Popular actors have to change their appearance from one role to another. And often the art of make-up artists is not enough for this. Stars build their own bodies on their own, working out hard in the gym and following a strict diet. A clear example of this is the English actor Tom Hardy. Training for the film “The Dark Knight” helped him gain 10 kg of muscle mass and become a hero, ready to challenge Batman himself. The actor had to face similar challenges during preparation for other films. Thus, Tom Hardy’s training for the film “Warrior” allowed the actor to quickly turn into a real fighter, a representative of mixed martial arts.
Height, weight and other parameters of Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy Edward Thomas Hardy has repeatedly won various awards.
It won a BAFTA Award and was also nominated for an Academy Award. The man not only acts in films and plays on stage, he is the founder of the company Hardy, Son & Baker.
Tom has very masculine body measurements. With a height of 175 cm, his weight is 76 kg. The girth of his chest, waist and biceps is 114.3 cm, 86.4 cm and 40.6 cm, respectively.
The dark-haired, blue-eyed actor became the idol of millions of women and the standard of male beauty.
Training program
The actor's full name is Edward Thomas Hardy.
Tom Hardy's training program includes choreography and jiu-jitsu. They help strengthen and improve the actor’s body along with other exercises.
"Warrior"
Hardy and his partner Joel Edgerton trained with real MMA fighters
In preparation for filming the film “Warrior,” the actor was faced with the task of “drying out” his body and improving muscle definition. Together with his trainer Patrick Monroe, the actor developed a special training program that included martial arts such as boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing. The training process took place four days a week. The classes lasted six hours.
Tom Hardy often alternated with training on simulators and numerous exercises with his own weight.
Tom started the first day with a bench press. After that, he moved on to dumbbell presses, deadlifts and dumbbell flyes. Hardy performed three sets of 10–15 exercises each. Also, the first training day contained pull-ups (3 sets to the maximum) and abdominal exercises (4 sets to a full burning sensation).
On the second day, Hardy began doing barbell exercises. First there were squats, then lunges and calf raises with a barbell. In total, the actor performed three approaches, including up to 10 performances of each exercise. Next, Tom did a similar number of approaches to the “Hyperextension” exercise, barbell curls, dips and leg raises to the bar.
Tom Hardy gained 12 kg of muscle mass for the role
On the third day, the actor’s training program included bent-over barbell rows and barbell rows to the chin, lifting dumbbells in front of you, pull-ups on the bar and abdominal exercises. There were 10–15 repetitions in 3 sets. At the same time, it was necessary to do pull-ups as many times as possible, and perform abdominal exercises until the burning sensation was complete.
On the fourth day of training, Tom Hardy performed a leg press, front squats, dumbbell curls, a deadlift exercise, and a close-grip bench press. Each element was performed in three approaches, 15 times each.
In addition to acting in films, Tom Hardy also plays in the theater.
"The Dark Knight Rises"
As a child, Hardy was a fan of Batman, so the fight scene with his idol was difficult for him
In order to transform into the villain Bane, Tom needed to increase an additional 15 kg of mass in a short time. Details of the actor’s activities are kept secret. However, it can be assumed that Tom trained according to the 5 on 5 system.
It involves performing five sets of 5 repetitions per set. The breaks between approaches were quite long - from 2 to 4 minutes.
In 3 months, the actor gained 15 kg of muscle mass
Exhausting training took place three times a week. Tom devoted the rest of his days to recovery. The only sports activities allowed at this time were yoga and Pilates - even running and playing football were completely excluded.
The basic exercises included in the program:
- squats;
- deadlift;
- military bench press and standing press.
The peculiarity of Tom Hardy's training was that he alternated squats and deadlifts, while all other exercises were performed without fail every time.
Childhood
British actor, theater artist, screenwriter and producer Tom Hardy was born on September 15, 1977. His mother, Elizabeth Barrett (Irish), was an artist, and his father, Edward "Chips" Hardy, was a writer.
Edward not only wrote stories, he was involved in drafting scripts for films and theatrical productions. Papa Hardy attended Harvard and received an excellent education.
Thomas is the only child of his parents. The family lived in a huge luxurious mansion in the London suburb of East Sheen.
The parents loved the boy very much. Mom devoted herself completely to raising her son. Dad and mom constantly gave gifts to the child. Tom loved to read books and listen to music, so in his room there was a huge number of collectible editions of literature, as well as music records.
When the time came to study, the parents sent their son not to a regular school, but to a private one. Tom's mom and dad believed that their son would receive a better education there.
Thomas grew up as a very naughty boy. He himself admitted that as a child he did not want to obey his parents and was constantly capricious. Tom was ashamed of his family, because the school was attended by very rich children, in comparison with whom Hardy seemed poor. That is why Thomas preferred to communicate and make friends with children from disadvantaged families.
