Lauren Ridloff Reveals How To Eat And Workout Like A Marvel Superhero

Deaf Actress Lauren Ridloff had a lot of training to do to become superhero Makkari in the latest Marvel action film “Eternals.” Although she previously advocated for Deaf education, she fell in love with acting and got her start on screen in “The Walking Dead” after appearing in a 2018 Broadway revival of “Children of A Lesser God.”

Since one of Makkari’s superhuman abilities is super speed, Ridloff had to perfect her running form. Although she’s been running track since high school, Ridloff revealed that she runs three to four days a week for her mental health.

“It’s my meditation,” she shared. “It’s my way to relax and to really contemplate and think. I can’t fully wake up until I get in a run.”

Her trainer David Higgins added strength training to Ridloff’s training regimen to help her build muscle, especially in her legs. This meant that Ridloff spent her days doing “a lot” of squats and weighted step-ups.

Doing Pilates also helped build up her core strength. Although she may look like she is running fast during her high-speed chases, Ridloff revealed that the scenes were shot using wire work. This meant that she was filmed running in place and leaning forward.

“That meant a lot of core engagement,” Ridloff explained. “David got me ready for that.”

Looking at life post-Marvel, Ridloff plans to continue to build on the fundamentals she was taught, just with a lesser intensity.

“I've shifted more to weight training [in addition to running], and now I feel like my workout routine is so much more focused,” she explained. “Thanks to Pilates I've become so much more aware of my core, my muscles, my back engagement—everything really. And I've infused that with some yoga into my routine.”

Although Ridloff grew up in a family of vegetarians, she continued to eat meat until she went vegan a couple of years ago. Although she still does eat meat occasionally, she tries to eat a plant-forward diet.

To power her through her workouts, Ridloff tends to enjoy a bowl of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for breakfast. For lunch, she usually has a wrap or a salad, consisting of lettuce, vegetables, and some kind of protein. Her dinner looks similar to lunch, with “a lot of vegetables” and a small side of chicken.

Although everyone enjoys a good cheat meal now and again, Ridloff revealed that she prefers salty snacks like popcorn and cheese puffs instead of sweet treats. She says the best thing about being vegan is that it introduced her to nutritional yeast, also known as “nooch.” Nutritional yeast reportedly offers many health benefits, and Ridloff loves sprinkling it on her popcorn to mimic that savory, cheesy taste.

Marvel’s “Eternals” is available in theaters now.