Tom Hollandrecognized for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared details about his health and fitness regimen in an interview published on January 2 by Men’s Health. The 28-year-old actor explained that he follows an unconventional diet and an intense exercise program to stay in shape.
Holland confessed that, instead of eating three meals a day, he prefers to limit himself to one. Their choice is usually a home-prepared dish, such as batched chili con carne. However, his diet varies depending on the roles he must play. For example, while preparing for The Crowded RoomHolland described the process of losing weight as “extremely painful”.
In contrast, when he must gain muscle mass for roles like Spider-Man in movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War o Spider-Man: No Way Homeprefers that approach, although he considers it a challenge. “I really have to focus on eating three times a day”, he explained, describing that routine as “an exorbitant amount of food”.
In addition to his controlled diet, Holland follows an active lifestyle. During preparation for Spider-Man: No Way Home In 2021, he worked alongside trainer Duffy Gaver on high-intensity training (HIIT) routines. “We got into incredible physical shape. A typical Monday involved a one-hour workout: one pull-up, two dips, three push-ups, four sit-ups, five squats… and so on until reaching 10 repetitions of each exercise and then going back down to one,” he detailed, calling it “a monster training”.
Beyond filming, his physical agility often impresses those around him, including his younger relatives. During a visit to Cornwall, in the company of his girlfriend Zendaya and his family, one of his little cousins asked him to do a backflip. Although he managed to execute it, he admitted to having suffered subsequent discomfort. “Every muscle in my abdomen hurt for weeks because, for a backflip, you need to fully extend and then tuck your body in.”he explained.
In January 2022, Tom Holland made a decision that would mark a turning point in his life: he stopped consuming alcohol for a month. What began as a brief experiment became a personal transformation, revealing how deeply ingrained drinking was in his social routine. “Every Friday after work was an excuse: let’s get drunk and have a good time. I didn’t have any bad experiences, but I drank enough to ruin the next day.”, he confessed. Consumption also led to an eye-opening conversation with his doctor about his liver health, a reminder of the physical consequences of excess.
The first month of abstinence was not easy. Holland faced intense desires to drink, especially at social gatherings. One night, while accompanying his brother to a poker game, he felt he needed a drink to enjoy the event. “In the middle of the night, I asked him to take me home. It was an eye-opening moment for both me and him.”he recalled. Questions from loved ones, such as “Are you sure?”, made him reflect on his habits. This support motivated him to extend his abstinence to a second month, then a third, and finally to six months.
Over time, he began to notice the benefits of sobriety. Saturday mornings, which were previously lost to party nights, became times for activities like golf. He also discovered that he could handle stressful situations better, something he put to the test while working at The Crowded Room alongside Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum in May 2022. “There was a lot of animosity on set. It was not a harmonious place, there were constant discussions,” he said. This experience turned out to be a trial by fire. “I thought, if I start drinking now, with all this going on, things are only going to get worse, right?”.
Despite the challenges, Holland managed to maintain his sobriety without resorting to formal treatment. “I am quite determined. “When I set out to do something, I really do it,” he said. During this process, he relied on his close circle, made up of family, friends and colleagues, both new and old. He also received unexpected support from people who shared his experience.
In the most difficult times, he found comfort in simple but powerful advice. A key conversation occurred in a hotel, at the beginning of his sobriety process. In a moment of weakness, his lawyer offered him advice that would shape his perspective: “You’ll never wake up the morning after a night out and wish you’d had a drink. That advice suited me like a glove, because my problem was that I would have a drink and it would be fine, and then it would go out of hand,” he admitted.
