Jul 7, 2011 20:51 GMT  ·  By

That Zac Efron is incredibly fit may not have been news a couple of years back, but, since moving away from the “High School Musical” franchise, the heartthrob’s weight has fluctuated depending on the roles he did. Luckily, he’s back in top shape.

At the beginning of the year, Zac revealed that he was 14 pounds heavier because he was playing a Marine in “The Lucky One” but that he planned to get back to his previous weight as quickly and healthy as possible.

Consequently, just days after the announcement, he was on a diet, which enabled him to control his daily calorie intake, while also providing proper nourishment.

Judging by a series of recent photos taken at the beach on the Fourth of July extended holiday, Zac has also been hitting the gym quite regularly, the Daily Mail notes.

Accompanied by a very large group of friends and acquaintances, Zac spent most of the day at the beach laughing and enjoying a cold bear, reports have it.

This, of course, provided lots of occasions for the paparazzi to snap pictures of his toned torso and perfect tan, sending female fans at home in a frenzy.

“It seems Zac Efron has been sticking to the same diet and exercise regime, judging by photographs of the 23-year-old actor on the beach on Monday,” the Daily Mail writes.

It has plenty of photos of the actor showing off his amazingly fit physique.

“Former High School Musical star Zac showed off his impressively muscular physique as he joined friends at an Independence Day party on the beach in Malibu,” the tab writes.

“Wearing a pair of low-slung khaki army-print swimming shorts, Zac drew attention to his defined pecs and six-pack stomach as he enjoyed the sunshine over the Fourth of July weekend,” adds the Mail.

It is believed that Efron lost the extra weight with the help of Z.E.N. (Zero Effort Nutrition), a company that caters food to those who want to keep a close tab on their calorie intake. Obviously, he’s also been weight training.