How A-List Celebrities Get In Shape For Major Roles And Why It Isn’t A Great Long-Term Strategy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Chris Pratt attends the premiere of ‘The Terminal List’ in Los Angeles … [+]
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The internet is full of before and after pictures of A-list celebrities showing how they quickly got in shape for a movie role. Images of Jason Momoa’s body transformation for Zack Snyder’s Justice League come to mind. But how do they achieve that in such a short amount of time when many people who go to the gym regularly struggle to get the same results?
Most celebrities hire a fitness professional to create an exercise and nutrition plan to get them in the best possible shape as quickly as possible. Some also use unconventional training methods to facilitate their transformation and overcome training plateaus – Momoa incorporated climbing two days a week into his training for the DC film.
Coach Brian Nunez — a former soccer player and Nike coach to pro athletes, celebrities, and business leaders — calls this the “Sliding Subscription” technique. Fitness newbies often think that getting the perfect body isn’t much work, especially when they start to feel different and their clothes will fit better in a month or two. They think they know the secret of body transformation until they hit their first plateau and fall back into reality.
Going too hard can harm you
The internet is littered with crazy stories about how celebrities look for unconventional ways to optimize their workouts and then hit 1000 miles an hour.
Aside from Aquaman’s climbing tactics, the actors go much further to maintain their “fighting weight” before and during filming. To play the role of Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt lost 60 pounds in six months. To do this, he completely abstained from beer and brought his body into full swing. His workouts included boxing, kickboxing, running, swimming and a triathlon, six days a week and 4 to 8 hours a day, while consuming 4,000 calories a day.
While filming 300, Gerard Butler and about 50 other actors did a lot of push-ups, sit-ups and rubber band pull-ups for every shot of every scene to pump blood into their muscles and keep them looking swollen throughout the shoot.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 19: Actor Jason Momoa attends Aerobic Climb Exhibition on August 19, 2016 … [+]
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From intense workout regimens to systematic dehydration to manipulating her sodium levels, Nunez understands how many A-listers get results so quickly, but discourages her fans from replicating those results.
He believes the biggest danger in following the same path to fitness as these big names is that these methods are almost exclusively short-term approaches to specific shoots and projects. Doing this over the long term will cause serious problems for your heart and body. “When it comes to a long-term strategy, simple things like regular walks are probably the most underrated workouts of all time,” says Nunez.
The body feeds the mind when the mind feeds the body
GI Jane is perhaps one of the most iconic films of the last two decades; When the film premiered in 1997, fans were stunned to see otherwise slim and beautiful Demi Moore appear so massive and with a shaved head. Demi Moore later shared a little about the arduous process of getting in shape for the film.
Demi Moore comes out of the water with a rifle in a scene from the 1997 film GI Jane. (Photo of … [+]
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According to Demi Moore, she had used two different trainers, one for the elements of physical fitness and another specifically to teach her the Navy SEAL mindset. The Navy SEAL’s mindset was relevant to her role as GI Jane. Despite this, she later admitted that completing the body transformation was probably just as effective for her.
“These intense 90-day or 45-day fitness plans are perfect for the film and far from terrible for a long-term strategy. Getting fit is one thing, but the mind plays perhaps the biggest role in staying fit,” Nunez explains, “Three pillars that contribute to long-term fitness and health are mindset, meals, and exercise. In my business coaching as well as in my fitness coaching, I attach great importance to mindset, because behind every success there is a healthy attitude. The hunt for the perfect body, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. There are healthy ways to eat and exercise to keep your body filling steadily and at a pace that’s good for your heart.” Nunez concludes.
Why we should avoid radical body transformations
Nor is Nunez a promoter of crazy dietary changes; He advocates counting quality, not calories, and believes in focusing on food for fuel. His philosophy is to get fit and stay fit; we need to build a strong foundation of diet and lifestyle habits. Following these conditions yields far better long-term results than engaging in what he calls the “dark arts of fitness.”
“We make macro changes through a culmination of micro moments. Training the body has been shown to have clear mental benefits, but in order for your body to feed your mind, your mind must first feed your body,” Nunez says. “The body cannot train beyond what the mind will allow, so paying attention to mindfulness is the first step to overcoming doubts and plateaus in your fitness journey. Beyond training, the gift of mindfulness is great for overcoming plateaus and difficulties in business and all aspects of life. Attention is our greatest asset.”
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA — Trainer Brian Nunez posts a workout seminar in California.
FNS training center
Perhaps the only fitness inspiration we should take from the insanely toned and fit actors on our screen should be the moments when they’re not preparing for film shoots or meeting project deadlines. Most actors can’t wait for a project to be over so they can return to a simple, healthy lifestyle without the need for radical dieting and exercise routines.
It’s also important to understand the crucial role mind plays in building your dream body with consistency and determination, even when plateaus occur. Your mind is your most important asset. Prioritize it and success will follow.
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