It’s a challenge as old as the movies themselves: Hitting the gym to bulk up, add muscle, and get ridiculously shredded for a film role.
Stars have pulled off incredible body transformations over the years. Some Hollywood icons—like Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper—transformed from leading-man lean to Muscle Beach-built to portray muscular, imposing characters. Other guys—like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Dolph Lundgren—added even more beef to their already-muscular frames, pushing themselves to the limits of human muscularity.
Some stars had the help of trainers to get them over the top. Trainer or no trainer, it meant getting into the gym and lifting some heavy stuff. No matter how they did it, these stars all impressively muscled up for their roles.
Here’s a look at the top 25 most intense Hollywood bulk-ups of all time.
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Sylvester Stallone in Rambo III
Many of Sylvester Stallone’s Hollywood bulk-ups could make this list, but his work for Rambo III is a cut above the rest. Stallone is at his physical peak in this gung-ho, patriotic adventure that takes Rambo into Afghanistan. Stallone worked out up to six days per week, three to four hours per day, to get into the shape he wanted, according to his 1988 TV interview with Oprah Winfrey. Then, to maintain his physique, he’d do three days on, one day off, working for about an hour each session.
Another reason why Stallone was so jacked in this film? Chalk it up to his professional rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger. As Schwarzenegger recounted in an interview at Beyond Fest in 2017, the two stars constantly were trying to one-up each other in their movies: “I’m so glad we straightened out our mess because it wasn’t pretty,” Schwarzenegger said. “We were attacking each other in the press relentlessly. We called each other names and called out our weak points, and it was so competitive. It became so silly that all of a sudden it became a competition about who has the most muscular body. So I said, ‘Sly, forget about that now. Because there’s only one seven-time Mr. Olympia, and it’s me!’ But then he had to use bigger weapons. So then it was a competition of who had the biggest gun, and then who uses the biggest knife. Do you remember the Rambo knife became so big it was like a sword? No one has a knife like that! But Stallone had one built, so I had to come in with a bigger one. This is how it went. ‘Who has the most unique killings? Who kills more people on screen? Who makes more money at the box office? Who has less body fat when he goes into production?’ All of this shit started happening, and it didn’t stop. It was unbelievable.”
(Want to get jacked like Stallone? Try Stallone’s full arms routine and this workout on how to get forearms like Rambo.)
L: Don Arnold/WireImage, R: Per Bernal / Getty
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Hercules
It takes a lot for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to bulk up for any role, considering how muscular the former WWE superstar already is. But Johnson took things to another level to play the “paragon of masculinity” in Hercules. Johnson used an intense workout and nutrition program to add even more size and muscle to his physique, training “harder than ever for eight months,” as Johnson wrote on Instagram. The goal for Johnson was “to completely transform into” into Hercules, and he got close: Johnson followed a 22-week diet plan that included a daily intake of 4,940 calories, 99g of fat, 469g of carbs, and 547g of protein. Johnson was an absolute beast in the gym, too, using this shoulders workout for five months to beef up his upper body, and this muscle-building arms workout on his biceps and triceps.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator
Even for Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s hard to get much more bulked up than “former bodybuilding world champion” and “seven-time Mr. Olympia winner”. But Schwarzenegger’s work on Predator went above and beyond. Schwarzenegger worked out like a beast before filming, and continued to give his character Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer even more muscle definition once the cameras started rolling. As actor Bill Duke told The Hollywood Reporter on the 30th anniversary of Predator, Schwarzenegger shipped a gym to Mexico for the shoot so that he could work out at any time he wanted.
Consider: If there’s one one iconic moment from Predator, it’s when Schwarzenegger greets Carl Weathers with the line “Dillon, you son of a bitch!” as the camera zooms on Schwarzenegger’s bulging biceps.
“Arnold once knocked on my door at 5:30, woke me up,” Duke said. “I started lifting with them and they all would start yelling at me to lift more weights and more reps. And that night, I was in so much pain that the next morning when they came to my door and started banging, I pretended that I slept through it so that I wouldn’t have to lift with them anymore.”
“I think that phrase ‘manly men’ was coined down there,” screenwriter Jim Thomas told THR. “I think it was Arnold that kept saying (in Arnold voice) ‘manly men’. You had that cast, and those guys were all pretty impressive. Then you had all the stuntmen who had to double these guys and do all of the stunts. So every morning you had all of these stuntmen and all the cast down there trying to get a good pump on. It was kind of comical, these guys are all trying to outdo each other.”
Want to get jacked like Arnold? Try his Mr. Olympia chest and back workout from 1974.
