The Workout Plan Zac Efron Used To Build A Baywatch Body

Features
By ,
published

Use the workout that got Zac Efron pumped for Baywatch to create your own sun-and-sand-worthy physique

workout
(Image credit: Unknown)

In This Series

It’s a pretty safe bet that Baywatch will be this summer’s big hit blockbuster movie. But what isn’t so clear is who the audience will be ogling most—the bikini-clad beach bunnies or the pumped-up, hard-bodied musclemen in the cast. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s physique already has legions of fans, but the transformation of co-star Zac Efron (who shot to fame in the teen film High School Musical) has amazed people around the world.

RECOMMENDED: Zac Efron Interview

According to Efron’s trainer, Patrick Murphy, the actor reached 5% body fat after just 12 weeks of training. Want to do something similar? Try this plan.

How It Works

Efron’s training was constantly evolving, but for Men’s Fitness, Murphy condensed the essence of it into a three-day split, working back and biceps one day, legs on another, and shoulders, chest, and arms on the third day (abs are in there too – a little every day).

The main feature of the workouts is supersetting – doing two exercises back to back with no rest in between. Not only does this approach save time, it also helps your body burn more calories and enhances the “pump” that drives more nutrition-filled blood into the muscles for fast growth.

RECOMMENDED: Superset Workout

Since it was important that Efron not just look like a lifeguard but be able to perform like one too, some exercises are explosive to build speed and agility along with muscle mass. See you on the beach.

How To Do It

Perform each workout once a week, resting a day between sessions. All exercises are divided into pairs marked A and B and should be done as supersets, so complete one set of A and then a set of B, then rest for 60 seconds. Complete all the sets indicated, then move on to the next superset.

Jump To A Page

NEXT: Day 1 Workout

Photography Jeff Lipsky

This workout first appeared in the US edition of Men’s Fitness

Sean Hyson
Sean Hyson
Training Director for Men’s Fitness and Muscle&Fitness magazines

I’m the Training Director for Men’s Fitness and Muscle&Fitness magazines. I write about and edit workouts, diets, exercise trends, and the regimens of celebrities and athletes. I’m the author of The Men’s Fitness Exercise Bible (aka 101 Best Workouts Of All Time), an Amazon.com best-seller, and the e-book The Truth About Strength Training.

After years of working with fitness experts and sifting through the enormous volume of training programs, diets, and supplements that have come across my desk—and being a guinea pig for more than a few of them—I’ve come to a few conclusions. Here, I’ll share with you what really works.

It’s long been my job, but it’s always been my passion. This is fitness distilled.