The new Wonder Woman movie has taken the world by storm. It is the highest-grossing film ever by a female director and has earned rave reviews. That’s due in large part to the film’s star, Gal Gadot.
To take on this iconic role, Gadot had to really work her body into shape. In fact, she was in such good shape that she was able to come back and re-shoot some scenes while she was five months pregnant! Here’s how she transformed her body from model to superhero.
1) She worked out for six hours a day.
If you want the body of a superhero, you have to put in the work. For Gadot, that meant working out six hours a day for six months.
This extreme workout routine helped her gain the 14 pounds of muscle needed to fill out the costume. Her routine consisted of two hours at the gym, two hours of fight cardio, and two hours of horseback riding.
2) She also exercised on her own time.
Even when she was outside of the gym, she tried to stay active in her free time. She specifically likes to paddle board and do TRX.
TRX is a suspension workout that can be done just about anywhere. Gadot says she loves it because it offers her a complete body workout in the convenience of her own home. It’s clear that it works, because she looks fantastic!
3) She ate well and drank lots of water.
Unsurprisingly, she had to stick to a strict diet while preparing for this movie. She was very careful about the food she put into her body. Because food gave her the fuel she needed to get through these long workouts, she tried to eat mostly nutritious, energy-rich foods.
Proper hydration is vital for building muscle, so she also made sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
4) She didn’t restrict herself when it came to food.
This might sound strange, but even though she was strictly dieting, she didn’t deprive herself of anything. She just made sure to work on portion control and moderation when it came to things that weren’t necessarily nutritious.
She also practiced a form of “mindful eating” when preparing for this role. This type of eating encourages people to focus on the food they’re eating instead of eating while doing other tasks. It can help cut down on mindless snacking and help us appreciate the food we put in our bodies.
5) She was in the Israeli military.
She couldn’t have known it at the time, but her training in the Israeli military would come in handy years later while preparing for the role of Wonder Woman. She has actually said that the training for the film was more intensive than her military training!
Gadot, who is Jewish, served two years in Israeli military as part of her Israeli citizenship. All Jewish people in Israel must serve in the military (three years for men, two years for women). Her military training clearly comes through in this film.