It's a problem as old as the movies themselves: bulking up, adding muscle, and being extremely ripped for a cinematic role. Over the years, celebrities have pulled off remarkable physique makeovers and Hollywood bulk-ups.
To depict powerful, imposing characters, certain Hollywood icons evolved from leading-man lean-to Muscle Beach-built. Others added extra muscle to their already muscular frames, pushing themselves to the limits of human muscularity.
Some celebrities relied on trainers to propel them to the top. It meant getting into the gym, trainer or no trainer, and lifting some hard weights. These performers all impressively bulked up for their roles, no matter how they achieved it.
Here are the top 25 most extreme Hollywood bulk-ups.
#1 Eli Roth in Inglourious Basterds
Source: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company
The physically muscular Eli Roth made sure to improve his game for his role as a Nazi's worst nightmare in Quentin Tarantino's Wwii film Inglourious Basterds. Sgt. Donnie "The Bear Jew" Donowitz isn't the type of guy who'd be caught near Crunch Fitness. Roth needs to bulk up rather than get cut. Roth revealed he gained 35 pounds for the role. Roth's portrayal became one of the film's most memorable elements, winning an Academy Award.
#2 Brad Pitt in Troy
Source: Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images
Brad Pitt was one of Hollywood's top heartthrobs when he earned the part of Achilles in Troy in 2004, and he quickly became one of the fittest males in Hollywood. Pitt worked with trainer Gregory Joujon-Roche to bulk up his frame through hard weightlifting, circuit training, and upper-body routines. In these videos, Joujon-Roche explains some of those workouts.
#3 Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Source: GONZALO/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images, TSM/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Bradley Cooper has some experience bulking up for his role in the A-Team, but that was more about six-pack abs than his whole body in American Sniper. Cooper gained more than 40 pounds in around 10 weeks to play real-life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, according to Business Insider, adding more size than defined muscle. Cooper said he worked out twice a day, doing deadlifts and squats in the morning to develop a strong foundation and then another session in the afternoon. Cooper also increased his food consumption in order to pack on the pounds.
#4 Jamie Foxx in Any Given Sunday
Source: Getty Images
Jamie Foxx is no longer recognized as the scrawny dude from Booty Call, thanks to his Academy Award win for the Ray Charles biopic Ray in 2006. However, the actor first demonstrated his commitment to his craft in Oliver Stone's 1999 sports film Any Given Sunday. Foxx told Men's Fitness that he bulked up to 200 pounds for his role as fictional quarterback Willie Beamen. "I definitely needed to bulk up." Then, once I arrived at training camp, I lost 25 pounds as a result of all the workouts and water loss. Because I was tighter, I appeared larger on the screen." Want to get in shape like Foxx in the movie? To achieve a lean, strong body, try Foxx's core workout.
#5 Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Source: Bobby Bank/WireImage
Mickey Rourke had to gain over 30 pounds of lean muscle to play washed-up wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson in Darren Aronofsky's 2008 film. Rourke used to box and train out at Gold's Gym in his early Hollywood days, so he drew on those memories for this film. Rourke told Bodybuilding.com that his everyday workout used to consist of 1 to 12 hours of resistance work followed by 30-60 minutes of cardio. To prepare for the film, he did a lot of cardio and ab work this time. Rourke also claimed to have followed a high-protein, low-carb diet that comprised three or four protein smoothies each day.
#6 Michael B. Jordan in Creed
Source: Peter Yang
While preparing for his role in 2015's Creed, Michael B. Jordan basically became a boxer. Jordan worked out four days a week to get jacked and shredded for his role as Adonis Creed, the son of the classic Rocky character Apollo Creed. Jordan has since gotten ripped in preparation for his role as the villain in Black Panther.
#7 Robert De Niro in Raging Bull
Source: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
In Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, Robert De Niro did double duty with his bulking up and physique metamorphosis as boxer Jake LaMotta. To begin, De Niro had to get completely shredded to play the Italian middleweight pugilist in his heyday. De Niro stated that he trained with LaMotta for about a year, sparring one-on-one and going through at least "1,000 rounds" together. During filming, De Niro gained more than 20 pounds of muscle and had the physique of a true boxer. De Niro was so determined to become a convincing brawler that he fought in three organized fights, winning two of them. De Niro changed all that muscle into fat for the scene in the movie where LaMotta is retired, washed up, and very unhealthy.
#8 Will Smith in Ali
Source: Peter Brandt/Getty Images
You have to do it right if you're going to tell the narrative of the greatest professional boxer of all time. Will Smith rose to the challenge, transforming his 185-pound frame into 220 pounds of lean, sinewy muscle with six-hour-a-day exercises and intense weight training. Smith stated that the most difficult aspect of his preparation for the film was the physical training, and that when he was at his best physical condition during the filming of Ali, he was benching 350 pounds. Through intense training, the rapper-turned-actor achieved a body that rivaled that of the previous world champion. While the picture got mixed reviews, Smith's performance was lauded, and he was nominated for an Oscar.
