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AS THE DEVILISHLY charming Lucifer Morningstar, Tom Ellis’ character compelled people to reveal their deepest desires with one simple question: What is it you truly desire? Reflecting on his work, Tom Ellis has an answer to his iconic line.
The Welsh actor tells MH Strong Talk he always desired to put on more muscle mass. He spoke about it at length in 2019 when taking MH through the workout routine he did to prepare for the role of suave playboy/fallen angel. Mainly he focused on building muscle and maximizing aesthetics—a necessity with the number of steamy shirtless scenes throughout the series. “Lucifer was the first opportunity for me to go for a transformation and put on that 20 pounds that I’ve always wanted to put on,” says Ellis.
Five years after the show’s finale, his desires have somewhat shifted. While still wanting to maintain muscle, his training has evolved from a Lucifer build to a more athletic physique for his role in CIA. Most importantly, Ellis wants to reach a balance between mass and staying light on his feet (he admits to being “quite a good dancer”).
Ellis explains to exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson and MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. that he doesn’t want to get typecast. They talked about the evolution of his training, injury recovery, and more.
Ellis wants to play a character that dictates where he takes himself physically. “If the devil is going to embody a human being, he probably wants to look a certain way,” says Ellis. “For CIA, the guy is an operative who has to blend into society.” Being noticeably more built than the average person would likely give someone away. Plus, Ellis needed to increase his stamina and move well for fight scenes.
Nowadays, Ellis focuses on functional training. Though he has had to scale back to pushups and pull ups after a back injury in 2025 and meniscus tear in his knee. He tries to complete five sets of 20 pushups and occasionally engages in pull up challenges with his CIA co-star Nick Gehlfuss. Ellis also sets time in the gym for Pilates core workouts or with his physical therapist for deep core stability work. The goal is to build his core outwards while also protecting the weakest area in his back.
Along with strength-building exercises, Ellis has also embraced the wonders of walking. His walking goal is between 20,000 to 25,000 steps a day. “Having moved to New York, what I really love about it is that I’m walking everywhere again,” he says. “Consoling myself about not working out on the weekends, I make sure I get steps in. For mental health it’s the best thing you can do without a shadow of a doubt.”
Want more deep-dive fitness wisdom from Samuel and other celebs and experts who’ve been on our Strong Talk podcast? Check out all our episodes here.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.
