Swank played “Maggie” Fitzgerald, a Southern waitress who ends up in L.A. gym Hit Pit. Clint Eastwood, director and producer, co-stars with Swank. He’s a curmudgeonly trainer who begrudgingly trains her. In reality, her training already happened. It was one of the most difficult things she’s ever had to do. “I started working out five hours a day—I had to eat 210 grams of protein a day,” she said.
“The thing was, I needed nine hours of sleep a night because your muscles have to be able to rest in order to build or you actually reverse yourself. So, I slept nine hours a night, but I had to wake up in the night and drink protein shakes because I couldn’t go that long without eating,” Swank explained. She reached her goal in an astounding 90 days. Producers asked her to pile on 10 pounds of muscle weight, but she went above and beyond with over 20 pounds of pure muscle added to her frame. She earned a second Academy Award for her performance.
Chris Pratt Chisels Down for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
'Parks and Recreation' star Chris Pratt was a little tubby playing Andy Dwyer, the slacker sweetie from Netflix TV. But what happened when all 300 pounds of him had to squeeze into Marvel’s Star-Lord costume? Long story short, Pratt had to swing a serious lifestyle modification to star in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' Dropping 60 pounds in six months, while bulking up, was “three or four hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work,” said Pratt.
To accomplish it, Pratt enlisted the same professional trainer as Chris Hemsworth, Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver, and nutritionist Phil Goglia. Pratt consumed 4,000 calories per day and drank a ton of water. He drank water from morning to night. “I was peeing all day long, every day.” Pratt told Men’s Journal. After hitting his goal, Pratt posted on Instagram photo highlights of his newly chiseled physique. After all that hard work, Pratt says he’s staying ripped for life.
Jared Leto Lost 40 Pounds for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
Co-starring with Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto played a transgender woman with HIV. Like McConaughey, Leto submitted to a severe weight loss routine. “I stopped eating, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. It was 30 to 40 pounds. After a while, I stopped counting.” Leto’s commitment to delivering a stupendous performance as Rayon in 'Dallas Buyers Club' paid off. He won an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, and a SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Shrinking down to just 114 pounds, he looked gaunt but feminine. But it took a psychological toll. “It changes the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you think,” he said. Leto’s respected as a method actor, who delves into his characters with research and physically demanding sacrifices like this. He packed on an unhealthy amount of weight for another movie, 'Chapter 27.'
Jared Leto Packs It on for ‘Chapter 27’
Jared Leto piled on the pounds to play John Lennon’s assassin in 'Chapter 27.' To be precise, he packed on 67 pounds! Playing Mark David Chapman, the American Beatles fan who took the life of the world-adored English rock and roll icon required more than a physical alteration. Leto needed to alter his voice and demeanor. “[Chapman] barely ever speaks above a whisper and everything is kind of choked off in the throat,” Leto said.
The dough-boy body Leto procured portrayed the killer in J.P. Schaefer’s Chapter 27 precisely, but it did not win any fitness awards. In fact, his physique earned him an Rx for Lipitor instead. Ending up with gout and doctor recommendations for Lipitor left Leto with almost zero regrets. “The script didn’t say, ‘Page 1: You gain 67 pounds, and you’re miserable for two months.’ The point is, Leto nailed the part.
Demi Moore Trained Hard for 'G.I. Jane'
On the brink of decline from a super-celeb apex, Demi Moore battled back with an extreme training regimen to transform herself into a female Navy SEAL who breaks into the exclusively male military club. Preparing to get into the character of Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, G.I. Jane’s protagonist, took the same sacrifice and commitment SEALs train for. To keep it authentic, Moore trained with Navy SEAL coach Stephen Helvenston and celebrity trainer, Gregory Joujon-Roche.
She hit her cardio routine by 4 a.m. every morning and then moved on to muscle strengthening: one-arm push-ups, dumbbell bench presses, and shoulder workouts, nine weight training exercises in all. Cardio came from treadmill workouts or running in Central Park with a security guard entourage. Other efforts to get in the headspace of a SEAL included shaving her head, completing vigorous Navy SEAL obstacle courses, and doing push-ups in the mud.