What does it take to achieve the physique of an action movie star? For Marvel Cinematic Universe member and star of The Purge franchise Frank Grillo, it’s a fridge full of foods that support his paleo diet, a bevy of daily vitamins, and a daily training routine of swimming, boxing, resistance work, and stretching.
Grillo was featured on the Aug. 30, 2021 episode of “Gym & Fridge” by Men’s Health. In it, he breaks down his daily supplement routine, an inside look at what is allowed in his fridge — as well as what will forever stay at bay — and a peek into how Grillo maintains his aesthetic physique. Check out the full video below courtesy of the Men’s Health YouTube channel:
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Frank Grillo’s Fridge
As a follower of the paleo diet — meaning a focus on nutrient-dense foods higher in protein and fat — the foods in Grillo’s fridge are all organic, from his salad dressings to the half-and-half he uses in his coffee. Grillo drinks Bulletproof coffee — a type of keto coffee with a high-fat content meant to make the user feel satiated. One cup of Bulletproof coffee packs 25 grams of fat (21 grams of which is saturated).
This isn’t a setup, this is actually how I live my life. It saturates your body with fats and your is full for six or eight hours.
As far as whole foods go, Grillo’s fridge is decked out in lean meats (e.g., turkey, grass-fed beef), eggs, greens — Grillo has an affinity for arugula — and pancake mix. The video shows several pints of ice cream, fried shrimp, and waffles in Grillo’s freezer, which is a concession to keeping his two teenage sons, ages 15 and 17, happy. Soft drinks are a no-no in the Grillo household, except on special occasions such as hanging out with his youngest son.
Supplement Cabinet
Here is a breakdown of the daily vitamins Grillo takes:
Grillo says that he tends to get a bit inflamed due to how much he trains. He takes turmeric to combat that.
Comfort Food
Aside from daily pancakes, Grillo is a “pizza fanatic,” having grown up in New York City with his Italian family. He appreciates a good New York-style pizza — meaning hand-tossed thin crust that can be folded. Grillo puts his money where his mouth is as a connoisseur of pizza. He “became a partner in a pizza place…called Larchmont Pizza.”
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Training
Grillo prefers to train in the morning and on an empty stomach (aside from the Bulletproof coffee). His warm-up routine consists of three rounds of shadow boxing followed by a few rounds hitting an aqua bag — a variant of a heavy bag filled with water rather than sand. Additional cardio for Grillo includes swimming in his pool:
Getting in the pool and doing laps is great. It’s probably the best you can do.
Resistance training has been a part of Grillo’s life since he was a kid. At age 10, his parents bought him a weight set. He says he has always been conscious of diet to strive for a certain aesthetic — he thinks “ripped” is the best compliment on his physique. Judging by his current shape at age 56, that “ripped” aesthetic comprises lean muscle with a lot of mobility work on a stability ball.
Despite his affinity for high-capacity work in the gym — through boxing, swimming, and squats and deadlifts — Grillo is not a fan of CrossFit® training.
According to IMDB, at the time of this article’s publication, Grillo has three completed movie projects yet to be released, four in post-production, and three more in pre-production. He is clearly a busy guy in Hollywood, and he keeps his physique in shape to balance it all.
Featured image: @frankgrillo1 on Instagram