#9 Ryan Reynolds in Blade: Trinity and Deadpool
Source: Steve Granitz/WireImage
When the relatively unknown actor was selected as a vampire hunter in the third installment of the Blade trilogy, he realized he needed to do something to get the attention of the audience—after all, he was acting alongside Jessica Biel. As a result, the Vancouver native began training like a lunatic. Reynolds stated that he spent three months working out six days a week and eating a 3,200-calorie diet. Reynolds eventually acquired 25 pounds of muscle and developed some of the greatest abs in Hollywood. Reynolds repeated the method for the smash box-office hit Deadpool, which has since become one of the most profitable superhero franchises of all time.
#10 Jason Statham in The Transporter
Source: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images
Before starring in The Transporter, the British actor had never seen himself as an action star. He began his career in Guy Ritchie gangster films, where he was well known for playing skinny con men before moving on to Hollywood. As a result, when he was cast as the world's most dangerous chauffeur in The Transporter, he required a physical transformation. Statham, though, chose to motivate himself rather than hire a personal trainer, increasing his time in the gym and pushing his passion in mixed martial arts to the next level. Statham was so physically fit at the end of his hard training that he was able to do the majority of his own stunts in the picture.
#11 Henry Cavill in Man of Steel
Source: Ben Watts
It's difficult to remember a time when Henry Cavill wasn't Superman, but before he earned the role in Man of Steel, he was an actor who was constantly passed over for significant roles. Cavill almost portrayed Superman in 2004, but the movie fell through, and he also missed out on James Bond, losing out to Daniel Craig. But he eventually received the call in 2011, and he built the body for it. Cavill was always in good condition, but his Man of Steel figure was breathtaking. Cavill worked with trainer Mark Twight and his own trainer Michael Blevins to construct a series of workouts to get him jacked for Man of Steel.
#12 Carl Weathers in Rocky
Source: Hulton Archive, United Artists/Getty Images
Carl Weathers got the opportunity to work alongside Stallone and Schwarzenegger in two of his era's most successful films: Predator and Rocky. Weathers' amazing bulking up for the role of boxer Apollo Creed was one of the reasons he got cast in Predator. Weathers trained so hard and fiercely for Rocky to play Apollo that famed boxer Muhammad Ali wanted to spar with him after meeting him, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Weathers, Schwarzenegger, and the rest of the Predator group would hit the gym on set, challenging each other to get bigger and bigger. Weathers was so determined to bulk up that he even worked out in private when the rest of the ensemble was not around.
#13 Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV
Source: United Artists/Getty Images
Many of Stallone's roles, like those of Schwarzenegger and Lundgren, may make this list, including his work in the first three Rocky films and the Rambo series. However, when it comes to Hollywood bulk-ups, Rocky IV is near the top of the list. To compete against the perfect physical Soviet specimen Ivan Drago, Stallone bulked up his frame. It's no surprise that Rocky IV has one of the most epic training montage scenes in film history. The sole reason we ranked Rambo III higher than Rocky IV is that Stallone is enormous in Rambo III, whereas he is more ultra-cut in the Moscow boxing ring. Disputes over minor details? Yes, but we needed to draw a line someplace.
#14 Chris Evans in Captain America and Avengers series
Source: Bobby Bank/WireImage / Getty Images
Chris Evans had to completely change his lifestyle to become Captain America. Evans, who was previously known for his humorous parts, discarded that reputation to play the all-American hero.
Marvel sent a trainer from London to work with Evans, who described the two-hour exercises as "tough." Evans stated that he went to the gym four to five days per week for three months, focusing on two muscle groups per session. Evans stated that the most difficult part was eating properly because much of the food he had to eat consisted of "bland chunks of chicken, rice, and pork." Evans' portrayal of Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fan favorite, and Cap appears to get more swole with each film.
#15 Chris Hemsworth in Thor series and The Avengers series
Source: Simon James/FilmMagic, Steve Pohlner/Newspix/Getty Images
Chris Hemsworth became a worldwide celebrity overnight for his role as the Norse god Thor in Marvel's new series of superhero flicks, primarily because he looked the part so well. Hemsworth spent weeks working with former Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver on an old-school bodybuilding approach. Gaver instructed Hemsworth to concentrate on his arms and shoulders, and by the end of the training, Hemsworth had grown more than 20 pounds of muscle.
#16 Hugh Jackman in the X-Men and Wolverine series
Source: L: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images, R: Hugh Jackman / @thehughjackman
Hugh Jackman rose to international fame as Wolverine in the X-Men films, and he brought the strength to back it up. Over the course of his decade-plus as the cigar-chomping hero, Jackman worked with trainer David Kingsbury several times, building slabs of muscle and enormous definition all over his physique. Over the years, Kingsbury described Jackman's training regimens for Muscle & Fitness and Men's Fitness; in one of his plans, Jackman used a progressive overload strategy to gain strength on basic lifts like the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Jackman gained muscle mass throughout the years, culminating in his final appearance as Wolverine in Logan in 2017.
