Charles Hunnam is a British actor, from Newcastle, England.
When he was 18, he made a guest appearance on the popular TV series, Byker Grove.
That was really a changing point in his life – being discovered on Christmas Eve in a shoe department by a certain production manager from the TV series, Byker Grove.
He flirted with the woman and she asked him to audition for the series!
He gained more recognition when he starred in Queer as Folk and went on to star in a few blockbusters after that, such as Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones.
In 2002 he starred with Katie Holmes in the suspense thriller, Abandon – that’s when he started to gain some international attention.
Now he lives in the USA, dividing his time between London and Los Angeles. Many people ask how he gets to have such a ripped body.
Well, he has training in Brazilian Jujitsu and he has a Blue Belt!
And if you keep getting hired to play heroic guys on the screen like in Sons of Anarchy, for instance, then of course you have to look good.
And that he does very well!
He is dating his jewelry designer girlfriend, Morgana McNelis and the couple lives in Hollywood Hills.
Current Stats
- Weight: 194 pounds/88 kg.
- Birthday: 10 April 1980
- Birthplace: upon Tyne, UK
Accolades/accomplishments
CinemaCon, USA
- 2017 – Male Star of the Year
Huading Award
- 2014 – Best Global New Performer in a Motion Picture in Pacific Rim
National Board of Review, USA
- 2002 – Best acting by an Ensemble in Nicholas Nickleby (shared)
Workout Principles of Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam actually doesn’t have his own personal trainer. He works out to his own principles and workout routine.
“Chase your endorphins, respect your core, and eat right”.
Check him working out here.
He has four rules that he works out to. These are:
- Keep things simple – he is in and out of the gym in an hour
- Chase endorphins: He needs a workout routine because it’s about feeling energetic and healthy.
- Respect your core: Charlie does 20 minutes of abs training 3-4 times a week. He will make us of 20 different ab exercises.
- Fuel up correctly: He gives this quote when talking about nutrition. He eats good food and has no guilt about what he eats.
Charlie Hunnam’s Training Methods
Charlie Hunnam’s training methods might be simple, but they aren’t all that easy.
For instance, when he prepared to be King Arthur on screen, he had to put on 20 pounds of sheer lean muscle.
He had to dedicate several hours to the gym for that.
He had to focus on strenuous workouts.
His training methods included several bodyweight movements – performing them at high numbers of reps.
His training methods consisted of targeting both his bigger and smaller muscle groups. The aim was to build strength and muscles.
He also needed to focus on endurance and flexibility.
A typical workout session of Charlie’s would consist of 150 pull-ups, 400 bodyweight squats, and 750 press-ups.
When he was doing King Arthur, he would follow this trademark workout program.
He says, “I always do the same stuff, just at a different volume, at a different level of intensity, and to different ratios.”
He also included jujitsu, boxing, and sword fighting in his training methods.
Charlie’s Workout Routine
Charlie Hunnam’s workout routine consists of 5 training days. One day is reserved for weight training and one day is for cardio.
Charlie doesn’t use a trainer.
His workout routine is designed by himself and it caters to his individual needs and fitness goals.
If you, for instance, wanted to follow Charlie’s routine, you might not need the local gym. You could actually perform Charlie’s exercise routine in a park – if it has pull-up bars or monkey bars and parallel bars.
His workout routine prioritizes bodyweight movements.
They provide you with excellent functional strength. They target the core, making it firmer.
He says that training the core muscles is crucial. He dedicated 20-minutes to train his core muscles.
He does this 3-4 times a week.
20 different ab exercises are incorporated into his workouts to target the core adequately from all angles.
Cardio
Charlie loves running and hiking. When he is short on time, he jumps rope as part of his cardio routine.
He also will do swimming occasionally.
On his rest days, you won’t find Charlies lying down.
He will go on a few walks to increase his blood circulation.
Walking also relaxes his muscle groups, preventing the muscles from becoming stiff and sore from his intense training sessions.
Monday/Tuesday
- ‘Pull-ups – 3 sets, 25 reps’
- ‘Dips – 3 sets, 25 reps’
- ‘Squats – 6 sets, 25 reps’
- ‘Push-ups -6 sets, 25 reps’
- ‘Ab exercises (20 minutes)’
Wednesday
On Wednesday, Hunnam has an activity day. He will mix up any exercises. It will depend on what he feels like doing.
