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It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s Henry Cavill and his insanely muscular shoulders! Being Superman can’t be easy, neither is playing the on-screen version of this Kryptonian hero. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old actor’s high profile roles — including the DC universe, “The Witcher,” and the burly Sherlock in “Enola Holmes” — surely compel him to eat certain foods and maintain his bulky deltoids. 

As an A-list actor with a famously shredded physique, Cavill receives lots of guidance on physical transformations from a slew of pros. So if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s to never stop asking questions. In fact, there were moments when he questioned trainer Dave Rienzi and skipped his recommended pre-bed protein shake in order to lose a few pounds. But once Cavill sent Rienzi a progress photo after taking a three-week shake break, that’s when the actor grew his knowledge and started questioning his trainer more. 

“That’s when I started asking these questions because [Rienzi] then informed me that the problem with that logic is that, yes, you do have fewer calories going into your body, but you also go into a catabolic state with how hard you’re training and how hard you’re working,” Cavill told GQ. “So actually what you’re doing is you’re losing muscularity while you sleep. So your body won’t be looking as good. And almost immediately when I went back to the pre-bed shake, I was like, ‘Yeah, the body looks better already.’ And for me, that was a massive learning point and a real shock. I thought I need to start asking more questions and stop thinking that I can pull a fast one and pull the wool over his eyes.”

Now, Cavill doesn’t skip his shake — that simply comprises two scoops of protein and water — before bed. Additionally, he consumes a morning protein shake: one and a half scoops of 100% grass-fed protein (the vanilla flavor from MuscleTech) blended with a cup of oats and some berries. That’s one part of his breakfast. He also devours an omelet with a bit of ham, which is about six ounces of beef filet. Then, he’ll usually train and follow up with a post-gym shake. After about three hours, Cavill eats his second meal that constitutes chicken and white rice with a side of curry sauce. Meal three comes another three hours later and will usually be the same, except with brown rice. Finally, he consumes about four ounces of beef with sweet potato for his fourth meal of the day. 

If there’s one go-to supplement that Cavill can’t live without (besides his grass-fed whey protein), it’s the MuscleTech Shatter Elite pre-workout. “That stuff is really good. I’m working silly hard most of the time, getting up at the crack of dawn or way before dawn and then working all the way through it,” he said. “Especially when you’re really, really tired, it does give you a really good pick up and kick up the ass to get into the gym.”

Ultimately, the actor adjusts his diet according to what look and feel he’s trying to achieve. If he’s seeking a mass gain, Cavill will incorporate more calories into his eating regimen. Additionally, he balances out cardio and his gym routine depending on similar circumstances. And although he mentioned that he’s simply working on maintenance right now, Cavill relies on a pretty heavy yet disciplined diet to support his mesmerizing muscles.