Brie Larson, an acclaimed American actress, is known for her dedication to her roles. To prepare for her role as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019), she embarked on a weight loss and fitness journey, striving to embody the ideal superhero both in appearance and performance. Her motivation extended beyond aesthetics, aiming to become stronger and healthier. This article explores Brie Larson’s weight loss diet and workout routine, detailing the strategies she employed to achieve her transformation.
Who Is Brie Larson?
Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, known as Brie Larson, was born on October 1, 1989, in California. Recognized as one of the 2019’s 100 most influential people in the world, she has received several awards, including a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a British Academy Film Award. Larson decided to become an actress at age six. Her first major role was in the 2001 sitcom Raising Dad, where she played Emily, the younger daughter of Bob Saget's character. She has also starred in films such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street, Short Term 12, Captain Marvel, Room, and Avengers: Endgame. Larson is also an advocate for gender equality and speaks out on various social and political issues.
Brie Larson's Weight Loss Journey
Brie Larson's weight loss journey is a testament to dedication and perseverance. She has mentioned carrying herself like a solid and lean athlete. While preparing for Captain Marvel in 2019, she toned her body and lost weight. In an interview, the Oscar-winning actress confessed that she once struggled to walk up a hill without losing her breath. However, she later completed four 400 lbs hip thrusts, deadlifts of 200 pounds, and pushed her trainer's Jeep for her role as Carol Danvers.
According to research, barbell hip thrust exercises present maximum activation of the hip extensor muscles. Before joining the Marvel Universe, she wasn't much connected to the gym. The actress began her weight loss and fitness journey believing that she would become stronger, exceeding her initial expectations. While preparing for the film, she jokingly referred to herself as “an introvert with asthma” on the first day of training, driven by panic. Her weight loss journey was transformative, positively impacting her life.
Earlier, she had to gain 15 pounds of muscles for the portrayal of Joy "Ma" Newsome in the survival movie, Room.
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Brie Larson's Diet Plan
Brie Larson credits her weight loss to celebrity trainer Jason Walsh. She has become passionate about her fitness regime, documenting her progress on social media. The Marvel star continues to pursue new fitness goals while preparing for the sequel, The Marvels. In an interview, Larson mentioned developing her personal strength, boosting her metabolism, and mastering her powers. She has become more limber, and her body is better prepared for stunts and movements like wirework.
Balanced Diet and Bridge Meals
Regarding her balanced diet, Brie Larson incorporates bridge meals, which are snacks between meals consisting of vegetables or nuts. Eating snacks between meals can suppress overconsumption at the subsequent meal and promote satiety. According to her nutritionist, Dr. Philip Goglia, the purpose of bridge meals is to prevent overeating at lunch. The feeling of fullness that persists after eating is crucial for suppressing overconsumption, which can lead to overweight and obesity. In this case, dinner becomes an appetite environment that will not allow you to crave carbs because you have already consumed them. You tend to feel full without lowering blood sugar levels.
Meal Composition
While training for Room, Larson was asked to gain 70 kgs. She would start her day with a protein shake consisting of protein powder, almond butter, fruit, water, and ice. Research indicates that the popularity of protein supplements is mostly influenced by the claims of increased muscle mass, fat loss, and improvement in overall performance. Almonds have complex food matrices containing diverse nutrients, whereas fruits have a higher concentration of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Treats and Rewards
Larson’s Captain Marvel training involved a strict diet balanced with treats. She would occasionally have a doughnut or cookie as a reward for her hard work. A balanced diet consists of three food groups: energy-giving foods, body-building foods, and protective foods. Brie's nutritionist shared that Larson liked cooking her meals and eating fruits as dessert, such as a small cup of berries or a fruit snack after dinner. This helps spike insulin levels, promoting deep sleep in a hypoglycemic state. Eating fruits promotes muscle strength and can be used in weight management programs.
Typical Meals
Brie likes to keep her breakfast fairly simple. For lunch, she focuses on eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. While filming Room, Brie ate a lot of fresh vegetables and lean proteins, with her go-to lunch being a salad. During Captain Marvel, Brie ate whatever her body craved, including sandwiches or salads packed with fresh vegetables and lean proteins like grilled salmon or chicken. Dinner is when Brie indulges, especially during intense training. Her favorite recovery meal is pasta, but she is careful to only indulge in carb-heavy meals when she’s getting regular intense workouts in.
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Snacking Habits
The secret to Brie’s success is in her snacks. When she was filming Room, she cut out almost all carbs to drop weight and get into fighting shape quickly, focusing on moderation. After an intense workout session, she’d reward herself with a cookie or a donut. Some nights, she'd celebrate a successful shoot with pizza.
Brie Larson's Workout Routine
Brie balances her diet with workouts, including reformer Pilates, pushing heavy sleds outdoors, and pole dancing. She used to dance for six hours a day with her instructor, Charlie Arches. Pilates helps increase muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility and improves posture and balance. To get in shape for her Marvel superhero role, Brie did a lot of strength training and worked out five days a week for nine months.
