How Chad Michael Murray Maintains His Ripped Body Into His 40s: The Truth About His Diet And Workout Routine

Chad Michael Murray's shirtless video has everyone interested in his abs and how he's managed to keep his impressive physique into his forties...

To say that Chad Michael Murray has aged well would be a very accurate statement, and fans were incredibly impressed when he recently shared a photo of his physique on Instagram. He is incredibly toned and looks great, but this transformation did not happen overnight. The actor is known for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and working out regularly.

So, if you want to take a page from his books and follow his routine to get abs of steel, you need to know his secrets. Does this include grueling workouts and carbo-loading? Or is he more dedicated to eating tuna? This is the truth about how Chad Michael Murray maintains his body…

Chad Michael Murray has always been a good-looking man, but people take notice when he posts images of his abs on social media. But a shirtless video that his wife posted to social media in June 2023 really got everyone talking. The actor is married to Sarah Roemer and has been since 2015 (it is his second marriage, the first being a very short-lived marriage to Sophia Bush, which some fans believe was a publicity stunt). The couple also share five children.

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To say she admires her husband's body would probably be accurate. When she posted the video to Instagram, she didn't caption it (except for tagging Chad Michael Murray). And really, did she need to? If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a video speaks so much more!

Have you ever wondered what you must eat to look like Chad Michael Murray? Is it the same food over and over? Does he mix up recipes and try out new things? From the actor's comments on his nutrition, it appears he prefers routine and will choose the same combination of foods repeatedly.

"I'm not a foodie, so that helps. I eat out of necessity, not out of desire. I bring my own food to work – have done for the last ten to 15 years. I live on the same thing every single day: nuts, coffee, Kind bars. I bring tuna to work every day for lunch with some wheat thins – American wheat thins," he told GQ magazine in a 2020 interview.

"I'm going to hard-preface that: American wheat thins, they're far better than the Canadian wheat thins. One's more salty sweet, and one's just really, really salty and thinner, so it's not as easy to make a sandwich out of."

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He is also a man who avoids sugar all day (a seemingly impossible task for most of us). But there is one indulgence he has every night: Airheads. "If I don't have them, I can't sleep. I purchase cases online, and they're delivered right to the door," he admits.

As a teenager, he almost died because of internal bleeding. The experience had a profound effect on the actor and influenced his lifestyle. There is no alcohol for him, and he likes to maintain a healthy diet. In an interview with SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show in 2019, the actor said: "I fueled myself with food, and I've made myself sick because of food. I've been on the bad side of it and the good side of it."

For Chad Michael Murray, maintaining a workout routine and following a schedule are important. Luckily for fans, he has been open about the dedication it takes to keep his body in top shape (which is great because it sets realistic goals, whereas too many celebrities are secretive about what they do or they make it sound much easier than it actually is).

"I wanted to make sure that five to six days a week, I was taking care of myself mentally, physically, spiritually every day. We happen to be in a really good location where we live, where we can get hikes in. And we have a pool, and the weather was beautiful," he told GQ magazine. He also revealed that the whole family does things together.

Eating and working out are essential, but many of us fail to realize the importance of sleep. How many nights have you sacrificed your sleep in favor of something else? Perhaps you had no time in the week and wanted to binge-watch a series instead of getting valuable shut-eye? Or maybe work has been too demanding, and you've been pulling all-nighters. If there is one thing the actor makes sure he does, it's get enough sleep. We are talking eight to ten hours a night. Plus, a nap!

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"I think it's vital, otherwise, I think you'll run yourself down, and you won't function at your highest quality. In this industry you're working 12-17-hour days, and you have to be at a high level," he told GQ. "You can't just take a scene off, it doesn't work like that. So we really strive to instill good sleep practices in the homestead."

And what about fancy gym equipment? "I'm more of an old-school, Rocky Balboa, ropes and chains kind of guy anyway when I'm working out," Michael Murray told GQ.

Despite being someone passionate about routine, that is not to say Chad Michael Murray has not been willing to change his appearance for roles. The "One Tree Hill" actor has had diverse parts, but perhaps the most memorable example of him altering his image was when he had to lose weight to portray an addict in the film, Other People's Children.

"I lost 25 pounds for it, and I was really in a dark place for about a month. It was taking your work home with you. It's heavy," he told Us Weekly in 2014. "I wanted to do it organically in a healthy way, I really did. I didn't want to just cut down to water and crackers," he said. "Every day I didn't consume anything that wasn't from God's green earth. Pretty much oatmeal, egg whites, salads, chicken, tuna — that's pretty much it. You find ways to dress it up and make it wonderful. After a week, you can't tell the difference. You actually look forward to egg whites — can't wait."

Cailyn Cox is a passionate writer and an authority on all things entertainment-related. She has been penning articles on popular culture for close to ten years and has had the opportunity to work with several major publications. When she is not writing, you can find her at her local coffee shop, reading a good book, or bingeing the latest true-crime series.