We were first introduced to the delectable Jason Momoa during the first season of HBO’s Game of Thrones way back in 2011. The hunky Hawaiian was a stand-out character –portraying Khal Drogo, the fearsome leader of the Dothraki warriors and Daenerys Targaryen’s husband. Throughout his entire time on the series, Momoa was bearded and bare-chested which meant that he needed to be in tip-top shape for the role.

Clearly, Lisa Bonet’s husband has not relaxed his fitness routine since leaving Westeros behind. The former model is staring in Aquaman. As the rough and rugged King of  Atlantis — Momoa is just as ripped and fit as we remembered. Here’s Momoa’s intense exercise regime which keeps him looking as though he was carved out of marble.

Skipping the gym

While many of us make sure we get our daily sweat sessions in by purchasing gym memberships, Momoa doesn’t like to be contained or regimented. Instead, the hulking actor takes his workouts outdoors, and he’s sure to get in a good sweat as soon as he wakes up in the morning. In an interview with Train Magazine, he said, “I like to workout in the morning, at the crack of dawn, and love to workout outside: whether that’s climbing, hill sprints, boxing, surfing, swimming, skateboarding – it gives me some time to think and focus.

Say yes to cardio

While most men of Momoa’s size can be found lifting extremely heavy weights, Momoa is careful not to eliminate cardio from his daily workout. After all, if you ignore cardio exercises, then you’re ignoring your heart. The Game of Thrones alum explained, “The most important muscle in your body is your heart, so I like to work up a sweat in the morning. If you take care of your heart it will take care of you. Whether that’s running, hiking, swimming, surfing, yoga or whatever, just 45 minutes a day getting your sweat on – it makes such a difference physically and mentally.”

Make sure to mix it up

Even though a good 45-minute workout session is all we really need several times a week, many of us get lax on our workout routines because we get bored of doing the same thing over and over again. The key to being consistent — at least according to Momoa, is mixing it up. He revealed, “I actually found training with weights very difficult at first, just because of how set in stone it is I get bored easily, so your general weights routine isn’t best suited to me. And when I’m not training for a role, whether I’m packing on muscle or cutting body fat, I do go back to climbing, boxing, hill sprints, skateboarding – activities I love. I still do bodyweight exercises though, especially for climbing. I would still do different pull-ups for strength and to warm up when it comes to my climbing.”

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What does Jason Momoa eat?

Any fitness professional will tell you that you can’t outrun a bad diet. Therefore, nutrition is equally, if not more important than your fitness routine. So what does Momoa eat to keep his body looking the way it does?  He explained, “I’ve always been about healthy living…apart from the fact that I love a good beer and cigar,” he says with that famously wry smile. That said, I do eat clean and lead an active life. Making sure I’m healthy – or at least balanced with healthy food and then beer. It makes me feel better and focused. And because I like my beer, I go for lean meat and green veggies when I’m leaning out because I like to save some calories for a Guinness.”