Hollywood Star Joe Manganiello's Workout and Diet Program

 

Learn everything you need to know about Joe Manganiello's rigorous training and diet program to transform himself into the werewolf on True Blood.

Joe Manganiello is an actor who has a body that any guy would love to have. Joe is known for always being in great shape and for his hard work and dedication to fitness. He’s also well-known for his unconventional training methods which he has written about in his best-selling book, Evolution. In this article, we take a look at Joe Manganiello’s training, diet, and supplement routine in depth.

Joseph Manganiello was born on December 28, 1976, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is of Italian and Armenian descent. Joe was raised in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and attended a Catholic elementary school before going to Mount Lebanon High School and graduating with honors in 1995. After high school, Joe attended the University of Pittsburgh and majored in drama. He made his professional acting debut in 2001 with a role in the television series Third Watch. Since then, he has starred in many films and television shows, including True Blood, Nurse Jackie, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Office, Dexter, and Scream Queens. Joe is currently starring as NYPD detective Jimmy McNulty in the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire.

In 2009, Joe played the role of a werewolf in the third season of the hit HBO series True Blood. He remained on the show for the next five years but was unable to secure the role of Superman in Man of Steel because of scheduling conflicts with his role on True Blood. In an interview, he later said that he was very close to securing the role.

In 2015, Joe starred in the box office hit Magic Mike with Channing Tatum. That same year, he starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the thriller Sabotage. Joe is married to actress Sofia Vergara.

Joe Manganiello Workout Routine

In Joe’s book, he provides an intense workout plan to achieve the physique for his role on the show. He calls this routine the Werewolf Workout. Its goal was to make him look superhuman – half man and half wolf. It required blending muscle and strength training with a fat loss program that would reveal muscle striations and detail.

Joe’s training consists of supersets, where he switches between exercises for different muscle groups.

His favorite superset combinations are:

• Chest and back
• Legs and triceps
• Shoulder and biceps

Joe explains how to do supersets by referring to them as circuits. Here is how he describes the process:

“In order to perform circuits correctly, progress through all the exercises and then rest. For example, the first set will consist of 20 reps of bench press followed by 20 reps of lat pull-downs, and then you’ll rest. After that, you’ll do 15 reps of bench press followed by 15 reps of lat pull-downs—and then another period of rest. You’ll complete this for all sets of each exercise, rest, and then move on to the next circuit. This is the strategy you’ll apply for all circuits unless instructed otherwise. Barbell Bench Press: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps; weight will be moderate so that you can get all of the reps with good form. Lat Pull-Down with Wide Pronated Grip: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps; weight will be moderate so that you can get all of the reps with good form. Rest 1 minute and then repeat the circuit, performing a total of 7 sets each of bench press and lat pulldowns.”

Joe works out each body part twice per week. He also enjoys cross-training, so he'll regularly do two or three of these sessions each week. He is in the gym six days a week. On his day off, he'll perform some form of active recovery.

Joe begins every workout with the following dynamic warmup:

• Lunge: 20 reps per leg 
• Squat: 15 reps 
• Push-up: 15 reps 
• Side-to-side jumps: 30 seconds 
• Front-to-back jumps: 30 seconds

Joe Manganiello Werewolf Workout Program

Monday: Chest & Back

• Barbell Bench Press: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
• Lat Pull-Down with Wide Pronated Grip: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit, performing a total of 7 sets each of bench press and lat pull-downs. 

• Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 12 to 15 reps.
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row with Neutral Grip: 10 to 12 reps (each arm)
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this 4 times. 

• Pec Deck Fly: 10 reps
• Low Row with Narrow Neutral Grip: 10 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

Tuesday: Legs & Triceps 

• Barbell Back Squat: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
• V-Bar Triceps Extension: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
•  Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Leg Curl: 12 to 15 reps
• One-Arm Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension: 10 to 12 reps (each arm)
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Dumbbell or Kettlebell Goblet Squat: 10 reps
• Two-Arm, One-Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 15 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this 4 times. 

Wednesday: Deltoids & Biceps

• Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Two-Arm Curl: sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 5, 8, and 16 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Plate Front Raise: 12 to 15 reps
• Standing Barbell Curl: 10 to 12 reps (each arm)
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this 4 times. 

• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 12 reps
• Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 12 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

Thursday: Chest & Back 

• Dumbbell Fly: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
• Two-Arm Bent-Over Dumbbell Row with Neutral Grip: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
•  Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press: 10 to 12 reps
• Lat Pull-Down with Narrow Supinated Grip: 10 to 12 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Bar Dips: AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
• Low Row with Narrow Supinated Grip: 10 to 12 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

Friday: Legs & Biceps 

• Reverse Lunge: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
• Straight-Bar Triceps Extension: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Leg Extension: 10 to 12 reps
• French Press: 10 to 12 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

• Barbell Front Squat: 10 reps
• Rope Triceps Extension in Front of Body: 15 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

Saturday: Deltoids & Biceps

• Barbell Upright Row: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
• Triple Dumbbell Curl: sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 10 to 12 reps
• Straight-Bar Cable Curl: 10 to 12 reps
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times.

• Dumbbell Rotating Lateral Raise: 12 reps
• Dumbbell Alternating Curl: 20 reps, 10 (each arm)
• Rest for 1 minute and then repeat the circuit. Do this four times. 

Joe Manganiello Nutrition Program

Unlike many celebrities, we didn’t have to sift through a bunch of interviews to learn about how Joe Manganiello eats. He made his views on nutrition clear in his book Evolution. Here’s an excerpt from that book about how Joe thinks about food:

“I eat what I want and when I want it. I focus on whole, plant-based foods that provide me with all the nutrients my body needs without any unnecessary additives or chemicals. I also avoid processed foods, grains, and sugars as much as possible. These days, I eat mostly organic foods because they are healthier for the environment and my health’s sake.”

Here’s an everyday meal plan from Joe’s book:

Meal 1: protein bar (no added sugar) 

Meal 2 (post-workout): protein shake 

Meal 3 (1 hour after post-workout shake): egg whites-ham-and-cheese omelet with a side of bacon or sausage, side of sautéed vegetables, and a cup of coffee 

Meal 4: chicken breast and vegetables 

Meal 5: steak and vegetables 

Meal 6 (pre-bed): protein shake