This is how she got her amazing arms.
Natalie Portman trained for 10 months and adhered to a strict high-protein meal plan to shape “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
“Natalie did five sessions a week and didn’t miss a single session during the entire time we trained,” Portman’s trainer Naomi Pendergast told Us Weekly in an interview published Thursday.
The fitness trainer explained that 41-year-old Portman’s main goal was to grow in her arms and get really shredded in the abdominal area.
“The original goal was to build arm and abdomen definition,” Pendergast told the website. “We also worked on stability and agility to avoid injury as Natalie had some dynamic stunt scenes where she had to move, turn and land in different positions.
“I was also very happy that she made it through the challenging stunt process without injury.”
Her workouts included boxing, jumping around, core work, and weightlifting.
And because she was exercising so rigorously, Portman, who is vegan, had to adjust her diet so she could get enough protein intake to gain muscle rather than lose weight.
Pendergast said that while filming, Portman would eat a vegan breakfast of oats and berries and a protein shake, and that her on-set snacks would consist of fruits, nuts and salads. For lunch, Portman had a vegan falafel dish with another protein shake, and for dinner she ate vegan curry and a third protein shake.
“This amount of food was obviously much more than Natalie normally eats, but it was essential for her to hold on to this during filming to preserve the muscle she had developed,” Pendergast said.
The director of RPX Fitness explained that while she provided the guidance, Portman’s dedication helped her achieve her fitness goals for the Marvel film.
“I provided the exercises and guidance, but she did the rest,” Pendergast said. “She is focused, determined and humble. Natalie showed up at every session scheduled for the 10 months and gave 100 percent even on the days when she was tired.
Discussing her new muscular figure, the ‘Black Swan’ actress told Variety that she saw herself in a new light.
“On ‘Black Swan,’ I was asked to get as small as possible,” Portman recently told Variety. “Here I was asked to get as big as possible. That is a great challenge – and also a state of mind as a woman.”
She added: “To have this reaction and to be seen as big, you realize, ‘Oh, this must be so different, to walk through the world like this. When you’re little – and also, I think, because I started as a child – I often feel young or small or kind of pat on the head and that’s why I present myself that way.”
Portman’s co-star Chris Hemsworth also had to go the extra mile to prepare for his role as Thor.
As Vidak For Congress exclusively revealed, Hemsworth, 38, had to eat eight meals a day to look like the God of Thunder.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” hits theaters on Friday, July 8.