Diet for the movie "Warrior"
Tom Hardy: “I followed a no-carb diet. Meals were divided into 5-6 servings throughout the day. Lots of chicken and broccoli. Almost nothing other than that. This diet prevents the body from storing fat, but training without carbohydrates is quite difficult.”
As a sports supplement, Tom took proteins during the day and BCAAs during training, which is especially important for training using martial arts. As a result, the actor gained 12 kg of pure muscle, reducing the amount of fat mass to a minimum.
Drug problems
Thomas recalls that when he was 11 years old, a policeman came to their school and talked about the dangers of drugs. The words of the representative of the law were deeply embedded in the memory of the young boy. However, on the contrary, he did not want to give up the poison, but wanted to bring closer the moment when he would taste the forbidden fruit. And already at the age of 13, Tom began drinking alcohol and tried drugs for the first time.
The young man began to frequently indulge in alcohol and crack. Eventually, by age 15, he was expelled from school. The boy did not understand that he was developing an addiction. The problem only became apparent after he was expelled from school. As Thomas himself admitted, he was ready to sell anything to get the next dose, even his own mother.
Because of drugs, Thomas began to have huge problems with the law. Once, while intoxicated, for fun, Tom and his friends stole a car, for which he was almost imprisoned. It was possible to avoid arrest only thanks to the good connections of Papa Hardy.
Thomas became addicted to drugs very early on, but despite his illness, the young man was always drawn to art. At school he attended a theater club and played on stage.
Later, when the young man was 18 years old, Hardy’s mother advised him to enroll in the Richmond School of Acting. One Thomas was expelled.
Thomas received his acting education at the London School of Drama. Few people know, but Hardy studied with the teacher who taught Anthony Hopkins. And the classmate of the future actor was Michael Fassbender himself.
While still a student, Thomas won a prize in the television show “The Big Breakfast's Find Me-98”, which served as the beginning of his creative career. The young man signed a contract with one of the largest modeling agencies.
Hardy made his film debut in 1990. Then he got the role of Private John Janovec in the film “Band of Brothers,” which was released widely in 2001. Despite the fact that this was Thomas’s first acting experience, Hardy took on the role with difficulty, but still brilliantly. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Tom said after filming the series.
After his debut, Hardy began to be invited to appear in other films. Among them is Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott and Josh Hartnett, which won an Academy Award. Thomas starred alongside Paul Bettany and William Dafoe in Day of Reckoning. In 2002, the actor received one of the main roles in the film “Simon”.
Despite his brilliant performance in films, Thomas continued to use drugs. The actor admits that during his illness he experienced a lot. He repeatedly broke the law and even engaged in same-sex relationships.
While filming Star Trek Into Darkness, Hardy suffered a drug overdose. As the actor himself says, he woke up in a viscous puddle. He was bleeding, everything that was in his stomach came out. Then he realized that it was time to get treatment.
It was after this incident that Thomas decided to go to the clinic. After the medical course, the actor no longer used drugs, and channeled all his potential into a creative direction.
Way to success
In 2003, Thomas Hardy left rehab and returned to his acting career. He started working in the theater. In the same year, the actor received the prestigious “Most Promising Newcomer” award from the famous Evening Standard publication. He received this award for his role in the play “Blood”.
In 2004, Thomas starred in the film Layer Cake. Then he managed to work with Daniel Craig.
In 2005, Thomas received one of the main roles in the film “The Virgin Queen.” In the film, he became a character named Robert Dudley, who was an associate and part-time lover of Queen Elizabeth the first.
In parallel with filming the film “The Virgin Queen,” the actor starred with Kirsten Dunst in the film “Marie Antoinette.”
In the film Stuart: Past Life, Thomas played the role of Stuart Shorter. Critics called the actor's performance in this film his most breakthrough work.
The filmmakers did not want to release the film widely. That is why Russian film lovers did not see Thomas in the role of Stewart. The plot of the film is taken from the novel of the same name. In the story, Stewart is an outcast, a drug addict and alcoholic. But despite his negative qualities, the man fights for the rights of those left without shelter and livelihood.
In the film RocknRolla, directed by Guy Ritchie, Thomas played the role of a member of the criminal group The Wild Bunch. According to the plot, the character is a homosexual and a bandit. The head of the group was played by Gerard Butler, with whom Tom fell in love in the story.
Preparing for the film “The Dark Knight Rises”
To convincingly play the role of the villain Bane, it was necessary to gain as much muscle mass as possible, and Tom succeeded - with the help of bodybuilding, he gained 15 kg of muscle for filming - his weight was 85 kg.
Tom Hardy's training program for the role of Bane
The training was based on a 5x5 scheme - each approach almost to failure - fans of the iron game know that such a training regime in multi-joint exercises causes the growth of massive, dense muscles, which, although not very detailed, subsequently lends itself well to training for relief.
Many bodybuilding legends followed this method to gain weight quickly, and Tom Hardy used this system to build up the most powerful physique of his career.
