November 8, 2024, 1:03 pm | Read time: 8 minutes

Paul Mescal is actually best known for his Oscar-nominated role in “Aftersun.” However, this success could soon be overtaken by the next one. From November 14, the actor can be seen in the sequel to the classic “Gladiator.” However, the preparations demanded a lot from Paul.

Mescal wanted to become a real gladiator

The Irish-born actor was determined to authentically portray a gladiator, steering clear of mainstream portrayals. “This ideal image that is shaped by superhero films – I wanted to avoid that at all costs,” he explains in an interview with Empire, “because superheroes don’t exist, but gladiators did. We don’t really know what they looked like, but they were top athletes who grew up in stables and trained every day.” Given that these fighters routinely faced life-threatening situations, Mescal believed that only a robust physique could withstand such challenges. “For me, the role entailed extensive heavy lifting and consuming copious amounts of chicken.” Training and nutrition were, therefore, a high priority for Paul Mescal before and during filming.

This was Paul Mescal’s diet

“I have to say that I was eating around 5,000 calories a day,” the actor revealed in an interview with British GQ. So it’s hardly surprising that with this high-calorie intake, he also received a lot of support in terms of nutrition.

For perspective, a single slice of white bread contains approximately 96 calories. To reach a calorie requirement of 5000, you would have to eat a total of 52 slices. Another example: a small hamburger has about 300 calories. This means that you would have to eat almost 17 small hamburgers to reach the same calorie requirement as Paul Mescal.

Almost daily training

In various interviews, Paul Mescal’s transformation for the film Gladiator II has led to him being asked about his training as well as his diet. However, he remains somewhat secretive about the specifics of his training routine. But one thing is clear: he had a lot of support. “I had a great trainer. People who told me what and when I should eat,” says the actor in an interview with Capital FM. He tells GQ: “I worked with my trainer Tim Blakely five to six days a week, 50 minutes to an hour a day. And he just understood how my body worked. His regimen consisted primarily of intensive strength training and regular protein shakes.”

Possible training plan for muscles like Paul Mescal

With five to six sessions per week, as is the case with Paul Mescal, you can divide the training into two sections: upper-body and lower-body training. On at least one day, the strength training should be replaced by an endurance unit. This can take the form of an endurance run, cycling, or swimming, for example.

Example of lower body training

At the start, you should warm up for about 10 minutes and stretch briefly before beginning the individual exercises. Each exercise should be repeated approx. 8 to 12 times in 3 sets. The workout should be finished with a cool down.

Jump squats

This exercise combines classic squats with standing jumps and trains the front thigh muscles. The large gluteal muscle and leg biceps are also strengthened. For the starting position, first, stand upright with your arms shoulder-width apart. Now push your buttocks backward, and bend your knees and hips to move your body downwards. Bring your arms together in the middle in front of your face. Then, push up from the lowest position into a stretched jump. The hands are brought out backward. After landing, return directly to the low squat position.

Romanian deadlifts

This exercise requires either a barbell or two dumbbells. First, stand with your feet hip-width apart, grasp the weight, and stand up straight with your knees slightly bent. Now, push your hips back and bend your upper body forward with a straight back. Move the weight down close to your body until you feel a stretch in the back of your legs. Then come back up again.

Leg press

To do this, sit on the seat of the leg press machine. Your back should touch the pad, and you should not leave it during the exercise. Place your legs hip-width apart in the middle of the board. The distance between the board and the seat should be such that the knee joint is at a 90-degree angle.

As you exhale, push either the board or the seat away from you, depending on the machine. It is important not to fully extend your legs but to have a slight bend in the knee – hold this position briefly. Then, return to the starting position and exhale.

Lateral lunges

For this exercise, you can add weight as needed and hold it in front of your chest. From a normal standing position, take a big lunge to the side and bend your knee so that you lower yourself down, keeping the other leg straight. Hold the position briefly and then slowly move to the other side in this position.

Lat pulldown with a wide grip

This exercise particularly strengthens your broad back muscles. To do this, sit upright with your back straight on the lat pulldown and grasp the bar with a wide grip. As you exhale, pull the bar slowly and in a controlled manner in front of your chest. As you inhale, bring the bar back up.

Example of upper body training

Again, warm up for approx. 10 minutes, then stretch and finish the workout with a cool down. Each exercise should also be repeated approx. 8 to 12 times in 3 sets.

Tricep dips on the dip bar

Start the exercise kneeling on the dip bar with your hands on the handles. The arms and elbows are close to the body throughout the exercise and are almost fully extended at the start. As you inhale, lower yourself down by bending your arms backward. As soon as your upper and lower arms are at right angles, hold the position briefly and then push yourself up again. Exhale as you do so.

Bicep curls to shoulder press

This exercise combines two different movements in one. You need two dumbbells, which you hold in one hand each and stand upright in a firm, upright position. First, rest your arms against your body with your palms facing your thighs. Now, bring the dumbbell towards your chest and turn your palms in so that they are facing your chest. Stop briefly here and switch to the shoulder press: The palms are turned away from the body while the arms are brought sideways to shoulder height. Then, push your arms up in the middle so that the dumbbells are above your head. Now, lower them again, twist them in, and bring them down to your chest, then return to the starting position.

Reverse butterfly

Sit on the seat of the butterfly machine so that the chest pad touches your chest. During the exercise, you should be careful not to press too hard against the chest pad but rather use it to support your posture. Now, grasp the handles with your arms stretched forward and move them sideways as you exhale until they form a horizontal line. Inhale and return to the starting position.

Butterfly

This exercise works in exactly the same way as the reverse variation, with the difference that the end position and starting position are reversed. This means that you sit on the seat and lean your back against the cushion. The handles are now to the side of your body – some machines have an auxiliary lever that makes it easier to grip the support. Exhale as you bring your arms almost straight forward, then inhale as you return to the starting position.

Knee lift on the machine

For this exercise, hold the handles with your hand and place your forearm on the pad so that your feet are in the air. Now bend your legs and pull them up towards your chest. Keep your legs close together throughout the exercise. At the highest possible point, lower your legs again, but keep them hovering above the floor.

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Strenuous filming

However, it wasn’t just the training and diet that challenged Paul Mescal, but also the filming itself. “Physically, there were a few scenes in Gladiator where we were rolling around in leather armor in temperatures of around 42 degrees Celsius,” reveals the actor, joking: “As an Irishman, I’m not naturally suited to intense sunlight, which made it particularly challenging for me.”