Is it too soon after Christmas to be talking about getting abs? Not if you want to get Wonder Woman’s unbelievable killer abs and strong body.
Gal Gadot revealed she worked out four hours a day to get ready for Wonder Woman 1984, which simultaneously premiered in theaters and HBO Max on Christmas Day.
Gadot, 35, started getting ready for the sheer physicality of the movie in January 2018 with her trainer Magnus Lygdback.
“Both (director) Patty Jenkins and Gal had a vision of how Wonder Woman should look, and they didn’t change much,” Lygdback said (Gadot had a different trainer for the first Wonder Woman film). “They had the same for this one, but it was more about making sure that Gal was as strong and as healthy as possible.”
Lygdback also worked with James McAvoy on Glass, Alicia Vikander on Lara Croft and Alexander Skarsgaard on The Legend of Tarzan.
Not all of us can afford Lygdback but his app offers the training programs he did with the celebrities. Also, Gadot herself has been sharing her diet and exercise routine on her Instagram account even when she was preparing for the first Wonder Woman movie.
“When I worked out for Wonder Woman it was much more intensive and broad. For six months, we prepped for the movie where I (would) wake up every morning, drink Smartwater (which she endorses), go to the gym, and work out,” she told Good Housekeeping in January 2020. “I did a lot of strength training, cardio, stunt choreography, and flexibility work. For the first time with this movie, I incorporated pilates into my workout routine because I feel like there’s something so holistic about pilates and opening your rib cage and actually focusing on breathing.”
Gadot does most of her stunt work, and what’s more remarkable is that she was pregnant when she did the first movie.
“I love doing planks. Planks are my go-to,” she said early this year. “When I travel and don’t feel like going down to the hotel gym, I just do a workout in my room, and planks are a big part of that.”
Gadot’s trainer Magnus Lygdback shared with The Hollywood Reporter a sample five-day workout to get closer to a Wonder Woman body.
Day 1: HIIT, Legs, Core
Warmup: Treadmill, 5 minutes; HIIT Treadmill Sprints, 3x for 30 seconds, with 30 seconds off
Front squat, 12 reps 3x
Walking lunge, 20 reps 3x
Mini band circuit, 3 rounds: Mini band curtsy step, 20 reps; mini band lateral walk, 15 reps each side
Skaters, 20 reps 3x
Windmill, 20 reps, 10 on each side
Day 2: Chest, Back, Core
Warmup: Assault bike (or rowing machine), 5 minutes
Wide-grip pull down, 12 reps 3x
Push-ups to max out, finish last couple reps on knees, 3x
Alt standing dumbbell rows, 20 reps 3x
Superset, 3 rounds: Reverse fly on incline bench, 12 reps; dumbbell flys on flat bench, 12 reps
Core superset, 3 rounds: Crossover mountain climbers, 12 reps, 6 each side; rotational leg kicks, 12 reps, 6 each side
Day 3: HIIT arms, Outside shoulders, Core
Warmup: Assault bike, 5 minutes
HIIT Assault bike, 5x for 20 seconds, with 20 seconds off
Alt biceps curl, 16 reps, 8 each side, 3x
Triceps skull crusher, 12 3x
Superset, 3 rounds: Cable bicep curl, 12 reps; tri push down, 12 reps
Superset, 3 rounds: Double bicep curl flat back, 10 reps; lateral raise, 12 reps
Hollow hold, 45 seconds 3x
Day 4: HIIT lower body, Core
Warmup: Treadmill, 5 minutes; HIIT Deadmill sprints, 3x for 30 seconds
Leg press, 12 reps 3x
Bulgarian split squat, 20 reps, 10 reps on each side, 3x
Swiss ball superset, 3 rounds: Knee tuck, 12 reps; side to side, 12 reps, 6 on each side
Superset, 3 rounds: Hamstring curl, 12 reps; hip thrust, 12 reps
Stability ball pass, 20 reps 3x
Day 5: Upper body, Core
Warmup: Assault bike, 5 minutes
Superset, 3 rounds: Close-grip pulldown, 20 reps; lateral raise, 15 reps
Superset, 3 rounds: Dumbbell rotation, 16 reps, 8 each side; push-ups on bench, 12 reps
Superset, 3 rounds: Straight-arm pulldown, 12 reps; dumbbell straight-shoulder raises, 10 reps
Dragon kicks, 15 reps, 3x
You’d be surprised that Gadot’s diet is pretty normal. She starts the day with protein and eats lots of vegetable during the day. Her trainer said she eats good proteins like lamb, organic grass-fed beef, fish and chicken, and slow complex carbs.
A former model, Gadot was a combat instructor during her two mandatory years of military service in the Israel Defense Forces.
