Muriel’s Wedding star Steven Madsen reveals intense eight-pack workout for shirtless role

Muriel’s Wedding star Steven Madsen, who plays a swimmer in the musical, revealed his intense workout and diet he endures to play the role where he gets shirtless.

• Review: Muriel’s Wedding musical

There’s been no quick fix of a knife or surgeon, old fashioned hard yakka is the reason for Steven Madsen’s ripped body.

Playing swimmer Alexander Shkuratov in Muriel’s Wedding The Musical requires Madsen to maintain a perfectly toned eight pack, something he says “is quite easy” with a rigorous show schedule and eating healthily.

Ripped Stephen Madsen backstage of Muriel's Wedding The Musical. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

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The vision of Madsen emerging shredded and gleaming in his speedos is one many audience members at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre will never forget.

“It is a shitload of exercise,” he said.

“I go to the gym five or six times a week on top of the three hour show each day just to keep that swimmer shape so that it looks accurate when I get out of the pool.”

Madsen, 26, who is a vegetarian, needs to be careful not to lose weight “to maintain that bulk”.

Natalie Abbott and Stephen Madsen in the wedding scene in Muriel’s Wedding The Musical. Picture: David Caird

Actors Toni Collette and Daniel Lapaine in the wedding scene from the Muriel's Wedding film.

His diet consists of “lots of beans, lentils, tofu and brown rice”.

“A lot of people think to get an eight pack, you have to be doing crunches and exercises that target their abs a lot,” he said.

“What I’ve found is that concentrating on using those muscles when you are doing other exercises is actually better for them. I get better abs when I use my core or do back, chest or leg exercises.”

Originally published as Muriel’s Wedding star Steven Madsen reveals intense eight-pack workout for shirtless role