Natalie Portman’s personal trainer, Naomi Pendergast, has revealed how she achieved her superhero physique – including her defined arms – for the role.
The actor, who plays The Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, has been the subject of admiration among fans for her muscly appearance – particularly her buff arms.
Pendergast said that Portman’s transformation was the result of a strict gym regime that saw her training five days a week for 10 months. Her sessions lasted between 90 minutes to two hours.
Speaking to US Weekly, Pendergast revealed that the 41-year-old began physical training around four months before filming began.
“Natalie did five sessions a week and did not miss one session for the whole time period we trained,” she said.
Portman told Variety last month that she was asked “to get as big as possible” for the role, adding that it was “an amazing challenge – and also state of mind as a woman”.
Pendergast said that the actor’s early goals were to “build arm and abdominal definition”.
“We also worked on stability and agility for injury prevention as Natalie had some dynamic stunt scenes that required her to move, twist and land in various positions.
“I was also really pleased she got through the challenging stunt process without any injuries.”
Portman packed extra protein into her vegan diet to build and maintain her muscles, Pendergast added.
The actor’s typical diet while filming would consist of oats and berries for breakfast, vegan falafels for lunch, and vegan curry for dinner. Each meal was accompanied by a protein shake and Portman would also snack on fruits, nuts and salads throughout the day.
“This amount of food was obviously way more than Natalie normally eats, but it was essential for her to maintain this throughout filming to keep the muscle she had developed,” Pendergast said.
She described Portman as “focused, determined and humble” throughout the training regime, adding that she “gave 100 per cent, even on the days she was tired”.
Read The Independent’s review of Thor: Love and Thunder here, as well as Jessie Thompson’s deep dive into the erratic politics of women in the spotlight with very buff arms.