Larson’s peak training sessions typically included squats, hinges, deadlifts, overhead barbell presses, crawling, and dumbbell front raises, followed by dumbbell shrugs. She showcased her upper body strength on social media, performing multiple single-arm pull-ups and squats with a heavy barbell. Physical activities provide positive health benefits, including physiological and psychological health, cardiovascular fitness, and musculoskeletal strength. Squatting improves the ability to counteract medial or lateral displacement of the knee and strengthens the muscles in the lower limb.
Dance
Brie Larson has embarked on a new adventure: dance. She told her Instagram followers that "her inner voice was telling me to dance," and began dancing for six hours per day for seven months, culminating in a performance for friends and family. Now, the actress is still dancing, but for fewer hours each day. She is now learning specific choreography and wants to work on "going lower and going backwards." Brie loves that the rehearsal provides a time for her to be phone-free for a few hours each day, allowing her to focus on understanding and using her body.
Low-Impact Workouts
When Brie isn't dancing or training for a role, she'll turn to some light cardio, stretching, or Pilates as her go-to workouts. She enjoys hot yoga, Pilates, and long walks.
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Strength Training
Much of her cardio while filming came not from running on the treadmill, but from fight choreography training. Leading up to filming, she went through fight training twice a day, four days a week. Hands down, the biggest component of Brie Larson’s workout leading up to Captain Marvel was her strength training. This helped her pack on the muscle quickly. After building her strength and getting her muscle tone where they wanted it for the film, Brie was able to focus on maintenance rather than building more bulk. Instead of training with weights all the time, she shifted to bodyweight exercises and incorporated exercise bands, BOSU balls, and medicine balls into her routine more frequently.
Plyometrics and Weightlifting
Brie Larson's coaching has also led her to plyometrics, a.k.a. jump training. To help shed pounds and shore up muscle, she's been catching some serious air, doing box jumps over her hip height - or about 3 feet. Brie Larson's been using deadlifts to get a strong and trim body since her role in Room - you know, the movie where she played an undernourished prisoner. While preparing for that role, Larson put on 15 pounds of muscle, combining early-morning deadlift sets with a no-B.S. diet to carve a sinewy physique.
Celebrity Trainer Jason Walsh's Program
Larson worked with LA-based trainer Jason Walsh to get in superhero shape. Brie worked out 5 days a week with Walsh for pretty much the whole nine months. Walsh walked through one of their typical training sessions, which calls for a progressive overload to help break through plateaus.
The Warmup:
- Full Body Foam Roll: 1 to 3 minutes in each position
- World's Greatest Stretch: 5 to 6 reps per side
Activation Exercises:
- Half-Kneeling Band Rows: 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Hip Thrusts: 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Bench Y-T-W Raise: 1 set of 10 to 15 reps for each motion
- Medicine Ball Slam: 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps
Primary Exercises:
- Landmine Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Single-Leg Landmine Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg
- Eccentric Bench Pushup: 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Isometric Pushup: 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 4 10 second holds at each position
- Weighted Pushup: 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Dumbbell Total Body Complex: 6 reps of each movement (Upright Row, Snatch, Push Press, Bent-Over Row Snatch)
Chinup Series:
- Isometric Chinup Hold: 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 4 10 second holds
- 90-Degree Chinup Hold: 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 4 10 second holds
- 3-Step Isometric Chinup: 2 sets of 2 to 3 reps
- Assisted Eccentric Chinup: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Assisted Chinup: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
- Full Chinup: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Brie Larson's Holistic Approach to Health
Brie Larson's journey demonstrates a balanced, holistic, and healthy lifestyle. Her approach to health and fitness encompasses mental and physical well-being.
Mindset and Mental Strength
Larson’s weight loss journey was the result of her dedication and determination. She focused on consuming healthy between-meal snacks, balanced meals, and physical activities involving Pilates and strength training to become healthier and fitter. The way she prepares for movie roles is commendable, and she is an inspiration for those who wish to seek better mental health and physical well-being.
Skincare and Beauty Rituals
Larson prioritizes skincare and beauty, viewing them as tools for conveying a character separate from herself. She uses skincare rituals to shift her mental state and get under the skin of the person she’s playing. She takes care of her skin in both the morning and the night, using natural skincare products like coconut or olive oil.
Scuba Diving
Larson likes to scuba dive to stay in shape, viewing it as a way to get in and out of characters. It requires a plan and a deep understanding of the environment.
Basic Wellness Practices
Aside from her workouts and diet, Brie makes her health a priority every day. She also drinks lots of water, takes Thorne supplements, and avoids drinking "too much" alcohol. To unwind, Brie journals, partakes in cold plunges and saunas, takes her dogs for a walk, reads, and plays video games.