by Daniel Radcliffe has come a long way since his days as the beloved boy wizard Harry Potter. Over the past decade, he has taken on increasingly mature and complex roles on stage and screen. But perhaps his most impressive transformation has been a physical one. The once scrawny actor has buffed up and shaped up thanks to a dedicated workout regimen.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Radcliffe opened up about the exercise routines that have helped sculpt his physique over the years. But he revealed that one type of lifting in particular has become a game changer for him: eccentric training.
“I was skeptical at first,” Radcliffe admitted. “But eccentric lifting has given me results I never thought were possible before.”
For the uninitiated, eccentric training focuses on the lowering phase of a lift. So if you were doing a bicep curl, you would lift the weight up in a concentric motion and lower it in an eccentric motion. This places greater tension on the muscles and can lead to more strength and size gains.
Radcliffe said he performs eccentric training two to three times per week, depending on his filming schedule. He prefers to do it with a spotter for safety.
“I start with a weight I can lift concentrically six to eight times,” he explained. “But for the eccentric portion, I take about four seconds to lower the weight. It’s brutal!”
Radcliffe starts his workouts with some dynamic stretching to get the blood flowing. Then he moves on to his first eccentric exercise: the eccentric deadlift.
“I load up a barbell with 30-40% more than my regular deadlift max,” said Radcliffe. “Then I lift it up in a standard deadlift. But on the way down, I take a full 5 seconds to lower the bar back to the ground.”
This ultra-slow descent puts Radcliffe’s back, glutes and hamstrings under extreme tension. He says it has built tremendous strength that carries over to his traditional deadlift training.
After deadlifts, Radcliffe moves on to eccentric barbell rows. These target the lats and biceps. Again, he uses a higher weight and takes 4 seconds to return the bar to the starting position.
“The eccentric rows have really helped build my back and arm mass,” Radcliffe said. “My biceps have grown over an inch from incorporating these!”
For chest, Radcliffe does an eccentric bench press variation. This involves lifting the bar with two spotters assisting him. He then lowers it solo over 5 seconds.
“Having that extra eccentric focus on my pecs has improved my regular bench press more than anything else,” Radcliffe claimed.
To finish his workout, Radcliffe adds in some eccentric overload presses for his shoulders. He’ll do eccentric barbell shoulder presses, eccentric dumbbell raises and eccentric push presses for maximum intensity.
“My shoulders and traps have blown up so much since I started all the eccentric work,” said Radcliffe. “It’s taken my whole upper body to another level.”
In addition to his ego lifting, Radcliffe still does some traditional strength training ranges of 8-12 reps. But he credits the eccentrics for the biggest transformations to his physique.
“It’s unbelievable how much extra muscle you can stimulate through eccentric training,” he noted. “My arms have grown over an inch and a half and my chest and back are wider and thicker than ever before.”
For diet, Radcliffe has upped his calorie intake substantially to support his new muscle mass. He aims for around 3,500 calories per day, with a focus on high protein foods like chicken, fish, beef and eggs. He snacks on nuts and nut butters as well for extra calories.
Radcliffe has also benefited from taking some fitness supplements for the first time. He uses a whey protein powder and also takes creatine and beta-alanine before workouts.
“The supplements have really upped my training game and recovery,” Radcliffe shared. “I’ve made better progress in the last year than the previous three combined.”
The results of all Radcliffe’s hard work could be seen when he recently walked the red carpet at a movie premiere. The 32-year-old looked leaner and more muscular than ever. His arms strained the sleeves of his tailored suit, with veins visible along his biceps and forearms.
Reporters were quick to compliment Radcliffe on his jacked new look. But he remained humble, as always.
“I’m just glad I can be a versatile actor who can physically transform for roles,” Radcliffe said. “The eccentric training has helped me achieve that.”
Radcliffe advised others looking to build their best body to give eccentric exercise a try.
“Focus on proper form and start very light to avoid injury,” he recommended. “But stick with it and eccentrics will transform your physique and strength in ways you never imagined.”
After a decade playing the iconic boy wizard, Radcliffe has proven he is all man today. Thanks to a disciplined workout plan and eccentric training, he has crafted a sculpted and imposing physique worthy of an action star. The intense lifting has clearly cast a spell on Radcliffe, giving him the confidence to show off his newfound muscles on the big screen.
It just goes to prove that magic isn’t always needed to utterly transform one’s body. With motivation and hard work, Radcliffe was able to shape his physique into anything he desired. His flexibility as an actor is now matched by the flexibility he has built through diligent exercise. And with eccentrics helping him continue to improve his strength and build his best body ever, the man who once played Harry Potter has proven that sometimes all it takes is some hardcore lifting and focus.
