Joe Manganiello Reveals Key to His Ripped Physique: A NASA Scientist

Though going shirtless isn’t a requirement for Joe Manganiello, he rose to fame with roles that regularly saw him appearing sans shirt. It’s an impressive sight to be sure, but Manganiello isn’t afraid to admit that it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and—in his case—the help of a NASA scientist.

The Deal or No Deal Island host appeared on The Late Show last week, and host Stephen Colbert couldn’t resist asking the actor, who he described as “still reliably jacked,” about his fitness regiment. “Is this true that you have engaged the services of a guy who trains NASA astronauts to keep their muscle tone?” Colbert asked.

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Manganiello was quick to confirm what Colbert’s sources had told him, and explained that a nutritional scientist named Chris Talley was his secret weapon.

The actor explained that Talley was previously a NASA phlebotomist, where his job was “to find ways to keep muscle mass on astronauts that were going to be in extended periods of zero gravity.”

In working with Manganiello, Talley took approximately 10 vials of the actor’s blood. “Three weeks later, he came back with 26 pages of results of what I’m supposed to be eating and what I’m supposed to be doing, how I’m built, [and] health markers,” the Magic Mike star explained.

“When you eat, you’re guessing,” Manganiello continued. “Or you’re following some fad diet. But every single person on the planet needs a bespoke diet plan.” Which for Manganiello meant: twice as much red meat and one packet of Equal in his coffee to improve his energy levels. “He’s helped to biohack me from the inside,” he explained.

Manganiello spoke more about Talley in a recent interview with Men’s Fitness, where he laid out the scientist’s credentials: “He worked with the Seattle Seahawks and then they won the Super Bowl that year, and then Bill Belichick got them to do the Patriots the following year then they beat the Seahawks. Once a year I'll go back and have everything tested and see where I'm at to optimize.”

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How did Joe Manganiello build his massive physique? We asked the Deal or No Deal Island host when he stopped by our office this week. @Joe Manganiello Hint: protein. ♬ original sound - Men’s Fitness

Of course, working with a pro like Talley might not be an affordable option for everyone. To those people, Manganiello told Men’s Fitness that being willing to put in the work is essential: “I was really skinny growing up and I had to work at it,” he said. “I think a lot of people think you roll out of bed that way.”