Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal has sparked speculation regarding his alleged use of steroids to achieve his impressive physique in the 2024 action thriller, Road House. The film features him taking on the role of an ex-UFC fighter, Elwood Dalton, who starts working as a bouncer at Florida Key Road House in Miami. This is not the first instance the actor has portrayed such a role on-screen as he has earlier played the role of a boxer in the 2015 film Southpaw.
However, his shredded body transformation has people talking about potential steroid use for the same. And celebrity trainer Jeff Cavaliere debunked such claims in his recent YouTube video while reflecting on Gyllenhaal’s transformation for the role.
Jeff Cavaliere on Jake Gyllenhaal’s Body Transformation in Road House
Jake Gyllenhaal shared his workout routine for the 2024 action thriller Road House recently with Men’s Health. Trainer Jeff Cavaliere (ATHLEAN-X) reflected on the same in his recent YouTube video while trying to assess if the 43-year-old actor actually relied on steroids or not.
Reflecting on his workout and how he managed to achieve the shredded look in the action thriller, the fitness trainer highlighted that Gyllenhaal didn’t focus on bulking up but instead reduced his weight from 205 lbs to 184 lbs for the role. He said,
“For this role, he actually didn’t bulk up or put on a lot of muscle he actually cut down supposedly from 205 down to 184 to play this role 184 lbs of muscle, and again when you look at his body here doesn’t really look very enhanced to me.”
Cavaliere also suggests that Gyllenhaal’s transformation doesn’t appear to involve steroid use, noting the actor’s longstanding dedication to fitness and the consistency of his body transformation over the years. He claimed,
“Yes, a lot of times these guys will indulge in order to get into their best shape ever for whatever role they’re playing. I got to say I don’t really see it here.”
Known for his critical analysis of celebrity training routines, Cavaliere has worked with numerous Hollywood and sports stars, including Josh Brolin, Ryan Reynolds, Florian Munteanu, Antonio Brown, and David Wright, among others.
Jake Gyllenhaal Worked Over a Year to Hone His Physique in Road House
Jake Gyllenhaal’s longtime trainer Jason Walsh shared the fitness routine and diet the actor followed to prepare for his role in the action thriller Road House with Men’s Health. The routine involved a combination of mobility drills, specialized workouts, heavy training, and targeted exercises.
It also included Proteus Notion Drill, isometric inverted row holds, sled workouts, heavy squats, and deadlifts for strength and stamina. He also relied on Forearm and Heavy Bag Drills to improve grip strength. In terms of diet, Gyllenhaal adhered to the 80-20 rule, emphasizing 80% diet and 20% workout.
The actor shared during an interview that upon learning that he was set to star alongside MMA star Conor McGregor in the movie, he trained intensely for two months, focusing on grappling, MMA techniques, and overall fitness to prepare for his role.
“When I got word that Conor McGregor was in the movie with me—I was super psyched,” he shared during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The movie has received mixed reviews with critics praising the performances of the cast while simultaneously criticizing the “generic” plot and script.
Road House is available to stream on Prime Video.