Disclaimer: Alexander Skarsgård does’t actually wear a loincloth in Legend of Tarzan, opting instead for a kind of Victorian pedal pusher. Very Pitti Uomo. He does, however, share the classic Tarzan’s aversion to shirts. Unsurprising, considering the physique they’d cover up.

Skarsgård took eight months to build Tarzan’s lean, muscular body, calling on friend and trainer Magnus Lygdbäck – the man responsible for whipping Avicii and Harry Styles into rock star shape. Then he had to maintain it on set. But that means unlike big screen bodies built with short-term training, this is one you can actually achieve. And hold onto. “Genetics has an effect on every individual’s ability to burn fat and build muscle, but everyone can get a similar look to Skarsgård with the right type of exercises and diet,” says Lygdbäck. “You just need to have a build up cycle where you lift heavy and eat plenty, followed by an intense training cycle with a strict diet.” Not just bananas.

Alexander Skarsgård’s Tarzan Training Regime

Skarsgård trained in two phases – big eating and big lifting to put on bulk, then a cut that tapered his food and training, where he shifted from moving weight to moving his body. The result? Muscle where it mattered with no fat covering it up.

But when you’re that training hard, rest is just as important as the time you spend shifting tin. Skarsgård worked a split routine that hit different body parts on different days, to give his muscles a chance to recover – and grow – before he subjected them to more punishment.

On two random days a week, Lygdbäck put him through a prime movements workout, designed to get his body moving like a gorilla. Even if you’re not playing one, apeing their movements gets your body working in new ways. That means more flexibility, more fat burn, and the kind of functional strength that translates to the real world – not just the squat rack.