Thursday and Friday
On Thursday and Friday, Charlie will hit another full-body routine with 8 different exercises. He will rest for 5 minutes and then run through the routine one more time.
This is his workout split routine
- ‘Squats – 3 sets, 10 reps’
- ‘Pull-ups – 3 sets, 20 reps’
- ‘Push-ups – 3 sets, 20 reps’
- ‘Inverted rows – 3 sets, 20 reps’
- ‘Parallel bar dips – 3 sets, 20 reps’
- ‘Hanging knee raises – 3 sets, 10 reps’
- ‘Plank (60 seconds)’
- ‘Wall sit (60 seconds)’
Saturday & Sunday
On Saturday and Sunday, Charlie rests and recovers.
Charlie Hunnam’s Diet
Charlie sticks to a healthy diet most times. But he also enjoys cheat days just like all fitness people do.
Even with cheat days, he sees to it that he keeps his body in tip-top shape.
Did you know that he has a very huge sweet tooth? He loves ice cream and chocolate, “like every day,” he says.
But he does caution his fans not to do the same thing. He says he is super-active on a daily basis and this helps to balance out the poor choices he makes regarding his diet.
As you can see, he always has a camera-ready six-pack, and he stays very active every day to keep it like that.
He also ensures that his body stays properly hydrated. If he has to fly anywhere, he will always pack in an egg salad sandwich.
“I’m an enormous fan of an egg salad sandwich on the road. If I’m taking a road trip, I’ll get up at 3 o’clock in the morning if I have to, to make myself an egg salad sandwich before I go.”
For Charlie, eating healthily on the road or in the air mitigates jet lag. He also always carries a foam roller with him.
When Charlie was preparing for his role in King Arthur, he ate a lot of natural protein.
He didn’t have any fat, and also ate plenty of organic fruit and veggies.
This is more or less how Charlie ate:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal, with an omelet and some fruit
Snack
- A protein shake
Lunch
- Chicken Breast with brown rice and veggies
Dinner
Beef with sweet potatoes
Charlie Hunnam’s Supplements
1) Whey protein
Whey protein helps to increase strength, helps you to lose significant amounts of body fat, and helps you gain muscle
2) L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is a chemical made in the human liver, brain, and kidneys.
It helps turn fat into energy in the body. It is also important for brain and heart function as well as muscle movements, etc.
3) Pre-workout supplement
Pre-workout supplements give the body extra energy and motivation to do high-intensity workouts. You go longer and work out harder.
From serious physical training, you will notice more muscle, less pain, and more stamina.
4) BCAAs
Taking BCAAs helps the body to build muscle and to alleviate muscle pain. BCAA also helps to decrease muscle fatigue. In hospitals, BCAA has proven invaluable to prevent and slow down muscle loss.
5) Green tea extract
Plenty of studies show green tea extract can promote weight loss. It also helps to regulate blood sugar, prevent disease, and aid in exercise recovery.
His noteworthy recommendations
Look at some noteworthy recommendations made by Charlie Hunnam:
- “It’s important for me to keep moving. We’re supposed to be active animals. It’s in our DNA. Sweating is how I change my oil. I just feel happier, more energized, and disciplined if I work out.”
- Charlie says that many actors seek fame and money – then they tend to “crash and burn really quickly. “Fame should be the perfume of great deeds,” he says. When they come to him for advice, he tells them to “look into their hearts and understand just how desperately they want to act. If your life won’t be fulfilled without doing it then do it, but if you’re going to do it just know you’re going to have to dedicate everything to it, and there’s going to be a certain amount of sacrifice and a certain amount of hardship,” he says.
- Charlie has also said one character that determines success in the acting business is “The desire to be a storyteller with purity and authenticity. The only success is having the ability to keep moving forward and going to work. That really is the greatest success of an actor’s career.”
Aren’t these fantastic recommendations?
‘I stay active, that’s the key. If you’re gonna mess around and eat a lot of sugar, you better stay active as well.’ – Charlie Hunnam