Thad Luckinbill, formerly of The Young and the Restless, recently completed the second season of the Paramount+ drama Lioness, his first as a series regular. The Tyler Sheridan drama is a spy thriller about the CIA’s war on terror, focusing on an elite unit of female undercover operatives that Zoe Saldana’s character heads. Luckinbill plays Kyle McManus, a CIA operative who’s often out in the field. Needless to say, the show’s intense action means the actors need to be in tip-top shape. Thankfully, Luckinbill has no problem fulfilling this element of the series.

Extensive Training

The Lioness cast includes a few names you may have heard of. Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman star in the hit drama, in addition to Saldana, who plays Joe. Luckinbill’s character often crosses paths with Joe as they face terrorists, take on drug cartels, and rescue kidnapped politicians and/or innocent people who are being trafficked.

When working with heavyweights on an action series, you gotta bring the muscles. Playing a CIA Agent routinely called on to torture bad guys for answers demands it. The Oklahoma native recently told Muscle & Fitness that “fitness is a big influencer on his performance.” So, he relies on a number of different types of exercise and training to stay fit, build muscle, and look the part.

Leading an Active Lifestyle

Luckinbill (ex-JT Hellstrom, Y&R) prides himself on loving fitness, so he continues to surf, run, and box. “If you want to get cut, there’s nothing better than boxing or a long run,” he explained to Muscle & Fitness.

Increasing Muscle Size

However, the actor/producer knew that for Lioness, he’d have to build a serious amount of muscle mass, which meant focusing on weights more than cardio. As a result, he worked with a Hollywood trainer dubbed a “Hero Maker” and gained eight pounds of muscle. “That weight took some serious work because my body is typically lean,” the former daytime actor revealed. “So, it took a lot of eating.

Navy Seal Training

Unsurprisingly, some of the cast underwent military training to bulk up and help them get into their roles. They even worked with a Navy SEAL. Luckinbill called the training experience “intense,” even though he’s done a lot of military stuff during his career.

Staying fit for Lioness isn’t just about endurance. It’s accurately portraying the men and women who serve this country. “I mean, they’re literally putting their lives on the line on a daily basis,” he explained.

“That’s their job,” Luckinbill continued. “As actors, we need to do right by them, and part of that is: Get your butt in shape and make sure you can physically look the part.”

Success achieved. The season two finale of Special Ops: Lioness is currently streaming on Paramount+. For those who haven’t tuned into the hit series just yet, both seasons are available to binge.