The acting profession requires enormous sacrifices. This is not only resistance to stress and the ability to demonstrate various emotional states to the general public, but also the ability to be in the right shape for a specific role. To become brutal, strong and pumped-up heroes who can single-handedly cope with a dozen villains, you will have to adhere to proper nutrition and perform a number of exercises. Every actor has their own secret to becoming a good candidate for the role of a superhero.
Let's look under rose-colored glasses
Plastic surgery and magic pills with injections are the main arguments of people far from sports issues regarding the shape of actors, singers and other public figures. But no amount of injections will allow you to look like a 35-year-old macho at 54 years old. This is me about Tom Cruise . And no amount of plastic surgery will turn a flat, cellulite butt into an elastic, athletic ass like Gal Gadot’s in the film “Wonder Woman” or Eva Green’s in the film “300: Rise of an Empire.” All these are months and even years of hard work and control in nutrition.
In particular, Gal Gadot six months to transform from a thin model into an impressive Wonder Woman. It seems that she is not particularly muscular, but her shape is very attractive, harmonious, and her muscles are clearly visible, especially in action scenes. Do you think she was just dieting and running (as many girls think)? No! The main emphasis is on strength work: squats with a barbell on the shoulders, Romanian deadlifts, pull-ups, military press, biceps curls, etc. Plus interval training, crossfit, cardio - all this was combined into a system closely related to the diet. Because beautiful shapes are just muscles that cannot be achieved without strength work. (Here's a little more detail).
Eva Green is similar, but it took a little more time, since she, in principle, was not interested in sports before her role in “300 Spartans” and fell into the hands of a trainer in the form of Skinny Fat (“skinny cow” or skin-bones-fat). That is, it seems like he looks normal in clothes, but without them he looks sad. No form. By the way, her sports mentor, like the entire cast of both parts of “300 Spartans,” was the well-known Mark Twight , a world champion in mountaineering and one of the most sought-after celebrity fitness instructors. (You can read briefly about the training program of Eva and her colleagues here).
This same tough guy trained Henry Cavill to play the modern-day Superman known as the Man of Steel. The actor gained more than 9 kg of selected meat in 10 months and became the most muscular Superman in the entire history of Hollywood. Plastic surgery, magic pills? No - hard work in the gym, a lot of cardio in the final stage of preparation, several diets. And again, all this was combined into a clear system, where training is strictly tied to diet. Auxiliary products in the form of various kinds of sports supplements were also present. Heavy artillery in the form of growth hormone or exogenous testosterone is quite possible, but this is a separate topic of conversation that no actor or his coach will ever openly raise. Although pharmacological support is only a small addition to the main program. And often it is not needed if there is enough time and the mentee follows all the instructions of an experienced mentor.
Again, no miracles in training - basic exercises like bench press, military press, front and classic squats with a barbell, pull-ups, Arnold press, a little CrossFit and weights, cardio, interval training (more details here). True, the training is really hard - 2-2.5 hours, 5-6 times a week. Actually, this is indirect confirmation that Henry did not grow up on chicken breasts alone - the load was too great to effectively recover. But we'll talk about this a little later.
Another striking example is 39-year-old Alexander Skarsgård , who played the role of Tarzan in the last film of the same name. With a height of 195 cm, this man had a very slight physique. In general, a classic and very tall hardgainer, which is, to put it mildly, problematic to pump up. But he did it.
Three months of active mass gain against the backdrop of heavy strength training with a constant increase in weights and a daily consumption of about 7000 kcal. For comparison, for me (a 102-kilogram meaty carcass with a height of 190 cm), taking into account 3-4 strength training sessions per week, it is enough to consume 3300-3500 kcal per day to maintain my weight. Skarsgard started with 90 kg and by the end of the mass-gaining period gained more than 11 kg of live weight (details here). It took another three months to give the actor the necessary condition:
The conclusion is simple - there are no miracles, and actors and celebrities achieve all these impressive results in the same way as ordinary people - with sweat and blood. Although there is still solid financial support from film studios. Actually, this is the only cheat code. The actor doesn't think about creating a workout program or cooking. He has an experienced trainer, a nutritionist (often this is the same person) and even a cook who is responsible for the diet. You just need to work, maintain a routine, and then keep in shape, and also have time to film, which is also not easy.
I can already hear the howl of some readers, they say, “If only I had so much money, I could easily become handsome.” On the one hand, there are many rich people who can afford a good trainer and a kitchen, but they just don’t bother with it, because they still have to work on themselves, and they’re lazy. On the other hand, nothing prevents you from straining yourself once again, understanding the issue a little deeper and independently adjusting your diet and training regimen. There would be a desire. We'll talk about this below.
