenge.”
Cavill’s workout had to last. And the camera wasn’t forgiving. So, there was zero room for fluctuation. That meant working out even after exhausting days on set, eating like clockwork, and never letting up. Maintaining a warrior’s body under pressure turned into a round-the-clock job.
Later, when Cavill suited up for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, his transformation became the talk of the town. But what people forget is how Immortals laid the groundwork. According to Men’s Health, Cavill’s Superman training was done in phases. He began by bulking up on 5,000 calories daily — despite loving food.
