A bodybuilder famous for his no-nonsense takes on diet and exercise has revealed why he believes Hugh Jackman took steroids for his latest movie.
Greg Doucette has called out Jackman multiple times for ‘lying’ about his drug use and setting unrealistic physique standards for young men.
At 55, the actor showcased what many are describing as his most impressive and ripped shape ever in the new superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine, in which he plays Wolverine.
Doucette, who has coached hundreds of bodybuilders, said it would be extremely difficult to pack on so many pounds of muscle and get so lean at Jackman’s age without the help of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) like steroids.
The fitness influencer also highlighted a video in which he accuses Jackman of lying about his diet and said if he is willing to lie about that, he is likely willing to cover up his use of steroids.
Hugh Jackman underwent a huge physical transformation to play superhero Wolverine for his 2024 film and insists his preparation including bulking up on calories and exercise. Some weightlifters are skeptical, though
Mr Douchette, a body builder, coach, and powerlifter, who insists that Hugh Jackman can owe his ripped physique to human growth hormones and testosterone therapy, not an excess of 6,000 calories
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Jackman said on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon while promoting the new movie that he consumed a mountainous six thousand calories daily made up mostly of veggies, tilapia, and chicken, to prepare for his role.
Doucette – who also holds an advanced degree in kinesiology, the study of human movement – explained to his two million YouTube subscribers that to drop enough bodyfat to have abs as visible as Jackman’s, one would need to eat a calorie deficit, meaning working off more calories than you take in.
It would be impossible, he said to burn off 6,000 calories in a day and would likely cause Jackman to pile on some pounds.
Doucette said: ‘So here’s the thing, he’s lying about the 6,000 calories and he’s lying about the steroids.
‘He’s neither eating 6,000 calories nor is this man natural.’
Natural, or ‘natty’, is used to describe people who train without the assistance of PEDs.
‘I would bet at most he was consuming 3,000 calories and likely 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 fall about one percent per year.
That decline in testosterone often leads to a reduction in muscle mass and strength, making it harder to build muscle through diet and exercise.
Low T is also associated with increased body fat around the abdomen.
Growth hormone levels also decline with age, meaning the body has a diminished 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. Like, half a pizza is 6,000 calories.
‘But no, this is chicken, and it’s tilapia and beans. Tilapia and beans. I don’t know why tilapia. It must be some fish that is lean, and green beans.’
Commenters online were quick to share their skepticism. One asked what pizza could possibly pack 12,000 calories.
Another said: ‘Yeah he didn’t eat 6000 kcal of tilapia and beans. He probably did a decent amount of [testosterone replacement therapy] and [human growth hormone]. Which is cool. He’s an actor, not a competitors [sic].’
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 physique on screen could have been a product of computer generation.
Doucette referenced a specific scene in the new film Deadpool and Wolverine in which armor flies off of him, revealing a perfect physique.
‘You’ve all watched the movie by now, and so it was tilapia and beans; that was the secret.
‘And so you really think that this 55-year-old man had that body with no testosterone, no performance-enhancing drugs, and zero CGI?
‘Imagine eating 6,000 calories a day and looking like that at 55 years old. You know what, yeah, we’re going to have to imagine it because it’s not possible.’
Jackman said he ate 6,000 calories per day to bulk up for his role, made up mostly of lean protein and vegetables
This isn’t the first time it has been speculated that Jackman indulged in performance-enhancing drugs to prepare for a role.
Dr Gary Motykie, a plastic surgeon to the stars, previously told DailyMail.com: ‘His look points more toward growth hormone or some of the testosterone boosters — probably a little bit of testosterone replacement therapy.
‘At his age [55 years], it is very common to be doing the testosterone replacement therapy. His vascularity also makes me slightly suspicious.
‘He does have very low body fat, but when you do see them popping out as well — it is suspicious for something else.’
But the movie star insists that his transformation happened naturally without the help of pharmaceuticals.
Chris Wallace, host of HBO’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, brought up the allegations to Jackman, hoping to clear the air.
Jackman, for his part, denied using the drugs.
He said: ‘No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine.
‘I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, “I don’t love it that much.”‘