Superhero Workouts - Scarlett Johansson
The actress is known to everyone for her role in the series “The Avengers”. The role of Black Widow was the biggest challenge in terms of physical fitness.
superhero training
Scarlett's training partner was Bobby Strom. He prepared 90 minutes of martial arts and acrobatics training for Black Widow. In addition, the training included exercises on the horizontal bar, band, TRX, fitness balls and dumbbells. Plyometric training was chosen to improve movement speed.
A typical training program for actors - Scarlett consisted of a warm-up on a treadmill for 15 minutes and strength training. This training gave the actress excellent speed and agility for the role.
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You won’t find a clear action plan in the public domain.
Above I have provided links to several sources regarding celebrity training. In some places there are exercises listed, in some places an approximate nutrition plan is indicated, but all this is scattered information. You will not find a unified system and a clear action plan for several reasons.
Firstly , it costs money, and indeed working programs cost a lot of money.
Secondly , each case is individual and what suits one person will be completely useless for another. Actually, the work of a fitness instructor also consists of adapting the training to a specific actor, taking into account his physical capabilities, individual characteristics of the body and, most importantly, as a result of the work, the person must correspond in shape to his role.
Zac Efron at his peak on the set of Baywatch (2017); in terms of dryness, he easily beat Dwayne Johnson
Thirdly , pay attention to the amount of work performed by the actors. It is huge, the training programs are difficult and not every body is able to actively develop under such a load without additional support. Actually, this is one of the mistakes of many beginners, thoughtlessly copying the programs of professional bodybuilders or fitness models. And then they are surprised at the lack of results. Not all factors are taken into account, so there is no result.
This doesn't mean you can't get in good shape without interfering with the body's hormonal system. It’s possible, but the work will be somewhat different from what is written in glossy magazines. This is the dark side of the coin. It is clearly expressed both in professional sports and in the lives of celebrities who need to constantly keep themselves in shape or achieve peak results in the shortest possible time.
Chris Hemsworth
Despite obvious advances in computer graphics, actor Chris Hemsworth was able to achieve the perfect muscles and contours of his body without special effects to play the young and militant God of Thunder for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A special program helped him with this, which includes a balanced diet and a set of physical exercises. Read more…
The dark side of the coin
The use of anabolic steroids and other pharmacological drugs in sports has not surprised anyone for a long time and, in principle, is the norm. Despite the hysterical cries of the press and industry functionaries. People want spectacles, new records and going beyond the physical limits of the body. You can seriously undermine your health in pursuit of results and ultimately not get this very result, or you can use the achievements of modern science, maintain good physical condition even after finishing your career and please the public and yourself with records.
There is also a fine moral line here, they say, someone is playing a dishonest game, helping their body. But the funny thing is that in high performance sports, since the times of Ancient Greece, they have tried to use any means to win. Nothing has changed today. If you think that Lance Armstrong is some kind of doping pariah from cycling, and all the other modern cyclists with legs like bodybuilders and even more impressive results are white, fluffy and achieving results on chicken breast and bananas, then this is a serious mistake.
In modern sports, doping is used both to achieve higher and higher results, and to maintain the body’s performance under conditions of monstrous training loads, to effectively heal injuries and, no matter how funny it may sound, to maintain health in general.
The modern entertainment industry has its own nuances. When a six- or seven-figure salary is on the line, an actor will go to great lengths to most effectively achieve his goal. And it happens that the actor is in great demand, but for one role he needs to be a skinny guy with a belly, and for another - a muscular macho. Moreover, it is necessary to transform as soon as possible. One of the masters of such transformations is Christian Bale . In 2004, he turned into a dystrophic man for his role in the film The Machinist, and four months later he became the beefy Batman. And Matthew McConaughey has repeatedly made similar “feints” with his body.
By the way, special drugs that are considered doping in shooting (and archery) competitions are also used by surgeons to eliminate hand tremors. I personally don’t care what the surgeon uses, as long as he does the job well. It’s much the same in sports, not to mention the film industry.
It's neither good nor bad, that's life. But we need to take these points into account and not mindlessly repeat the practices of celebrities. Any training schemes and nutritional regimens can be adapted to suit yourself and your lifestyle if you approach the matter head-on.
