Alexander Skarsgård has an unbelievably ripped body in the 2022 epic historical action thriller, The Northman. To put it simply, the 46-year-old Swedish actor gained 20 pounds of muscle for his starring role in the Robert Eggers movie. The actor, who is 6’4″, garnered massive attention for his trim physique earlier when he starred in The Legend of Tarzan (2016).
How did he accomplish it then, and how did he achieve it again in the 2022 film? Well, regarding how Skarsgård can get even more ripped than he already is, the answer could be calories.
Doesn’t that remind us of Henry Cavill’s ‘Superman diet’ in Man of Steel? He undoubtedly has the most adaptable superhero physique, as well. In fact, he claimed to consume up to 5000 calories per day while training for the role of Superman!
We just want to say, if you do not meet their standards, do not feel you have to eat as much or as often as these famous actors do.
Alexander Skarsgård’s Secret Viking Abs In The Northman
Actors have long been known to push their physical limits in order to transform into their characters for film roles. These committed actors often go above and beyond to accurately portray their on-screen counterparts, engaging in rigorous workouts and following strict diets.
Alexander Skarsgård, the charismatic Swedish actor, who dominated the box office with his unforgettable performance as Tarzan, also joined this revolutionary trend. He has raised the bar even higher by reportedly consuming an astounding 3700 calories daily to prepare for his part (Amleth) in the 2022 film, The Northman.
Magnus Lygdback, a well-known personal trainer, assisted Skarsgård in gaining 20 pounds of muscle and changing into the imposing Viking warrior prince, Amleth.
According to Lygdback, who collaborated with the 46-year-old actor for the first time on the 2016 action movie, The Legend of Tarzan:
“This character, his spiritual animals were a bear and wolf. So that is exactly what we were trying to embody in terms of Alex’s build and movements. The wolf is really agile, and then you have the size of the bear in this Viking. You can just get one look at him and get scared. That was [the elevator pitch] for what we were trying to achieve [with Alex’s transformation].”
Additionally, Lygdback planned Skarsgård’s diet, which included consuming about 3,700 calories per day. The actor ate more calories than he burned each day to achieve maximum body mass. The actor actually had to eat five meals every two to three hours.
As Lygdback put it:
“This will keep your energy up and your metabolism burning.”
Read More: The Northman: Alexander Skarsgard Reveals His Monstrous Diet And Regime For The Role
Alexander Skarsgård’s Strict Diet For Achieving Ripped Abs
Anyone who has seen The Northman could understandably assume that Alexander Skarsgård spent a lot of time exercising in a gym. However, Magnus Lygdback’s training sessions only lasted an hour. As the latter told Variety:
“You see it in interviews all the time where an actor says, ‘I trained for multiple hours a day.’ That’s not necessarily true. They might have been moving around for four hours a day, let’s say, but the actual gym session? I never train my clients for more than an hour because what doesn’t happen in the first hour will not happen in the second hour at the gym. All you do after the first hour is just start to break down your body. So one hour a day, six days a week. While filming, five days a week.”
Fish was a popular protein choice for Skarsgård. According to Magnus Lygdback, the Melancholia actor often had four eggs for breakfast and then a protein-rich snack as his first meal of the day.
“Could be anything from smoked fish salad, to some chicken or beef skewers.”
Skarsgård liked salmon with asparagus for lunch. After that, he would have another snack and then eat one of the similar healthy dinners.
Well, his commitment to faithfully capturing the essence of his Viking character exemplifies not only his extraordinary talent but also his unwavering dedication to providing audiences with a memorable cinematic experience.
Check out his hard-earned abs in The Northman, streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source- Variety
