Taylor Lautner has one of the most defined physiques in Hollywood. His circuit workouts helped him achieve this body.

Taylor Lautner used to be a 5’10”, 140 lb. bony teenager. However, he needed to gain 30 pounds for his role in the second Twilight movie. Lautner’s trainer Jordan Yuam helped him in this regard. Yuam used to make Lautner lift 40% heavier weight than he could handle for 10 reps just so his body could get used to handling heavier loads. This is known as forced reps. This can lead to even more muscle stress, stimulation, and strength. When you push through an exercise at the very edge of failure, you can increase the amount of blood and muscle tension, building even more muscle. He would do a lot of negative reps, but heavy is not all Lautner would do.

Taylor Lautner’s workout routine consists of variety, where he would mix up weight, reps, and intensity levels. He also uses resistance bands to give his muscles a different workout from traditional free weights. Resistance bands allow you to move more freely and achieve a greater range of motion than traditional free weights or machines. Also, the chance of injury is much less.

He was an ectomorph, meaning he had a hard time putting on weight. He therefore had to make sure that he didn’t do too much cardio and that he kept his nutritional intake up so he wouldn’t lose weight. He also makes sure not to overdo his ab work. He only works them 3 days a week and works his entire core: abs, obliques, and lower back. He also does his own stunts on the big screen so he makes sure that he incorporates a lot of versatility within his exercises. His trainer puts him through a workout routine that focuses on explosive movements and quickness like hops and lunges that go side to side and not just forward and back.

Lautner’s emphasis on heavy weight really added some extra mass to his frame. Over the years, you can see how much he has grown.

He makes sure to never workout more than 5 days per week because his body needs the rest and recovery to grow. He also ate tons of food to put on those 30 pounds. Lautner frequently did the following routine to get ripped up. He would do what’s called a Werewolf Circuit in which he would do each exercise non-stop for 20 minutes. The most he ever got was 17 total circuits in 20 minutes. This circuit hits all the major muscle groups and is a great cardio exercise that can really keep you lean.

Werewolf Circuit:

5 pull-ups
10 press-ups
15 bodyweight squats