A bodybuilder famed for his no-nonsense views on diet and exercise has revealed why he thinks Hugh Jackman took steroids for his latest film.
Greg Doucette has criticized Jackman several times for “lying” about his drug use and setting unrealistic physical standards for young men.
At 55, the actor showed off what many describe as his most impressive and defined figure yet in the new superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine, in which he plays Wolverine.
Doucette, who has trained hundreds of bodybuilders, said it would be extremely difficult to gain that much muscle and lose that much weight at Jackman’s age without the aid of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) such as steroids.
The fitness influencer also highlighted a video in which she accuses Jackman of lying about his diet and said that if he’s willing to lie about that, he’s probably willing to cover up his steroid use.
Hugh Jackman has undergone a massive physical transformation to play superhero Wolverine in his 2024 film and insists his preparation includes upping his calorie intake and working out. However, some weightlifters are sceptical.
Mr Douchette, a bodybuilder, trainer and powerlifter, insists that Hugh Jackman may owe his ripped physique to human growth hormones and testosterone therapy, not a 6,000-calorie excess.
Jackman told the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon while promoting the new film that he consumed a whopping six thousand calories a day consisting mostly of vegetables, tilapia and chicken to prepare for his role.
Doucette, who also has an advanced degree in kinesiology, the study of human movement, explained to his two million YouTube subscribers that in order to lose enough body fat to have abs as visible as Jackman’s, one would need to eat in a calorie deficit, meaning burning more calories than one takes in.
It would be impossible, he said, to burn 6,000 calories in a day and would likely cause Jackman to gain a few pounds.
Doucette said: ‘The bottom line is this: He’s lying about the 6,000 calories and he’s lying about the steroids.
‘He doesn’t eat 6,000 calories and he’s not a natural man’
Natural, or ‘natty’, is used to describe people who train without the aid of PEDs.
“I’d bet he was consuming at most 3,000 calories and probably closer to 2,000 calories,” Doucette added.
At his age, Jackman would naturally have a lower testosterone level than a man in his 30s.
Once a man reaches 40, his testosterone levels typically drop by about one percent per year.
This decrease in testosterone often leads to a reduction in muscle mass and strength, making it difficult to build muscle through diet and exercise.
Low testosterone levels are also associated with increased body fat around the abdomen.
Growth hormone levels also decline with age, meaning the body has a decreased ability to support muscle development.
Jackman told TV host Jimmy Fallon: “It’s 6,000 calories, and it’s not the calories you necessarily want. For example, half a pizza is 6,000 calories.”
—But no, this is chicken, and tilapia and beans. Tilapia and beans. I don’t know why tilapia. It must be some lean fish and green beans.
Online commentators were quick to express their skepticism, with one asking what pizza could possibly contain 12,000 calories.
Another said: “Yeah, he didn’t eat 6000kcal of tilapia and beans. He probably took a decent amount of (testosterone replacement therapy) and (human growth hormone). Which is great. He’s an actor, not a competitor.”
Doucette has been open about his use of steroids and other PEDs during his bodybuilding career and uses his YouTube channel to raise awareness about their harms.
He added that Jackman’s toned on-screen physique could have been a product of the computer generation.
Doucette referenced a specific scene in the new Deadpool and Wolverine movie where the armor flies off of him, revealing a perfect physique.
‘You’ve all seen the movie by now, so the secret was tilapia and beans.
‘And you really think this 55-year-old man had that body without testosterone, without performance-enhancing drugs, and without CGI?
“Imagine eating 6,000 calories a day and looking like that at 55. You know what? Yeah, we’re going to have to imagine that because it’s not possible.”
Jackman said he ate 6,000 calories a day to bulk up for his role, consisting primarily of lean protein and vegetables.
This is not the first time there has been speculation that Jackman took performance-enhancing drugs in preparation for a role.
Dr Gary Motykie, plastic surgeon to the stars, previously told DailyMail.com: ‘His appearance is more pointing towards growth hormone or some of the testosterone boosters, probably a bit of testosterone replacement therapy.
‘At his age (55 years old), it is very common for him to be on testosterone replacement therapy. His vascularity also makes me a little suspicious.
“He has very little body fat, but when you see that stuff sticking out too, it’s suspicious of something else.”
But the movie star insists her transformation happened naturally, without the help of pharmaceuticals.
Chris Wallace, host of HBO’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, servant the accusations against Jackman, in the hope of clearing things up.
Jackman, for his part, denied having taken drugs.
He said, ‘No, I love my job and I love Wolverine.
“I have to be careful what I say here, but I’ve been told anecdotally what the side effects of that are. And I was like, ‘I don’t like it that much.'”