Lou Ferrigno Hulk Workout, Diet Chart, Pictures, and Video

Louis Jude Ferrigno is a famous bodybuilder who won two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles and one IFBB Mr. America title. He competed with Arnold Schwarzenegger during his body building days, but, unfortunately always came up short of The Olympia title. He also starred as The Hulk in the T.V series The Incredible Hulk (1978-1982). Consequently, his workouts came to be known as the Hulk workout.

Lou Ferrigno Physical Stats

Wondering how big Lou Ferrigno really is? Here is a glimpse at his body measurements.

Height: 1.96 m (6’5”); Weight: 280-285 lbs

Chest: 59”; Waist: 32”

Biceps: 23”; Thighs: 29”; Calves: 20”

Lou Ferrigno Workout Routine

Lou Ferrigno’s workout philosophy revolves around the concept of being the best you can be, using heavy weights with control, resting sufficiently and eating clean.

Day 1: Chest and Back

5 sets of 6-8 reps

• Flat Barbell Bench Press
• Incline Bench Press
• Dumbbell Pullovers
• Chest Flyes
• T-Bar Rows
• Dips
• Dead Lifts
• Bent Rows
• Chin ups
• Pull ups

Day 2: Shoulder and Arms

4-5 sets of 8-10 reps

• Military Press
• Dumbbell Overhead Press
• Bench Press
• Behind the Neck Press
• Front Dumbbell Raises
• Side Dumbbell Raises
• Barbell Curls
• Scott Press
• Dumbbell Curls
• Concentration Curls
• Cable Pull Downs
• Incline Dumbbell Curls
• Standing French Press
• Skull Crusher

Day 3: Legs

5 sets of 10-12 reps

• Leg Curls
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Press
• Squats
• Hack Squats

Day 4: Chest and Back

• Chest Flyes
• T-Bar Rows
• Dips
• Dead Lifts
• Bent Rows
• Chin ups
• Pull ups

Day 5: Shoulder and Arms

4-5 sets of 8-10 reps

• Barbell Curls
• Scott Press
• Dumbbell Curls
• Concentration Curls
• Cable Pull Downs
• Incline Dumbbell Curls
• Standing French Press
• Skull Crusher

Day 6: Legs

5 sets of 10-12 reps

• Leg Curls
• Squats
• Leg Extensions
• Hack Squats
• Leg Press

Day 7: Rest

Later, in his life, Ferrigno preferred training arms and back on different days. While his back workout remained more or less the same, his arm workout looked like this:

2 sets of 15-20 reps

• Barbell Curl

4 sets of 8-10 reps

• Incline Dumbbell Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Tricep Pushdown
• Skull Crusher
• Standing French Press

4 sets of 10-15 reps

• Barbell Wrist Curl

Lou Ferrigno Workout Video

Lou Ferrigno Diet Plan

During his Mr. Universe days, Lou ate around twice a day concentrating on low calorie and high carbohydrate foods. Later, however, during his comeback to professional bodybuilding in 1992-93, he ate five to six meals a day. He, now, eats a diet that consists of fish, meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables; not consuming more than 3500 calories in a day.
1^st meal: Whole-grain toast, 4-5 egg whites, fruits, and 1-2 glasses of milk.
2^nd meal: 2 slices of meat with whole-grain toast, 1-2 glasses of milk, and 3 ounces of raw nuts.
3^rd meal: Yogurt with fresh fruit, tuna salad, and 1-2 glasses of milk.
4^th meal: Protein shake and a fruit
5^th meal: Steak, vegetables, baked potato, 1-2 glasses of milk
6^th meal: Low-carb Protein shake or 3 oz cheese and sunflower seeds with 1-2 glasses of milk.

Lou’s advice to young bodybuilders is to concentrate more on multi-joint movements like bench press and dead lifts. He warns against overtraining and lifting too heavy weights, as it might jeopardize the joints. Check out his training DVDs like Stand Tall, offering more insight into his life and workout programs.