2012's Best Scrawny to Brawny Movie Transformations
Captain America may have gotten those enviable pecs from SuperSoldier Serum, but this actor bulked up the old-fashioned way — hitting the gym and eating lots of lean protein. Though he trained two hours a day, four to five times a week for four months for the film, he reportedly put on 20 pounds in four weeks when he reprised the role in “The Avengers”.
The only thing larger than Thor’s god-sized ego is this hunk’s right arm (and maybe his left one, too). For his role in “The Avengers,” this Aussie actor once again teamed up with trainer Mike Knight, who got him into Nordic shape for “Thor.” He added bulk with kettlebells and reportedly ate up to 6,000 calories a day before going on a month-long fat loss plan so that his muscles would really pop
Donning the suit of the Caped Crusader one last time, the actor who plays Batman is no stranger to transforming his body for a role. He gained 60 pounds of pure muscle in six months for “The Dark Knight” after shrinking down to a dangerous 130 pounds for “The Machinist.” This time around, in preparation for “The Dark Knight Rises,” he reportedly went through training designed for Olympic-caliber athletes.
This former model/dancer has shown that his acting credentials are more than skindeep, but the fit celeb’s body took center stage in summer hit “Magic Mike” (see his equally sexy co-star). Playing a male stripper, he had to really buckle down on his training. He told MTV News, "I think pre-movie is pretty intense because to get butt naked, you have to — there's a different regimen for getting butt naked, but thank god, it was a short shoot.”
Known first for his starring role in “The Hurt Locker” (watch clips), this actor reportedly trained for “The Bourne Legacy” (watch clips) at the same time he was prepping for “The Avengers” and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” (see his equally fit co-star). Playing a CIA operative, his goal was leanness and agility, not size. Accordingly, his training routine was said to have included boxing and martial arts.
Bane, Batman’s nemesis in “The Dark Knight Rises,” is known to be a ball of brute force, and this actor bulked up to look the part. He had about three months to pack 30 pounds of muscle onto his 5-foot-10-inch frame. Since his goal was size, he went light on the cardio.
This actor has always been on the slight side, and even though Tony Stark of “The Avengers” isn’t huge, this member of the Brat Pack went into superhero training mode. Thanks to a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet and a workout routine that emphasized heavy lifting over cardio, he gained 25 pounds of muscle for the role.
This “High School Musical” alum (what’s his co-star up to?) played a Marine in “The Lucky One” (watch clips) and packed 18 1/2 pounds of muscle onto his 5-foot10-inch frame in order to look the part. He trained five days a week with ex-Navy SEAL Logan Hood and reportedly took in 3,500 calories a day from foods such as protein shakes and omelets.
Although this Canadian actor played a running back on “Friday Night Lights” (watch clips), he spent 11 months bulking up for his role as a space-traveling Civil War vet in “John Carter.” The certified nutritionist stuck to a diet of oatmeal, egg whites, protein shakes, chicken breasts, yams and brown rice. He also woke up before 5 a.m. every day to tackle workouts that mixed high-intensity cardio intervals, sword training, band work and boxing.
His character Peeta Mellark might be a baker, but bread didn’t help this actor pile on 15 pounds of muscle for “The Hunger Games” (watch clips | what’s his co-star up to?). He ate a high-protein diet that included plenty of chicken, eggs and broccoli, and worked out five days a week with former Navy SEAL trainer Logan Hood. And in true tribute style, flipping tires and slamming baseball bats against body bags were on the exercise agenda.
Seven hours of training a day helped transform this actor into high schooler-turned-superhero Peter Parker in “The Amazing Spider-Man” (watch clips). For four months, he did two hours of body work and three to four hours of wire work, gymnastics, Parkour (get details) and harness training each day. He also practiced yoga and Pilates to improve flexibility and ready his body for web-wielding
This young gun’s last name means “the beef” in French, but he’s normally anything but meaty. After he accepted a lead role in the gangster film “Lawless” (watch clips), he had to pack 40 pounds onto his slight frame to be more believable playing the brother of brawny Tom Hardy (see photos). The former Disney star (his hit show?) told Jay Leno that bulking up required drinking a protein shake, even waking up at night to do so.
To play a murderous cage fighter in the new movie “Alex Cross” (watch the trailer | get showtimes), the former Dr. Jack Shepherd (his show?) bulked up on muscle and melted away 35 pounds of fat. He worked with a nutritionist and personal trainer to morph his body into a muscle machine.
Perhaps best known for creating and performing the female character of Mabel “Madea” Simmons (see photos), this male writer-actor-producer replaces Morgan Freeman as the title character in “Alex Cross.” To drop 30 pounds for the role, the star told Men’s Health magazine that he completed hour-long circuits of cardio, body-weight moves and cable work every morning and practiced Krav Maga (get details) every afternoon.
After slimming down for a role in “Cowboys and Aliens” (watch clips) last year, this blond Brit had major work to do before his third run as James Bond in “Skyfall” (watch the trailer | get showtimes). During filming, the British press reported that 007 used kriotherapy—sitting in a minus-100-degree-Celcius chamber for three minutes. Some say the treatment increases circulation and boosts endorphins, making it easier to work out longer and harder.
