I’ll say it right now: I remember very few things about 2017’s “Baywatch” movie. However, Zac Efron’s bulging biceps and washboard abs will forever remain emblazoned on my brain — so thank you, Hollywood.
And another thank-you to Patrick Murphy, the Los Angeles-based certified fitness pro who whipped Efron into Google-worthy shape (that’s how you got here, right?).
Murphy’s known for training A-listers like Cameron Diaz and Efron’s “Baywatch” co-star Alexandra Daddario.
While he was working with some pretty genetically privileged bodies (so the odds were pretty much in his favor), that doesn’t discount the work Murphy put in. His mind-blowingly challenging 12-week regimen shows that Efron definitely worked his ass (and arms and legs — and did we mention those abs?) off.
And again, I saw “Baywatch.” The elite-athlete-level results were memorable!
We scoured the internet to put together a realistic home version of the intense regimen. Murphy’s signature “Baywatch” workout varies depending on the source (although the official one is here).
It makes sense that different takes on the workout exist since Murphy has said he constantly tweaked the routine to keep Efron from plateauing.
What you see here is one version of it, with some possible variations on the basic moves ’cause we’re not Hollybodies.
But we stuck to Murphy’s secret sauce: “supersetting,” or eliminating the rest between sets and doing two exercises back to back. And the number of reps per workout for this routine is, unsurprisingly, huge: 720.
Start each day with a dynamic warmup to get your blood pumping and your muscles prepped for the serious contractions that are about to start.
Wall press
- Stand with your hands on a wall, wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest toward the wall to perform a push-up motion.
Standing leg swings
- Stand next to a wall or another surface you can place your hand on for balance.
- With your feet hip-width apart, keep one foot on the floor and swing the opposite leg forward and back.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Hip stretch with torso twist
- Stand with feet together. Step left foot back about 3 feet from right foot.
- Place right hand on hip. Raise left hand and twist your torso until you feel a slight stretch in left hip.
- Return to starting position and switch sides. You can also do this stretch from a kneeling position.
