Have you ever looked at your favourite video game and movie characters and wondered “how do they stay in shape?”
Sure, we get a glimpse of Luke Skywalker doing front flips around a swamp with a minuscule, wrinkly frog on his back, but there must be more to Jedi workouts than a light bog jog and chugging blue milk?
Just how much does the Hulk need to eat daily? Is there more to Lara Croft’s routine than crawling around ancient tombs? How come Mario can jump so high yet look like he devours a full English breakfast each morning? What did Thor need to do after Endgame to get back his god-bod?
Well, here at Ebuyer, our team’s been pondering all these questions and more, so much so that we set out to discover exactly what some of our favourite gaming characters would need to eat and do in order to stay in shape when they’re not saving the world.
Of course, we’re not qualified to do this on our own. That’s why we teamed up with expert PT and owner of the Frontrow gym in Yarm, Mike Harle, to create a week-long diet and workout plan specifically tailored to each character.
So, without further ado, here’s exactly what these five characters would need to do to stay in perfect shape.
1. The Incredible Hulk
I don’t think we need to tell you that the Hulk is enormous, colossal even. But despite being supercharged by Gamma rays, Bruce Banner would still need to eat a literal skip-load of food each day to maintain body mass.
So, how do you give the Hulk bulk? Looking at his size, it naturally inspired us to turn towards the workout and diet of a typical strongman. And by strongman, we don’t just mean someone who lifts weights at the gym. Think the musclebound madmen that pull lorries for fun.
Strongmen need to train their entire body to be capable of performing the feats of physical strength required in their competitions. Not only does this involve a variety of strenuous weight-lifting exercises, but also explosive bursts of cardio training. And then, of course, there’s the food.
The average strongman needs a minimum of 10,000 calories a day to maintain muscle mass. The requirements for the Hulk dwarf this. Literal litres of protein shakes are the order of the day, as well as copious amounts of lean meats and a healthy dose or two of mixed nuts, berries, and fruits.
2. Lara Croft
Dodging the lethal traps of tombs and scaling ancient ziggurats is no simple feat. Lara Croft needs to be strong yet flexible, with plenty of athletic and gymnastic prowess to overcome her foes. That means developing a healthy level of muscle without bulking up.
Lara’s workout is all about Calisthenics, bodyweight training that works large groups of muscles simultaneously without the use of additional weights and exercise machines. This allows her to strengthen all the muscles in her body but leave herself slim enough to easily swing between ledges and squeeze through crevices.
As for diet, Lara is spoilt for choice. With her vast pockets of wealth, she can afford the best food from around the world, meaning she’ll have no trouble eating well while tailoring her diet to perfectly compliment her workout.
3. Luke Skywalker
You might think that Luke has it easy when it comes to diet and exercise, given that he can just use the Force for most things. But as we’ve seen time and again, using the force can be exhausting all on its own. Combine this with the necessary combat training required to wield a lightsaber without lopping off your other arm and/or head, and you’re left with a diet and exercise routine tailored for maintaining maximum stamina while allowing for intense outbursts of energetic combat.
Luke’s daily combat and Jedi training provide a solid foundation for all this, but there’s no harm in adding in further light cardio and weight training to help add that extra muscle. The basis of this additional exercise plan is focused on explosive bursts of cardio and rep training, similar to GVT (German Volume Training), performing high rep counts to steadily build muscle without overworking his body. This kind of training also leaves Luke with plenty of time for the lightsaber drills, flight practice, and meditation required to shatter a Galactic Empire.
For food, Luke has far more options than the root soup cooked up in Yoda’s hut. Plenty of lean meats, protein-rich cuisine, and a wide selection of vegetables and fruits offer him a balanced and delicious meal plan.
4. Mario
With hints of a potbelly and his rather short stature, Mario doesn’t exactly scream the Hollywood image of fitness. He’s not ripped, he’s not chiselled, but he’s stocky and my God can that plumber jump. And as it turns out, you don’t have to look far to find capable athletes of a similar build.
The workout and diet of a rugby prop fit Mario’s mould nicely. Bulky but physically fit, and fully capable of sudden spurts of speed, the use of weights and cardio workouts will help Mario build the muscle his body needs to jump into every pipe.
Of course, Mario will need to cut back on the heavy breakfast foods in favour of something healthier. However, given his proclivity for mushrooms, this means he can eat a huge variety of meal options by substituting meat for a tasty mushroom-based meat alternative.
5. Thor
Last, but by no means least, Thor’s going to have to do quite a bit of work to shift his beer belly and regain his thunder post-Endgame. And in order to attain the body of a literal god, you need to do some pretty intense workout and diet adjustments. So, what better place to turn to for inspiration than the fittest man on Earth, CrossFit champion Matt Fraser.
CrossFit is all about constantly varied, high-intensity weight and cardio movements that work the entirety of the body. Combine this with a diet designed to shed as much fat as possible and Thor will be well on his way to rebuilding his eight-pack in no time.
Of course, there are a few things even the God of Thunder can’t live without. There’s no keeping Thor off the beer, which is why his diet accommodates for a litre of the frothy beverage each and every day.
With these diets and plans at hand, all of our favourite characters are well on their way to hitting peak performance. And you can hit peak performance as well with Ebuyer. Not only can you give some of these exercises and diet plans a try (though maybe not the Hulk’s), but you can take your gaming PC experience to the next level by overhauling your gaming setup.
From brand new graphics cards to 4K monitors, we have all the peripherals and PC components you need for the ultimate gaming experience. For even more tech and gaming insights, why not check out our socials or head over to the Ebuyer blog!