#17 Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises
Source: Corkery, Richard/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Tom Hardy is no stranger to bulking up and altering his body for film roles such as Warrior, Bronson, and Mad Max: Fury Road, but his transition into Bane for The Dark Knight Rises was his most impressive—and muscular—transformation yet. Although he later stated that he was "suffering the price" for his Bane makeover, his body was ideal for Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy finale. Hardy developed 30 pounds of muscle for the part by performing physically demanding short workouts four times per day, focusing on strength training and bodyweight exercises.
#18 Mark Wahlberg in Pain & Gain
Source: Uri Schanker/Getty Images 8 / 25 8. Mark Wahlberg in Pain & Gain
Mark Wahlberg has bulked up for several roles, including The Fighter, the Transformers series, and Deepwater Horizon, but his efforts on Pain & Gain exceeded even his own expectations. To prepare for his role, Wahlberg bulked up to 212 pounds by lifting heavy five days a week and consuming up to ten meals each day.
#19 Joe Manganiello in ‘True Blood’
Source: Dustin Snipes
Joe Manganiello has established himself as one of Hollywood's fittest and most shredded males, but his first big break came on HBO's True Blood, when he bulked up to play the werewolf Alcide Herveaux. Manganiello used this two-day regimen to get "werewolf shredded" for True Blood, all while adhering to a stringent nutrition plan that comprised at least five meals per day, if not more. Manganiello also used this upper-body muscle-building regimen to bulk up his chest, shoulders, and triceps. On the episode, Manganiello said he led his other castmates in muscle-building routines. Joe flexed his biceps once more as the fearsome villain Deathstroke, following an excellent end-of-credits performance in Justice League.
#20 Christian Bale in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight series
Source: Jared Wickerham, Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Christian Bale's change for 2005's Batman Begins may be the most spectacular among the many Hollywood transformations over the years. Bale did the film The Machinist shortly before playing the Caped Crusader, which required him to lose 60 pounds to play an insomniac character. Bale returned to the gym after losing weight by eating tuna and apples, adding 100 pounds to his frame with weight workouts, resistance training, and circuit training. Indeed, director Christopher Nolan felt Bale had grown too muscular for the role and requested him to reduce 20 pounds again. Bale then bulked up for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
#21 Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV
Source: United Artists/Getty Images
Dolph Lundgren, like his co-star Sylvester Stallone, has bulked up for a number of roles over the years, including The Expendables trilogy, Universal Soldier, and the first Aquaman solo feature. But for Rocky IV, Lundgren got into the best form of his life to play physically imposing boxer Ivan Drago, who packs a 1,800 psi punch. Lundgren previously told Muscle & Fitness that he trained for the film for five months, completing intensive boxing and weightlifting routines and gaining more than 20 pounds of muscle.
#22 Sylvester Stallone in Rambo III
Source: Michael Ochs Archives, TriStar/Getty Images
Many of Sylvester Stallone's Hollywood bulk-ups may be included on this list, but his work for Rambo III stands out. In this gung-ho, patriotic adventure that leads Rambo to Afghanistan, Stallone is at his physical peak. According to a 1988 TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, Stallone worked out up to six days a week for three to four hours every day to get into shape. He'd then do three days on, one day off to maintain his physique, training for roughly an hour each session.Another explanation for Stallone's physique in this film? You can blame it on his professional rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
#23 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in ‘Hercules’
Source: L: Don Arnold/WireImage, R: Per Bernal
Given how strong Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is, it takes a lot for the former WWE superstar to bulk up for any job. But Johnson pushed things to the next level when he played Hercules. Johnson increased his size and muscle mass through a rigorous workout and eating regimen. Johnson followed a 22-week diet plan that contained 4,940 calories per day, 99g of fat, 469g of carbohydrates, and 547g of protein. Johnson was also a gym beast, employing this shoulders routine for five months to bulk up his upper body and this muscle-building arms workout on his biceps and triceps.
#24 Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator
Source: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can't get any bulkier than "past bodybuilding world champion" and "seven-time Mr. Olympia winner." Schwarzenegger's work on Predator, on the other hand, went above and above. Before filming, Schwarzenegger worked out like a beast and continued to give his role, Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, even more muscle definition. On the 30th anniversary of Predator, actor Bill Duke told The Hollywood Reporter that Schwarzenegger imported a gym to Mexico for the shoot so that he could work out whenever he wanted.
#25 Gerard Butler in 300
Source: Dave M. Benett/Getty Image
Gerard Butler appeared to be capable of leading the Spartan army towards the end of his training for 300. Butler needed a comic-book physique to play King Leonidas, a Spartan warrior who slaughters thousands of unfortunate Persians while wearing nothing but a Speedo and a cape. Mark Twight is the trainer. Butler's change for 300 was the most impressive of his career, but he also bulked up for roles in the Olympus Has Fallen series and 2018's Den of Thieves. Here are his five most badass Instagram moments.