Jim Carrey’s career seems to have been built on the fact that he is a somewhat lanky comedian who excels at slapstick comedy. Movies such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), The Mask (1994), shot him to fame. However, in his latest film, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Jim Carrey plays a street magician by the name of Steve Gray, who is far from a lanky character.
Jim Carrey has transformed himself into a broad and well built frame that any 51 year-old would be proud of. In fact, men much younger would be proud of his figure! So, how did he do it? Well, he has actually always been in good shape with broad swimmer’s shoulders and a well developed chest.
We do not know a great deal about Jim Carrey’s fitness regime (and Vera de Milo does not count!)
Jim has been known to go running. At least he once Tweeted that he had just been for a 5 mile run along the waterfront in Toronto, where he started out as a stand up comic. Also, he famously ran on a treadmill for an entire interview on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2011.
There are already a huge number of websites talking about how much Jim Carrey hated dieting, but none are sharing how he bulked up. The real transformation is not so much the fat loss but his muscle gain. He had to perform a full body workout to build total body mass. He has a very “solid” upper body which suggests that he performs some heavy lifting, focussing more on fitness and strength than bodybuilding / sculpting. So shorter workouts with fewer reps, but heavier lifting.
Many years ago Jim Carrey employed Gary Kobat as his fitness coach. In fact, Gary Kobat has been Jim’s workout mentor for over a decade. In 2008 and article on Nola.com revealed that they had already been working together for 8 years. Kobat introduced Jim Carrey to basic exercises that he can do anywhere – vital for a busy actor who may be away from home for weeks or months on end. Workouts would involve a blend of floor exercises, weight training and cardiovascular. So really a standard circuit training workout. In 2008 Jim Carrey was working out 6 to 7 days a week.
We know that Kobat was still working with Jim in December 2012, as he gave an interview to LoaToday.com, in a programme called Gary Kobat, personal trainer to the stars, shares the secret to turning 50, looking 40, and feeling 30. Gary’s three-step approach to fitness is simple really:
- Do something you love
- Understand energy, both light and dark
- Remember that you are really energy
It’s all a bit spiritual, but some people do respond well to a more holistic approach to fitness and exercise. “Transformation doesn’t happen without intense awareness“. Really his approach is about making the right mental mindset to ensure that a person can stay motivated and stick to the plan.
Getting in shape does not require a secret recipe of exercise and fitness – it requires mental strength and the personal willpower to never give up, never stop, and always push yourself to achieve more.
Sorry that this is all a bit vague – but the truth is sometimes vague! If you want to get a body like Jim Carrey, start working out every day, and do some cardio and some strength training. A simple routine should hit all the major muscle groups, so include the following exercises:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Calf Raises
- Bench Press
- Shoulder Press
- Rows
- Pull Ups
- Lat Pull Downs
- Chest Flyes
- Curls
If you perform these exercises a couple of times a week, plus do some cardio workouts, you will get in shape. Really the minimum exercise to get in good shape is 4 sessions each week. You can split up the workouts to include a half of the weight training exercises in each session. This helps you to focus on fewer exercises at a time and work on building up the amount you lift (more reps, heavier weights). One of the keys to successful weight lifting is to not rush it – take your time, complete the workouts and keep striving to lift heavier weights.
The Antimatter Diet!
Jim Carrey is certainly not a fan of the extreme dieting and fitness. As soon as filming ended he stopped most of his workouts and started enjoying his more normal diet again. He was never overweight and his 6 foot 4 frame allowed him to disguise the extra layer of fat well.
In an interview with People magazine Jim said that ‘it’s not a happy place to be‘ when talking about all the exercise and sacrifices he had to make. But he declared ‘I’m back now. I’ve got Mr. Cuddly back and we’re happy!”
In addition to eating a very lean, paleo-like diet, Jim Carrey also quit alcohol and cigarettes. He is also a vegetarian, and has been for many years.
Carrey joked that to stay in such great shape was not natural for him and that he had to eat antimatter to stay in shape. He appreciated that his body looked great, and also enjoyed the extra attention he received, but he felt it was all too much like hard work to maintain that lifestyle.
“I figured that was Matthew McConaughey’s thing,”
But …. a New Lifestyle Starts in March 2013
However, after filming was completed he has revealed on his Twitter page, @JimCarrey, that he had started a new lifestyle and diet regime.
“No wheat dairy sugar coffee soda drugs alcohol or tbco day 3.I feel a sense of balance n faireness.I hate everything n every1 equally. ;^” – Feb 23, 2013
“Tomorrow, day 14, no wheat, dairy, sugar, coffee, soda, drugs, alcohol or tobac,” – Mar 5, 2013
“Clarity! Contentment! Youthfullness! Longevity! This diet,though tough at first, gives me that! Can u handle it? Just 3 wks and you’ll see! ;^)” – Mar 5, 2013
“I eat eggs meat fish n veggies cooked in olive oil fruits nuts water tea wth honey or stevia gluten free crckrs n almond butter 4 snack. ;^d” – Mar 5, 2013
Many of Jim’s fans asked him more about his diet an he replied to say “3wks is just the beginning for me. It’s a lifestyle. ;^]”
It is great to see how a guy in his early 50’s can get into shape if he really wants to by following some good diet advice and following a structured fitness plan. It seems that his role on the film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone got him started on a whole new way of eating and living. But he was already working out on a regular basis, following a fitness work out almost daily for at least the last 10 years.
Giving up smoking and alcohol are possibly the two healthiest things anyone can do, and if he is also eating a well balanced diet and getting some regular exercise, we should be able to enjoy Jim Carrey for many more years to come.