I was all ready to report on Matthew McConaughey’s cover for Men’s Fitness before I saw him at the Oscars. McConaughey presented the sound awards along with Scarlet Johansson and he looked awful. His face was streaky orange, like his foundation or spray tan wasn’t blended well, and he had greasy thinning hair. Now I’m sure his hair has been thinning for some time but I’m guessing that he has plugs and hides it well when it’s not slicked back from his face. Plus his girlfriend seems like a famewhore to me lately. I don’t know, I used to love McConaughey but I’m souring on him a little.

McConaughey, 41, is the cover guy for the April issue of Men’s Fitness. Unlike a lot of past cover models he’s unfortunately wearing a tank top. When his fine abs aren’t on display you can see how short his arms are relative to his torso. He looks good here though and I love to hear the guy talk. He has such a colorful way of describing everything, and in this interview he doesn’t disappoint. McConaughey is known for his outdoor workouts, and he says that comes from his childhood:

On his workout philosophy
McConaughey’s mother always told him, “If it’s light outside, you must be out of the house.” This partly wxplains why he prefers outdoor workouts (jungles and trails) instead of training in a gym, and why for years tabloid paps have snapped pics of his lean, muscular, and shirtless physique running, running and running some more – usually on a beach. “It’s always been a lifestyle,” he says. “Then it became something that was like, ‘Hey, it’s also good for my job.’ I’m not a professional athlete, but I have a job where I like to look good and be as healthy as possible.”

His weight at 5’11 tall
Depending on his gig, his weight swings from 176 to 194 pounds. On the day we meet, he’s at 186, his physical peak.

On hiking in French Polynesia with Camila Alves
“We went up 3,000 feet and I had on hiking shoes and I was all set up and ready to go and she was wearing Havaianas sandals and a white skirt. I came down to the bottom of that hill afterward and had blood on me, muddy as all get-out, and that girl didn’t have a speck of dust on her.”

On his diet
“You can’t put me in front of a buffet line and tell me to eat right. If it’s there, I’m going to fill that plate up.”

Still, McConaughey says his clan eats healthy whenever possible. He and Camila do their own cooking, often with fresh ingredients from their backyard garden. For a snack, Matthew might eat a red pepper or an avocado, which quells the urge for chocolate. Come mealtime, he usually allows himself unlimited amounts of salad, topped with a dressing made with white vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, shallots and garlic. He rounds out the meal with brown or Indian rice, plus a touch of pickled pepper sauce. For protein, the family may have grilled fish or chicken breasts four days in a row, but homemade sauces and seasonings from three different continents give the main course distinctive tastes.

On his relationship with Camila
“It’s all working out good, man. Working out real good.” The time just had to be right, he says.

[From Men’s Fitness, print edition, April, 2010]

Matthew lost a lot of appeal for me with his orange face at the Oscars, but all he has to do is wash his hair, take a shower, and go out jogging without a shirt again and I’ll forgive him. Seeing these photos of him working out reminds me of the hot guy with the drawl I used to adore. He missed a real opportunity to pose shirtless here, but maybe he wants to lose some pounds first so he looks extra ripped.

McConaughey’s next film, The Lincoln Lawyer, is out on March 18. Here’s a link to the trailer. It also stars Ryan Phillippe. It looks cheesy and overwrought but it might be decent.

For more from Matthew McConaughey, including workout tips from his trainer, check out the April issue of Men’s Fitness.