Alicia Vikander knew the work that was going to go into becoming the new Lara Croft for the Tomb Raider franchise. Seven months before the cameras were turned on she sat down with director Roar Uthaug to discuss the transformation required to become the iconic adventuring heroine. “I wanted her to be a very strong physical girl,” said Vikander during an event for the upcoming Warner Bros. reboot. “This was the first time I really weight trained. I think a lot of girls are intimidated by it, but I felt empowered lifting like that.” Guiding her through the process was trainer Magnus Lygdback, who has gotten guys like Ben Affleck and Alexander Skarsgard jacked for their film roles.
How Alexander Skarsgard Got ‘Tarzan’ Fit
Read article
“Alicia had an incredible work ethic, which comes from her past as a ballerina,” says Lygdback. “She was already strong going into this process, but she wasn’t ‘Lara Croft’ strong.” There were four training phases in the Magnus Method program that Lygdback created for Vikander, starting by bulking up with real muscle mass and then transitioning slowly into a cutting cycle. Simultaneously they ran a three-cycle core program that Lygdback used to get Skarsgard that eight-pack for Tarzan. On top of strength training, Vikander spent hours diligently building the skills possessed by Croft in the Tomb Raider video game, like mixed martial arts and rock climbing. “No matter where we were in the world we found cliffs and rock walls for Alicia to hang off of,” Lygdback says. “We hadn’t seen the script yet, we didn’t have particular scenes to rehearse, but we were able to anticipate the kind of action that she would be doing because of the character.” Preparing for those death-defying sequences meant extra time spent building up Vikander’s fast twitch muscles and hand strength, so that she would be able to sprint and grab onto edges. Over the course of their work together, Vikander added 12 pounds of lean, dense muscle. “There aren’t many people out there who would have been able to keep up with her in the gym,” Lygdback says.
Inside Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider Training Day One: Legs Deadlifts: 4 sets, 12 reps Front Squats 4 sets, 12 reps Leg Press: 5 sets, 12 reps Lunge (with weights): 3 sets, 20 reps Skate Jumps: 4 sets, 30 reps Day Two: Chest and Shoulders Chest Press: 4 sets, 12 reps Push-Ups (on dumbbells): 4 sets, max reps Push-Ups (on bench): 3 sets, max reps Machine Flys: 4 sets, 15 reps Day Three: Back and Shoulders Machine Pulldowns: 4 sets, 12 reps or Pull-Ups: 5 sets, max reps Standing Row (with Olympic bar): 4 sets, 12 reps Straight-Arm Pulldowns: 4 sets, 12 reps Windmill (with dumbbell rotation): 4 sets, 20 reps Lateral Raises: 5 sets, 15 reps Day Four: Biceps and Triceps Alternating Biceps Curls: 4 sets, 16 reps Tricep French Press: 4 sets, 12 reps Biceps Curl (with bar): 4 sets, 12 reps Superset Bicep Curls: 4 sets, 12 reps (into) Tricep Pushdown: 4 sets, 12 reps
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Nutrition Three meals a day and two snacks a day, with lunch and dinner including 40g of protein, 40g of good carbs, and 30g of healthy fat. Snacks were all protein-based including, for example, chicken skewers, sashimi, or grilled octopus. Tomb Raider hits theaters this weekend.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
Alicia Vikander knew the work that was going to go into becoming the new Lara Croft for the Tomb Raider franchise. Seven months before the cameras were turned on she sat down with director Roar Uthaug to discuss the transformation required to become the iconic adventuring heroine.
“I wanted her to be a very strong physical girl,” said Vikander during an event for the upcoming Warner Bros. reboot. “This was the first time I really weight trained. I think a lot of girls are intimidated by it, but I felt empowered lifting like that.” Guiding her through the process was trainer Magnus Lygdback, who has gotten guys like Ben Affleck and Alexander Skarsgard jacked for their film roles.
How Alexander Skarsgard Got ‘Tarzan’ Fit
Read article
“Alicia had an incredible work ethic, which comes from her past as a ballerina,” says Lygdback. “She was already strong going into this process, but she wasn’t ‘Lara Croft’ strong.” There were four training phases in the Magnus Method program that Lygdback created for Vikander, starting by bulking up with real muscle mass and then transitioning slowly into a cutting cycle. Simultaneously they ran a three-cycle core program that Lygdback used to get Skarsgard that eight-pack for Tarzan.
How Alexander Skarsgard Got ‘Tarzan’ Fit
Read article
How Alexander Skarsgard Got ‘Tarzan’ Fit
On top of strength training, Vikander spent hours diligently building the skills possessed by Croft in the Tomb Raider video game, like mixed martial arts and rock climbing. “No matter where we were in the world we found cliffs and rock walls for Alicia to hang off of,” Lygdback says. “We hadn’t seen the script yet, we didn’t have particular scenes to rehearse, but we were able to anticipate the kind of action that she would be doing because of the character.”
Preparing for those death-defying sequences meant extra time spent building up Vikander’s fast twitch muscles and hand strength, so that she would be able to sprint and grab onto edges. Over the course of their work together, Vikander added 12 pounds of lean, dense muscle. “There aren’t many people out there who would have been able to keep up with her in the gym,” Lygdback says.
Inside Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider Training
Day One: Legs
Deadlifts: 4 sets, 12 reps Front Squats 4 sets, 12 reps Leg Press: 5 sets, 12 reps Lunge (with weights): 3 sets, 20 reps Skate Jumps: 4 sets, 30 reps
Day Two: Chest and Shoulders
Chest Press: 4 sets, 12 reps Push-Ups (on dumbbells): 4 sets, max reps Push-Ups (on bench): 3 sets, max reps Machine Flys: 4 sets, 15 reps
Day Three: Back and Shoulders
Machine Pulldowns: 4 sets, 12 reps or Pull-Ups: 5 sets, max reps Standing Row (with Olympic bar): 4 sets, 12 reps Straight-Arm Pulldowns: 4 sets, 12 reps Windmill (with dumbbell rotation): 4 sets, 20 reps Lateral Raises: 5 sets, 15 reps
Day Four: Biceps and Triceps
Alternating Biceps Curls: 4 sets, 16 reps Tricep French Press: 4 sets, 12 reps Biceps Curl (with bar): 4 sets, 12 reps Superset Bicep Curls: 4 sets, 12 reps (into) Tricep Pushdown: 4 sets, 12 reps
Nutrition Three meals a day and two snacks a day, with lunch and dinner including 40g of protein, 40g of good carbs, and 30g of healthy fat. Snacks were all protein-based including, for example, chicken skewers, sashimi, or grilled octopus.
Tomb Raider hits theaters this weekend.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
