When it comes to transforming your body into superhero shape, there’s more than one sure-fire way to go from man-titties to man-in-tights. These seven actors got shredded using techniques as diverse as hot yoga, kickboxing, near suffocation and a whole lot more. So open another bag of Doritos and make your own plan … for next summer.
1) Hugh Jackman — Wolverine
Who do you go to for advice when you’re trying to get ripped? Dwanye “the Rock” Johnson, of course. Jackman took The Rock’s advice and followed a fasting plan called “the 8hr diet” when he was preparing for the role – consume 6,000 calories a day within an 8-hour time frame, then fast for the remaining 16 hours. If you replace the word “fast” with “sleep,” that pretty much describes what we like to call “college.”
2) Chris Pratt — Star-Lord
Chris Pratt made a pretty dramatic transformation from the flabby Andy Dwyer on “Parks and Recreation,” to super buff Star-Lord in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Pratt’s workouts included P90X, 10K runs, 5-mi swims, boxing, kickboxing, hot yoga and an actual triathlon.
3) Andrew Garfield — Spider-Man
Instead of working on each part of his body, Garfield’s training focused solely on multi-functional movements using heavy weights, so his entire body was working all the time. Since Andrew didn’t start Pratt-fat, he had to bulk up on a 5,000 calorie diet purely made up of veggies and lean meats.
4) Henry Cavill — Superman
Here’s a new one – training with “nose breaths.” Imagine doing 100 reps … and only being able to breathe through your nose eight times between sets. Henry Cavill did just that (it’s also known as “the tailpipe”) while gearing up for his role as Superman … while also consuming 5,000 calories per day.
5) Chris Hemsworth — Thor
There were no breathing regulations or 8-hour diets for Chris Hemsworth while he was training for his starring role in “Thor.” Instead, he did an old-fashioned full-body regimen, which included T-bar rows, wide-grip chins and cross-bench pullovers.
6) Chris Evans — Captain America
For Chris Evans, the key to building muscle quickly was to keep his body confused. He hit the gym four to five times per week for two hours each day, focusing on wild-card muscle groups each visit.
7) Robert Downey, Jr. — Iron Man
By now, Robert Downey, Jr. knows what he needs to do in order to get into shape for a big role like Iron Man. He’s relied on the Wing Chun technique for years – a combative martial art made famous by Bruce Lee.
