GUEST EDITORIAL: How Actors Change Their Bodies in a Short Period

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How Actors Change Their Bodies in a Short Period

by Lewis Robinson

Before shooting begins on a film, some actors work for several weeks or months to transform their bodies into a more accurate representation of their character. Although viewers are often impressed by how quickly the transformation occurs, actors have significant resources and a team of experts to guide them through the process. The workout and diet requirements for changing your body shape in a brief period are intense. Although trainers use the same exercises and techniques with average students, they do not follow the same reduced timeline. Here are some of the ways actors drastically change their bodies in a short time.

Muscle Training

When actors need to bulk up and appear superhuman on screen, they depend heavily on weight training. Since Hugh Jackman portrayed Wolverine for 17 years, his workout program changed as he aged. However, weight training was always the foundation of his transformation. He performed bench presses, deadlifts, back squats and weighted pull-ups every day. After adding cardio, his total workout time was three hours. At his peak fitness level, Jackman could deadlift 435 lbs.

Hollywood trainers use the overload training approach to weightlifting. After three or four weeks, the weight is increased to encourage rapid muscle development. Recovering from the grueling workout is essential, and actors use topical treatments like Muscle Melt to soothe their aching muscles.

Cardio Training

Although ordinary training programs sometimes separate cardio and strength training into separate sessions, accelerated programs designed for actors often combine the two into one session to achieve faster results. For instance, an actor could lift weights for two hours, swim or jog for thirty minutes, and then repeat the process. Andrew Pleavin trained the actors in 300 to look like chiseled Olympians with a brutal seven-day workout that combined weight and strength training into one session. The actors did three sets of rowing exercises and followed with kettlebell swings, squats, deadlifts and bicep curls.

Diet Restrictions

Actors who are trying to gain weight and add muscle eat a protein-rich diet that consists of lean meats, superfoods like sweet potatoes and healthy carbohydrates such as brown rice. In contrast, roles that require actors to shed pounds quickly take the opposite approach. When Joaquin Phoenix lost 52 pounds to play the sickly leading role in Joker, his diet was limited to one meal a day after he spent weeks working out to lose weight. He consumed steamed green vegetables and one apple and admitted he struggled to hold onto his sanity when his weight got dangerously low. Although it was a risky venture, Phoenix was monitored by a physician to ensure he wasn’t in danger.

Medical Consultation

Medical advice is essential when actors attempt to lose weight quickly, and sometimes the studio’s contractual agreements require doctors or dieticians to monitor their stars. Extreme weight loss in a brief time is not a recommended practice, but either is accelerated weight gain. After losing over 60 pounds to star in The Machinist, Christian Bale added over 100 pounds to play in Batman Begins. Although Bale consulted medical professionals, he was not under constant supervision, and some criticized him for being careless. However, Bale recently admitted that he wasn’t willing to lose or gain weight quickly for a role ever again.

Extended Workout Sessions

Actors can achieve fast results when they’re training because they have the flexibility to work out for several hours every day. Although people in other professions cannot set aside several hours for workouts, actors can train relentlessly for several months without a break.

Movie Magic

Perfectly toned muscles on beautiful bodies are impressive on screen, and the actors work hard to achieve their results. However, Hollywood also refines the image on the screen with clever lighting, makeup and even special effects. Just as photographers can touch up imperfections in their models, moviemakers use their skills to make their subjects appear more “ripped” than they are in real life.

Hollywood stars engage in grueling workouts and diet programs to transform their bodies. Although their accomplishments have earned them awards and praise, their methods are not suited for ordinary people.