When I was in Australia last year one of my treasured memories has to be meeting Hugh Jackman, although I was quite surprised when I did.
I was not quite expecting to see him with claws but he didn’t have the muscular build I had seen on Wolverine.
Its hard to forget they are real people when you are used to seeing them on the big screen.
He was working out in the gym that my brother works in and he explained that indeed he was having to lose all his muscles for his next project, his character in Les Miserables.
Now its times for Chris Hemsworth to subject his body to such changes too as he needed to rid of the muscles he built up for his character Thor, in preparation for his role as racer James Hunt in Rush, Studio Canal’s Formula 1 thriller.
We do not realize the amount of work these actors have to go through and how much drastic changes they put on their bodies .
But all that hard work is about to pay off as Rush is going to be a huge hit.
Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, this film portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed-handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.
Playing a formula 1 racing driver means Chris Hemsworth had to follow an extreme fitness regime.
Some fascinating facts about the fitness regime he had to undergo in preparation for making the film:
- Fitness is a fundamental part of competing. No other race series on earth requires so much stamina and endurance – the cockpit can reach temperatures of up to 32 degrees and they can lose up to 3 litres of body fluid in sweat.
- Weight is a huge issue – the car and driver (without fuel) must be no less than 642kg. This makes it easier for smaller drivers.
- Physical endurance is maintained through intense cardio training (mainly swimming or running).
- Conventional gym equipment cannot replicate the use of neck and chest muscles in a race. Drivers use uniquely designed ‘rigs’ to build the muscles needed for combatting corners.
Chris Hemsworth had to shed his Thor body weight quickly, shedding 14kg of muscle. He ate very little protein and carbohydrates, and concentrated on compound exercises and cardio. (Now he’s dropping even more weight for new Ron Howard film Heart of the Sea.)
To celebrate the release on Sky Store of Formula 1 film ‘Rush’, featuring Chris Hemsworth, Sky Store are offering an all-expenses-paid trip to the Silverstone Grand Prix, and are throwing in exclusive pit lane access!
What are you waiting for? Enter Right Now at https://www.skystore.com/rush
