Zac Efron on What He Didn’t Like About Prepping for ‘Baywatch’ Movie: ‘You’re Just Sad’
In his Gym Time series on YouTube, actor Zac Efron gave his subscribers a look behind-the-scenes at how he prepped for his role in Baywatch. The film based on the 1990s TV series of the same name meant Efron had to be ripped. In 10 weeks, Efron went from in-shape to absolutely jacked (more on that later) to stand his own next to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In the video, Efron completed an ab workout with one of his co-stars from the film, Alexandra Daddario. During their gym session, Efron revealed what part of training for the beach-centered film he didn’t like. Keep reading to learn what part made the 31-year-old actor sad.
Excluding this food group from his diet made Zac Efron sad
While completing some tough ab moves, Efron revealed what change to his diet made him sad when he prepped for the 2017 film.
“I was not happy not eating carbs,” he said in the video. “Yeah, I was pretty stoked when I saw the results but it was not worth it,” Efron added. “You’re just sad.”
Patrick Murphy on training Efron: ‘I threw everything I had at him’
A celebrity trainer based in L.A., Patrick Murphy, known for transforming actors such as Tobey Maguire and Jason Segal, created what he calls “the most dynamic program I’ve ever put together for a client,” for Efron.
One look at the actor’s Instagram and it’s clear he enjoys fitness. But to prepare for his role in Baywatch, he had to up the intensity of his fitness training.
“I threw everything I had at him,” Murphy told Men’s Health. “Stability training, power, mobility, athletic training.”
“He did more two-a-days than anyone I ever worked with,” he added.
Zac Efron stopped craving junk food
Although Efron felt sad not having carbs in his diet while prepping for Baywatch, he noted in an interview with Men’s Journal that after a while, he didn’t want to eat junk food.
“After a while, your body stops craving junk food and you look forward to these meals,” he said. “You go, ‘Holy cow, I want kale and vinaigrette shredded with beets and a little bit of sweet potato!'”
Efron’s diet consisted of organic whole foods and little to no carbs.
Dwayne Johnson on Efron’s ‘Baywatch’ body
Being in a film alongside Johnson, who it seems is constantly in beast mode at the gym, can be intimidating. But Efron held his own in the film and earned the admiration of the man known for his ripped physique.
“Athletes know how hard it is to prep, train, and diet for a competition,” Johnson told Men’s Journal. “It’s months of focused sacrifice all leading up to one particular event that takes place in one night.”
As Johnson pointed out, Efron had to remain in tip-top shape for months.
“In the case of Baywatch, Zac’s had to apply the diet and training strategy of an elite athlete, but he’s also had the ‘added bonus’ of needing to maintain that look for months while we’re shooting. Zac committed to be the best version of himself possible and did it. He came in looking like a f—ing animal.”
When cameras stopped rolling on Baywatch, Efron went back to eating carbs and we’re sure he’s happier for it.