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Gerard Butler in 300
By the end of his training for 300, it looked like Gerard Butler could actually lead the Spartan army. To portray King Leonidas, a Spartan warrior who disposes of thousands of hapless Persians while wearing little more than a Speedo and a cape, Butler needed a physique right out of a comic book. Enter trainer Mark Twight. Twight, a renowned mountain climber and conditioning coach who has also worked with actors like Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, and Henry Cavill on other Zack Snyder films, put Butler and his co-stars through some grueling workouts for four months. While Butler’s training for 300 was the most impressive transformation of his career, he also bulked up for his roles in the Olympus Has Fallen series and 2018’s Den of Thieves.
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Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV
Like his co-star Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren has beefed up for many of his roles over the years, including The Expendables series, Universal Soldier, and the first Aquaman solo film. But Lundgren got into some of the best shape of his life in Rocky IV to play physically dominating boxer Ivan Drago, who’s supposed to pack a 1,800 psi punch. Lundgren previously told Muscle & Fitness that he trained hard for five months for the film, doing intense boxing and weightlifting workouts, adding more than 20lbs of muscle for the film.
Jared Wickerham, Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic / Getty
Christian Bale in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight
Among the many Hollywood transformations through the years, what Christian Bale did for 2005’s Batman Begins might be the most impressive. Bale did the film The Machinist just before playing the Caped Crusader, and that role required Bale to drop 60lbs to play an insomniac character. After slimming down by eating tuna and apples, Bale jumped back into the gym, adding 100lbs to his frame using weight workouts, resistance training, and circuit training. In fact, director Christopher Nolan felt Bale had become too muscular for the role, and asked the actor to lose 20lbs again. Bale later bulked up again for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, but what he did after The Machinist to get ready for Batman Begins will remain one of the most extreme—and impressive—transformations any actor has ever done.
Dustin Snipes
Joe Manganiello in True Blood
Joe Manganiello has established himself as one of the fittest, most shredded dudes in Hollywood, but his first career breakout came on HBO’s True Blood, in which he bulked up to play the werewolf Alcide Herveaux. Manganiello used this two-day workout to get “werewolf shredded” for True Blood, all while keeping this strict diet plan that included at least five meals per day, and sometimes more. Manganiello also used this muscle-building upper-body workout to beef up his chest, shoulders, and triceps. Manganiello told Muscle & Fitness that he led his fellow castmates in muscle-building workouts on the show: “By the end of the two months, there were four of us all lined up doing the same workout. It was awesome. They’re theater actors. They keep themselves in semi-decent shape, but they’d never had any sort of formal workout training.” Joe showed off his muscles once again as the badass villain Deathstroke after (spoiler alert!) making an awesome, end-of-credits appearance in Justice League.
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Mark Wahlberg in Pain & Gain
Mark Wahlberg has bulked up for a number of his roles—including The Fighter, the Transformers series, and Deepwater Horizon—but his work on Pain & Gain went beyond even his usual standards. Wahlberg bulked up to 212lbs to get ready for his role by lifting heavy five days a week and eating up to 10 meals per day. If you want to get as fit as he is, try this workout program to get arms like Wahlberg.
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Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises
Tom Hardy is no stranger to bulking up and transforming his body for film roles, like Warrior, Bronson, and Mad Max: Fury Road, but his work to transform into Bane for The Dark Knight Rises was his most impressive—and most muscular—transformation of his career. Although he later said he was “paying the price” for his Bane transformation, his physicality was absolutely perfect for the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Hardy gained 30lbs of muscle for the role via physically taxing short workouts four times per day, focusing on strength training and bodyweight exercises to gain muscle, Hardy told the New York Daily News in 2012. No wonder he’s one of the 25 most badass movie villains of all time.
L: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images, R: Hugh Jackman / @thehughjackman
Hugh Jackman in the X-Men and Wolverine series
Hugh Jackman vaulted into worldwide stardom when he was cast as Wolverine in the X-Men movies, and he brought the muscle to back it up. Jackman worked with trainer David Kingsbury multiple times over the course of his decade-plus playing the cigar-chomping hero, adding slabs of muscle and getting massive definition all over his body. Kingsbury detailed Jackman’s training programs over the years for Muscle & Fitness; in one of his plans, Jackman followed a progressive overload plan to build strength on basic lifts like the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Over the years, Jackman got more and more muscular, culminating in his final appearance as Wolverine in Logan in 2017. Build a chest like Jackman with this workout.
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Chris Hemsworth in Thor series and The Avengers series
Chris Hemsworth became a worldwide star overnight for his turn as the Norse god Thor for Marvel’s new set of superhero films, primarily because he so perfectly looked the part. Hemsworth worked for weeks with former Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver, using an old-school bodybuilding approach. Gaver had Hemsworth focus in on his arms and shoulders, and by the end of training, Hemsworth gained more than 20lbs of muscle. Here’s the workout that helped him do it. Hemsworth has kept it up since his first few turns as Thor, getting shredded once again for both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. Here’s a look at 15 ways Hemsworth trained for those films.
