Greatest Superhero Actor Transformations To Give You Fitness Goals

Artists in the comic book industry frequently overdo the physical attributes of their superhero characters to make them look more appealing more heroic, villainous, or intimidating. As Marvel, Sony, Fox Studios, and Warner Bros. began investing money into numerous live-action comic book adaptations, they required real actors to not just fill the parts, but also to properly depict the characters physically. These well-known actors were then invited to step into the world of professional trainers, customized diets, and a lot of weightlifting. The superhero actors listed below best reflect a notable and stunning change in muscular mass or muscle definition in order to embody their comic book role.

Daredevil – Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox)

Cox began his fitness adventure weighing around 158 pounds, which meant he needed to gain a large amount of weight while remaining thin. He achieved this by increasing the number of carbs in his diet, which contained chicken, broccoli, rice, and pasta. Sweet potatoes were also incorporated into his daily protein smoothies. He labored with trainer Naqam Washington to improve his endurance and took kickboxing classes to improve his fighting appearance during that period.

Thor – Chris Hemsworth

The only thing more difficult than playing a comic book superhero is playing a god who is also a comic book superhero. When Chris Hemsworth got his first big break as Thor in the Marvel-produced solo blockbuster, he was much more than up for the task. While he was not a thin man before filming, he, like the majority of the performers on this list, was required to bulk up. Apparently, Hemsworth gained so much weight that his outfit didn’t fit when he appeared for the role.

Bane – Tom Hardy

Hardy’s primary goal was to bulk up while maintaining muscle definition, with special attention paid to his back, shoulders, and neck. To break the Batman’s back, Hardy’s personal trainers raised his daily caloric intake to around 6000 calories and put him on a rigorous fitness regime that had him in the gym four times a day, including right before bedtime

Batman – Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne)

Ben Affleck has always been a physically fit man. He was in top physical condition even on the filming of Daredevil in 2003.  He felt obliged to step it up for Batman v Superman, Justice League, and his cancelled Batman solo film. And he did just that. Affleck worked out five to six days a week, often twice a day, but the most important thing he did to bulk up was a technique known as “wave-loading.” To activate different muscles and foster growth, he would perform many rounds of an exercise while altering the weights and reps.

Captain America – Chris Evans (Steve Rogers)

Evans needed to be in terrific shape to play the Human Torch in the first two Fantastic Four films (those hideous spandex suits didn’t hide a lot of flaws), and he needed to bulk up for Captain America: The First Avenger and following MCU sequels. After all, he was portraying a man who was thought to exemplify the male ideal. Evans had to work hard to gain 30 pounds of pure muscle for his role, working out till he “was puking at the gym.” His workout plan was simple, consisting mostly of weighted workouts and, surprisingly enough, very little cardio which later was replaced by circuit training.