Lena Headey
The actress surprises with her passion for boxing: the star of such productions as “300” or “Game of Thrones” always looks phenomenal. She chooses boxing training instead of fitness training. Huge endurance, concentration and speed during boxing make Lena (42 years old) more than half her age. In boxing, she notes an improvement in her respiratory system.
In between boxing classes, the actress does Bikram yoga. A form of yoga created by Hindu Bikram Chowdhury, a former weightlifter and three-time master of yoga in India. His method was created for use in physical therapy (thanks to these exercises, Bikram regained physical shape after an accident).
Bikram exercises are performed at a temperature of 40 degrees, where 26 yoga positions are performed for 26 minutes. The benefits of training include safer stretching and cleansing the body of toxins, which, judging by her role in Game of Thrones, is very important for the actress.
Mark Wahlberg
American actor Mark Wahlberg is a living example of the fact that nothing is impossible, if only you have the desire. A criminal past, a prison sentence, attempts to build a musical career as part of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, filming in an advertisement for Calvin Klein underwear - and, finally, a personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Mark’s rare willpower, which allowed him to rise from his knees and achieve world fame, is this not a reason to listen to his advice addressed to everyone who wants to get a “dream body” during quarantine?
Wahlberg regularly films training videos in collaboration with the fitness community @f45_training, which anyone can join. The emphasis is on bodyweight exercises.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
The American wrestler and film actor, better known under the pseudonym “The Rock,” is a recognized expert in matters of effective physical activity. However, during quarantine, Dwayne chose to go into the shadows: unlike his colleagues, the actor does not publish videos of himself lifting heavy weights and swinging for days on end. However, this does not stop Johnson from actively helping everyone who wants to improve their shape during the pandemic. How? “The Rock” regularly communicates with his followers on Instagram, answers questions and shares truly effective sports strategies and training plans that he has tried on himself many times. This position of the actor is due to his noble desire to support those who cannot boast of a well-equipped home gym. Do you have a problem? "The Rock" knows how to help you.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Back in January 2022, Ronaldo became the most popular and highest-paid Instagram user with 214 million followers. He was also recognized as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine, as well as the highest paid athlete during 2016-2017.
The Portuguese footballer and headliner of the Italian club Juventus regularly motivates his multimillion-dollar audience with snapshots of his home sports routine. In particular, Cristiano votes for the good old exercise bike.
When it comes to abdominal exercises, Ronaldo calls on the younger generation to help for greater effect. The result is an idyllic sketch from the life of a self-isolated happy family.
But don't be fooled by the superficial frivolity of these posts: Cristiano recently demonstrated that he can do 146 crunches in 45 seconds, which marked the beginning of another challenge on social networks. Try it too (but don't overdo it).
Paris Hilton
Socialite party girl and lioness Paris Hilton treats sports, like everything that happens in her life, easily and optionally. Training program
For this blonde, the words are of foreign origin. Golden daughter Paris often tries herself in different sports: either yoga or meditation, and each new hobby eventually becomes boring and uninteresting. Most recently, Hilton became interested in surfing, just because she could be on the beach more often in tight leggings. It is quite difficult for this lioness to leave her constant companions on the shore - high heels and a fluffy dog.
Tom Holland
The British actor and dancer, who became widely known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also launched a new challenge on the theme of sports at home, which has already created a lot of noise and promises to attract even more fans. His idea is to put on a T-shirt while doing a handstand. Not everyone will be able to complete such a difficult sports task “with an asterisk”. The first to logically try out his own idea was 23-year-old Holland himself.
Next in line was another famous actor, Jake Gyllenhaal, who is 16 years older than young Holland. However, the age difference did not prevent Jake from masterfully completing the task - and much more masterfully than the author of the challenge.
Their colleague Ryan Reynolds chose to refuse such an idea and, without thinking twice, said a firm, confident “no” to this adventurous idea. We also recommend that you evaluate your strengths sensibly (and, perhaps, protect yourself from shoulder dislocations in this way).
Dolph Lundgren
During quarantine, the actor developed a circuit training program that helps him stay in shape and work his major muscle groups. Lundgren votes for functional training - that is, for sports loads with your own weight. Dolph's equipment of choice is a resistance band and a resistance band. In one of the videos, the actor not only clearly demonstrated the correct technique for performing the exercises, but also described in detail in the accompanying post what each set consists of, indicated the number of repetitions and the optimal sequence.
There are also alternative options for home workouts on Lundgren’s Instagram: for example, with a large bottle of water instead of free weights.
The actor also suggests working out in the company of his lady love. The last option is absolutely suitable for those who are self-isolating with their other half - the double benefit is obvious.