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Chris Evans in Captain America and Avengers series
To transform into Captain America, Chris Evans had to completely overhaul his lifestyle. Previously more known for his comedic roles (and as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four series), Evans shed that persona to embody the all-American hero. Marvel sent over a trainer from London to work with Evans, who called the two-hour per day workouts “brutal”. Evans said he hit the gym four to five days a week for three months, focusing on two muscle groups per session. Evans told NBC’s Extra that the trickiest part was eating right, since a lot of the food he had to eat were “bland pieces of chicken, rice, and meat”. Clearly, the training worked. Evans’ portrayal of Steve Rogers is a fan-favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Cap seems to get more and more swole in every film.
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Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV
As with Schwarzenegger and Lundgren, many of Stallone’s roles could make this list, including his work in the first three Rocky films and the Rambo series. But when it comes to Hollywood bulk-ups, Rocky IV sits high on the list. To go up against the perfect physical Soviet specimen Ivan Drago, Stallone added slabs of muscle to his frame. It’s no wonder Rocky IV has one of the most epic training montage scenes in movie history. The only reason we ranked Rambo III above Rocky IV: Stallone is absolutely huge in Rambo III, while he’s moreso ultra-cut in the Moscow boxing ring. Quibbling over details? Sure, but we had to draw a line somewhere.
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Carl Weathers in Rocky
Carl Weathers had the chance to work alongside Stallone and Schwarzenegger in two of the biggest movies of his era: Predator and Rocky. In fact, Weathers’ impressive bulk-up to play boxer Apollo Creed was one of the reasons he was cast in Predator. For Rocky, Weathers trained so hard and intensely to play Apollo that legendary boxer Muhammad Ali wanted to spar with him after he met him, Weathers told The Hollywood Reporter. (They ended up throwing some shadow punches at each other on the sidewalk.) That bulk translated to Predator, too: Weathers, Schwarzenegger, and the rest of the cast would hit the gym on set, challenging each other to get bigger and bigger. Weathers wanted to get so big, he even did some secret workouts when the cast wasn’t around. As he said in the 2001 short documentary on the film, If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of ‘Predator,’ Weathers said he acted as if his physique came naturally, even though he’d sometimes wake up as early as 3 a.m. to work out without anyone seeing him.
Ben Watts
Henry Cavill in Man of Steel
It’s hard to remember a time when Henry Cavill wasn’t Superman, but before he landed the role for Man of Steel, he was an actor who kept juuuust missing out on major parts. Cavill had almost played Superman back in 2004 before that project stalled out, and then he missed out on James Bond, losing out to Daniel Craig (maybe he’ll be the next Bond, perhaps?). But in 2011 he finally got the call, and he built the proper physique for it. Cavill was always in shape, but his Man of Steel physique was something to behold. Cavill teamed up with trainer Mark Twight, who had previously worked with actors on 300 for Zack Snyder, and his own trainer Michael Blevins, who developed a number of workouts to get Cavill jacked for Man of Steel. Want to get jacked like Superman? Try Cavill’s intense Justice League workout routine.
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Jason Statham in The Transporter
Jason Statham’s been a Hollywood badass for more than a decade, but back before he starred in The Transporter the British actor hadn’t expected to be an action star. Starting his career in Guy Ritchie gangster flicks like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the former championship diver (here’s video of Statham competing as a member of Britain’s National Diving Squad in the 1990 Commonwealth Games) was best known for playing skinny con men before Hollywood action came calling. So when he was cast as the world’s most dangerous chauffeur in the 2002 martial arts flick The Transporter, the part-time model needed a physical overhaul. But instead of going the typical Hollywood route of hiring a personal trainer, Statham motivated himself, increasing his time in the gym and taking his interest in mixed martial arts to the next level. By the end of his intense training, Statham was so physically fit he was able to perform most of his own stunts in the film. Here’s a look at 10 of Statham’s most shredded Instagram moments.
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Ryan Reynolds in Blade: Trinity and Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds was best known for a not-so-great project (the poorly titled Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place) before eight-pack abs turned his career around. When the relatively unknown actor was cast as a vampire hunter in the third film in the Blade trilogy, he knew he needed to do something to grab the audience’s attention—after all, he was starring alongside Jessica Biel. So the Vancouver native began to train like a madman. Reynolds told Men’s Fitness he spent three months doing six-day-a-week workouts, and keeping a 3,200-calorie daily diet. In the end, Reynolds gained 25lbs of muscle and forged some of the best abs in Hollywood (see how he stacks up with these 12 other actors). Reynolds did a similar program again for the smash box-office hit Deadpool, which now is one of the most successful superhero franchises of all time.
