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Social media, press junkets, and late-night talk shows have given us more insight into the lives of celebrities than we’ve ever had before, and one of the curtains that’s been pulled back for us to look behind is how they get into the physical shape that they do. Whether it’s for red carpets, photoshoots, or production for a film, looking the part is part of the job.

There are so many celebrity workout routines and diets that range from true dedication to truly wild, and this is a list of five of the most famous and most intense fitness secrets if you’re crazy enough to want to replicate them.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – From the ring to the screen

Whether you know him from the WWE’s Attitude Era or the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, one of The Rock’s most iconic features is his otherworldly physique. And whether it’s his eating or his workouts, the name of the game is intensity.

One of his training regimes that went viral was for his role in ‘Hercules’ (2014), when he admitted in interviews to waking up at 4am to do high-intensity weight training and cardio, as well as following a gruelling 22-week diet plan titled the ’12 Labours’. It even became so popular that many influencers on social media attempted to eat that diet and the results were, to say the least, varied.

Jennifer Lopez – The key to being ageless

Be honest, we all wish that we could find the same fountain of youth that J.Lo has. Well, the singer and actress is now 54 and looks in incredible shape, and her trainer has shared the routine and strict diet that keeps her in incredibly athletic condition. It’s a mix of exercises that start with high reps and gradually decrease, as well as mixing in dance cardio like salsa and hip-hop.

It’s clear from the videos posted of her training and knowing how tough the workouts are really shows her dedication not just to exercise, but emphasises her appreciation for movement.

Chris Hemsworth – A workout worthy of the Gods

Being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe usually requires actors getting into a superhero’s physique, but there’s one role that requires even more muscles than most. Chris Hemsworth took up the mantle of Thor for the debut film in 2011 and underwent a workout routine that became known colloquially as the “Thor’s Hammer Workout.”

Developed by gym trainer and ex-Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver, the workout was based around classic bodybuilder training techniques to emphasise Hemsworth’s shoulders and arms as much as possible. Following this routine which involved a combination of heavy weight training and bodyweight exercises in supersets and even trisets, Hemsworth gained nearly 10kg of muscle mass because, as Gaver states: “He simply decided to look like Thor.”

Scarlett Johansson: Black Widow’s Intense Workouts

It’s not just the super-powered characters that encourage the actors to get in shape for an MCU project, with Scarlett Johansson being a prime example. She even states that “The gift of fitness has been one of the best parts about working for Marvel”. A character like Black Widow relies far more on her agility and hand-to-hand combat prowess, which is what her trainer Eric Johnson sought to emphasise in her training.

This meant building a program that covers almost every area of training and workouts to cover all the bases, including a mix of weight and functional strength training like deadlifts and weighted pistol squats. Johnson also encouraged Johansson to drop in on fight training and hot yoga classes as alternatives to traditional cardio. Not only did this help ScarJo get into the mindset of the character but helped her do her own stunts where possible.

LeBron James – From the court to the gym

When you’re a professional athlete, it’s not just the work done during your set training that’s important, but the work outside is even more crucial. LeBron James is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and his popularity has extended beyond the sport (even becoming the star of the long-awaited ‘Space Jam’ sequel), and his training reflects how seriously he approaches his workout regime.

His recorded routine covers ten hours of the working week, and each day is dedicated to a style of training. The most interesting day is his Tuesday, which involves a spin class that can average between half an hour and a full hour of intense cycling, as well as various plyometric exercises to enhance his speed and power to apply on the court. It might sound surprising that cycling is an activity for his cardio, but LeBron is a noted lover of road bikes, even owning a share in popular brand Canyon.

If there’s one thing that these routines have in common, it’s the intensity and resources available to them. When preparing for a film, or even just wanting to stay in shape, celebrities have access to both the time and the best trainers available to get them to their goal body within a specific period. On top of this, there’s an element of commitment to their craft that helps push these stars to train harder to meet the requirements for a role or look.

Evie Switzer
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