How Vegan Natalie Portman Gained Muscle For 'Thor: Love and Thunder'

Actress Natalie Portman is bigger and stronger than she's ever been before... literally!

The "Star Wars" prequel trilogy alum recently reprised her role as Jane Foster for the latest Marvel movie, "Thor: Love and Thunder," which hits theaters on Friday, July 8.

To prepare for her role as Mighty Thor, Portman, 41, had to beef up for the role. In a recent interview with Us Weekly, her personal trainer, Naomi Pendergast, broke down everything Portman ate and the general exercise plan that Portman followed for ten months to get her into shape.

Since Natalie Portman is a vegan, she didn't start pounding down eggs or chewing on steaks in order to beef up. Instead, Portman's breakfast consisted of oats, berries, and a protein shake.

Although carbs sometimes get a bad rap in the fitness industry, DC "Black Adam" star Dwayne Johnson recently broke down exactly why he fuels up with carbs before (and after!) an intense leg day. (Those interested can read more about that here.)

While she was working long days on set, Portman didn't have time to sit down and chow down on a meal. Instead, she counted on fruit, nuts, and small salads to get her through takes.

When she did sit down for lunch, she ate a vegan falafel dish with another protein shake. For dinner, she'd eat a vegan curry (like we said, she needs those carbs!) and a third protein shake. Thanks to the fitness industry boom, there are many different vegan protein powders available in a variety of brands and flavors.

It's not only what Portman ate, but how much of it. As her trainer explained, the "V for Vendetta" star had to eat more calories in a day than she burns in order to gain weight, build muscle, and then maintain it!

Pendergast explained that the amount of food she was eating “was obviously way more than Natalie normally eats, but it was essential for her to maintain this throughout filming to keep the muscle she had developed.”

The first rule of starting an exercise plan is to develop your goals. Portman's goal was to gain muscle mass in her arms and get more definition in her abs. Portman's workout plan wasn't just for aesthetics, though. She also needed to make sure she trained for the intense stunts she was going to perform during the film.

“The initial goal was to build arm and abdominal definition,” Pendergast explained. “We also worked on stability and agility for injury prevention as Natalie had some dynamic stunt scenes that required her to move, twist, and land in various positions.”

Pendergast “was also really pleased [Portman] got through the challenging stunt process without any injuries.”

So what did Portman do to get in shape? Pendergast explained that her workouts included weightlifting, boxing, core work, and skipping around.

The RPX Fitness director explained that she gave Portman the tools to succeed, but it was up to her to actually commit to the intense diet and exercise plan for ten months.

“I provided the exercises and guidance, but she did the rest,” Pendergast told the publication. “She is focused, determined, and humble. Natalie turned up every session that was scheduled for the 10 months and gave 100 percent, even on the days she was tired.”

Portman had previously compared her role in "Thor: Love and Thunder" with her previous role in "Black Swan" in an interview with Variety. She explained that it helped change her "state of mind as a woman" to bulk up, instead of losing weight.

“On ‘Black Swan,’ I was asked to get as small as possible,” Portman explained. “Here, I was asked to get as big as possible. That’s an amazing challenge — and also state of mind as a woman.”

She added, “To have this reaction and be seen as big, you realize, ‘Oh, this must be so different, to walk through the world like this. When you’re small — and also, I think, because I started as a kid — a lot of times I feel young or little or, like, a pat-on-the-head kind of person. And I present myself that way, too, because of that.”

“Thor: Love and Thunder” was released in theaters on Friday, July 8.