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Will Smith in Ali
If you’re going to tell the story of the greatest professional boxer of all time, you have to do it right. Working with Sugar Ray Leonard’s former fitness coach, Will Smith rose to the occasion, turning his 185-lb frame into 220lbs of lean, sinewy muscle through grueling six-hour-a-day workouts and intensive weight training. Smith told ABC News that the physical training was the hardest part about his preparation for the film, and that when he was at his peak physical condition during the filming of Ali, he was benching 350lbs. Through his focused training, the rapper-turned-actor ended up with a physique just as impressive as the former world champion. While the film garnered mixed reviews, Smith’s performance was praised and the actor received an Oscar nomination.
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Robert De Niro in Raging Bull
Robert De Niro did double duty with his bulk-up and body transformation in his Oscar-winning performance as boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. First, De Niro got absolutely shredded to play the Italian middleweight pugilist in his prime. De Niro said in an interview in TIME in 2013 that he trained with LaMotta for almost a year, doing one-on-one sparring sessions, and going through at least “1,000 rounds” together in New York City. De Niro added more than 20lbs of muscle to his frame, and had the physique of an actual boxer while filming the movie, according to a deep-dive into the making of the movie from Vanity Fair. De Niro was so dedicated to becoming a convincing brawler, he competed in three organized bouts, winning two. LaMotta was so impressed with De Niro’s dedication, he claimed the actor could have fought professionally if he wished. For the part of the movie when LaMotta is retired, washed up, and very unhealthy, De Niro turned all that muscle into fat.
Peter Yang
Michael B. Jordan in Creed series
Michael B. Jordan basically became a boxer while prepping for his role in 2015’s Creed. Jordan followed an intense, four-day-per-week workout program to get jacked and shredded to play Adonis Creed, the son of the legendary character Apollo Creed from the Rocky series. Since then, Jordan got ripped to play the villain in Black Panther.
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Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
To take on the role of washed-up grappler Randy “The Ram” Robinson in Darren Aronofsky’s 2008 film, Mickey Rourke had to do a lot more than just bleach his hair and wear lime green tights. To convincingly portray the kind of guy who could hold his own against King Kong Bundy, the 55-year-old had to pack on nearly 30lbs of lean muscle. After falling out of favor in Hollywood over the previous decade, Rourke dedicated himself to the role, training with professional wrestler Afa the Wild Samoan and hitting the gym hard. Rourke previously boxed and worked out at Gold’s Gym during his earlier Hollywood days, so he tapped into those memories for this film. Rourke told Bodybuilding.com that back in the day he would do 1-1 ½ hours of resistance work followed by 30-60 minutes of cardio as part of his daily routine. This time around, he did a lot of cardio and abs work to get ready for the film. Rourke also said that he stuck with a high-protein, low-carb diet that included three or four protein shakes a day.
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Jamie Foxx in Any Given Sunday
Thanks to the Academy Award he nabbed for the 2006 Ray Charles biopic Ray, Jamie Foxx is no longer known as that scrawny dude from Booty Call. But the actor first showed his dedication to his craft in Oliver Stone’s 1999 football flick Any Given Sunday. For his role as fictional quarterback Willie Beamen, Foxx told Men’s Fitness he hit the weights hard, bulking up to 200lbs. “I really had to bulk up. Then I lost 25lbs once I went down to training camp because of all the workouts, and water lost. It made me look bigger on the screen because I was tighter.” Want to get fit like Foxx did in the film? Try Foxx’s core workout to build a lean, muscular body.
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Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Bradley Cooper had some experience getting bulked up for his role in the A-Team, but that part was more about six-pack abs compared to his work in American Sniper. To play real-life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, Cooper gained more than 40lbs in about 10 weeks, adding more size than defined muscle, according to Business Insider. Cooper said he worked out twice a day, doing deadlifts and squats to build a strong foundation in the morning, and then doing another workout in the afternoon. Cooper also upped his food intake to add the pounds to his frame.
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Brad Pitt in Troy
Brad Pitt was one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs when he landed the role of Achilles in Troy in 2004, and soon after he became one of Hollywood’s fittest dudes. Pitt linked up with trainer Gregory Joujon-Roche and added pounds of muscle to his frame, using intense weightlifting, circuit training, and upper-body workouts.
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Eli Roth in Inglourious Basterds
For his role as a Nazi’s worst nightmare in Quentin Tarantino’s fantastical World War II flick Inglourious Basterds, the physically fit Eli Roth made sure to step up his game. His character—Sgt. Donnie “The Bear Jew” Donowitz, a Boston badass who disposes of SS officers with nothing more than a bloodstained Louisville Slugger—isn’t the type of guy who would be caught anywhere near Crunch Fitness. Instead of getting cut, Roth needed to bulk up. Roth spoke with ComingSoon.com about his training on Basterds, saying that he gained 35lbs of muscle for the part. Roth’s character ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the Academy Award-winning film.