The actor had to do only 4 main exercises: in 1 training session, deadlifts or squats were performed (for complete recovery, they alternated from training to training). Workout 2 consists of a bench press to develop the chest muscles and a standing military press for the deltoids. The training does not last long - 20-30 minutes.
Tom trained 3 times a week, very hard - and this training worked - during the preparation for the film he pumped up to a record size for himself. His arms and trapezius muscles look quite intimidating in the film.
Tom did not follow a special diet in preparation for the film - as is necessary for such training, he simply ate a lot of protein foods with a slight restriction of carbohydrates. And of course sports nutrition for weight gain.
Career blossoming
In 2008, Tom Hardy starred in the film Bronson. There he played a real-life character - the maniac Charles Bronson. The actor managed to get used to the role so much that his acquaintances and friends did not recognize him. Especially for filming, Thomas gained an extra 40 feet and also grew a funny mustache.
After filming the film “Bronson,” the actor was invited to play in the film “Warrior.” However, in order to play the role, Thomas had to quickly get back into shape. In the film, Hardy played a young MMA fighter.
To avoid missing out on the role, Thomas had to go on a strict diet. For two months he practiced sports, boxing, Muay Thai, and also jiu-jitsu. The actor danced and practically never left the gym.
In 2009, the film “Purchase” was released widely, in which Tom played the main role. In 2010, Hardy worked with famous Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time in his life. Their joint performance can be seen in the film “Inception” directed by Christopher Nolan.
Later, the actor starred in the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy! along with Gary Oldman. Remarkably, Thomas was fascinated by Gary's performance. He was Hardy's idol.
Tom Hardy played one of the bootlegger brothers in the film The Drunkest County in the World. His colleagues on the set were Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke. Later, the film was nominated for one of the prestigious Palme d'Or awards.
Before the premiere of the film “The Drunkest District in the World,” the actor began filming in the film “The Dark Knight Rises.” Here Hardy played one of the main characters - a villain named Bane. In the story, Tom's character was a terrorist and hid his face behind a mask. In order to play the maniac, Thomas again had to intensively gain excess weight.
Nolan decided to invite Thomas to play the role of the terrorist after seeing his performance in the film RocknRolla Man. He noticed the actor's plump figure. When Hardy signed the contract, he didn't even look at the script.
Therefore, he did not know that he would have to make such sacrifices to film the film. Tom liked the fact that according to the contract, he was given access to all types of stunt equipment.
Hardy is a short man, so in order to at least equal Batman, he had to wear shoes with insoles that were 10 cm high.
Six months after working in the film “The Dark Knight Rises,” Thomas signed a contract under which he was obliged to play a role in the film “Mad Max.” Mad Max is a story by Max Rockatansky.
Before Hardy, Mel Gibson played the lead role in the film. But the famous actor became interested in working in the project “The Passion of the Christ” and therefore could not play in the film “Mad Max”.
Due to Gibson's busy schedule, filming had to be postponed. It was assumed that the film would be released widely in 2003. But Gibson was never able to participate in the project. Thomas is said to have sought Mel's blessing to play his character.
In 2015, the film “Legend” starring Tom Hardy was released. The actor played two characters at once - twin brothers, who in the plot are crime bosses in London.
The same year, Tom played alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the film The Revenant. I must say that the film brought huge success to its colleague on stage. Leonardo received an Academy Award for the first time in his life.
Tom played the role of a character named John Fitzgerald. In the story, John is not a very good person. A greedy and cowardly man sets up his friend to die.
It should be noted that after filming The Revenant, Harley was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. However, this award went to Mark Rylance, who played in the film Bridge of Spies.
In 2016, Thomas took part in two projects at once: in the film “Taboo,” the actor not only played the role, but also wrote the script himself and also produced the project; Tom’s second work was the film “Dunkirk” directed by Christopher Nolan, where the actor again played in a mask.
Christopher thinks Hardy has real talent. He is able to convey the feelings, experiences of a character, his character with just a glance.
In 2022, Hardy again played in the box-office Marvel film. There he got the role of journalist Eddie Brock. In the story, Tom's character is possessed by an alien. At the same time, Hardy is filming the film “Fonzo”, where he plays the role of Al Capone.
Muscles and computer graphics
It's safe to say that CGI was used to add dimension to Tom Hardy's role as Bane in the Batman movie. The actor’s tattoos are not visible in the stills from the film - if they were removed frame by frame, then the muscles could also be “painted on” a little.
The lighting and costume specialists also did their best. If even an ordinary selfie can change a person’s appearance beyond recognition, then a team of hundreds of professionals can work wonders - that’s why actors never look the same in real life as they do in the movies.
Tom Hardy's training to gain muscle mass while filming The Dark Knight and Warrior was based on the principles of a basic program (four main exercises, low repetitions) and a high-calorie diet with limited carbohydrates.
