Shameless appreciation of bare Viking chest in 3, 2, 1….
If you happen to’re one of many many blessed who’s had an opportunity to see Robert Eggers’ newest movie, The Northman, you then’re most likely VERY conscious that Alexander Skarsgård received completely JACKED to play the function of vengeful Viking Prince Amleth.
Aidan Monaghan / © Focus Options / courtesy Everett Assortment
In an effort to get into scorching, revenging Viking form, Skarsgård teamed up with private coach/nutritionist Magnus Lygdback. (Enjoyable truth: they labored collectively on Tarzan as properly!)
BuzzFeed lately received an opportunity to talk with Lygdback about coaching Alexander Skarsgård for the function of Amleth, and here is what we discovered…
“Bodily, we wished Alex to be thicker this time round, with extra physique fats than Tarzan, and larger shoulders,” Lygdback defined. “Since Amleth is a wolf-bear hybrid in a Viking legend, we wished Alexander to have the ability to transfer easily whereas combating with swords and axes however on the similar time possess an imposing measurement and thickness.”
To get that “imposing” look, Skarsgård educated with Lygdback for six months main as much as filming.
In actual fact, they have been truly locked down collectively for COVID-related protocols. “Alex and I have been remoted in our home. We needed to construct a gymnasium in his storage, we could not exit, on the town, and even to a gymnasium. So, we have been between the home and set,” stated Lygdback.
And here is a breakdown of the “phases” Skarsgård went by to turn out to be a viking, in line with Lygdback:
PHASE ONE: “Construct up” or “bulk up”
“The very first thing that occurs while you begin, is you do a bodily screening. It is advisable to have a powerful basis. So, it is working with a whole lot of heavyweights and consuming a calorie surplus to placed on most quantities of muscle mass.”
“That is while you’re in a calorie deficit. You eat much less power than what you spend in a day. And also you attempt to keep as a lot muscle mass as doable whereas shedding physique fats.”
For The Northman, as a result of they wished a thicker “wolf meets bear” look, there was truly rather less reducing concerned than there would usually be say, for like a superhero kind of film.
Aidan Monaghan / Focus Options / Courtesy of Everett Assortment
PHASE THREE: “Upkeep”
“That is the upkeep part, which occurs whereas filming. When somebody like Alex appears the half — increased muscle mass, low physique fats — to maintain them there whereas going by 12 hours of exhausting work in a day, that is positively the toughest half.”
Lygdback would truly be on set, serving to out with motion teaching, pumping up in between takes, and, because the nutritionist, additionally monitoring what Skarsgård would eat. “I am the one who’s ensuring that the fitting meals comes out on the proper time and that Alex finishes it.”
And a number of the warmups they could do would come with issues like bear crawls, banded side-steps with toe touches, goblet squats, standing rows with a brilliant band, lateral raises, skaters, rolling knee tucks, and rotating kick throughs.
By the way in which, in case you are curious, as a result of I do know I positively was… ABOUT THOSE MASSIVE SHOULDERS?! Seems a whole lot of that was in efficiency, not a particular exercise.
Focus Options / Courtesy Everett Assortment
“It was manipulation of the physique whereas on set. That is part of what I do as properly, I am standing subsequent to the director, trying on the close-ups, and angles, and serving to out with what I can. An actor may give you 200 feelings, however when you inform them to place their physique bodily in a spot to provide him extra depth between his shoulder blades, ‘give me a wider look,’ it is gonna be exhausting for them, so I may also help out with that.”
“[Alex] is unquestionably hunched over within the film for a particular cause. It is extra animalistic and meaner-looking,” stated Lygdback.
Backside line: Not solely is Alexander an A+++ actor, however he educated like heck for The Northman and we allllll comprehend it paid off. 👀 👀 👀
If you happen to’re curious to study extra or need to expertise The Northman exercise your self, you possibly can truly discover Alexander Skarsgård’s program on Magnus Lygdback’s app!
Courtesy of Focus Options