Zac Efron burst onto the teen scene as a basketball player in Disney’s “High School Musical,” but another athletic role called for a massive transformation. The former heartthrob signed on to play lifeguard Matt Brody in the 2017 “Baywatch” reboot and dove into an exhaustive routine of varied activities, including swimming, running, endurance, balance, and agility training that nutritionist and trainer Patrick Murphy calls “the most dynamic program I’ve ever put together for a client.” Beginning each day at 4:00 a.m., Efron would complete one or two sweat sessions five or six days a week, including a rigorous filming schedule that often stretched late into the night. Efron combined this with a meticulous low-carb diet of fully organic foods.
At the height of this training, Effron reported feeling “the physically strongest I’ve ever felt,” but this transformation came at a cost. He has since revealed that a cornerstone of his regimen included the constant use of powerful diuretics to purge his body of water weight. Overuse of this medication reportedly led to insomnia, depression, and a six-month recovery. Now, Efron sticks to more moderate forms of mindful exercise and ice baths that he reports have become a favorite part of his day.
