Scarlett Johansson’s performance in the Avengers movies is one for the ages, with Marvel fans carrying a torch for Natasha Romanoff ever since the character made her debut in Iron Man 2 more than a decade ago. While the adoration of the masses is certainly well-deserved, a lot of work has gone into bringing this comic-book hero to life — particularly in terms of physical training.
With her solo film due to come out next week and fans getting ready to give a proper send-off to the fierce redhead, let’s take a look at how Scarlet got her Black Widow bod and killer fighting skills.
Training Like A Pro
It’s no secret that Scarlett was relentless while training for her role as the talented spy and assassin. According to Hollywood Reporter, the actress has worked with the same personal trainer for the entire time she was in Avengers, splitting time between family, rehearsing her lines, and sweating it out in the gym.
The 36-year-old movie star teamed with Eric Johnson, who has been collaborating with her since she first joined the Marvel cinematic universe in 2009, to devise a workout plan structured in three-to-six week phases meant to build stamina and endurance. She focused on agility for the first phase of her workout routine, concentrating on building up strength and getting lean for shooting in phases two and three.
She’s Unstoppable
To get in shape for her Black Widow role, the Tony Award-winning actress trained four to five days a week, putting in 45-minute to an hour-long session starting at 6 a.m. She checked off specific milestones every 12 weeks, such as a 245-pound deadlift, pull-up series, single-leg pistol squats, and push-up reps with a 45-pound plate on her back.
“I do the same fitness routine as my big muscle-man trainer," Scarlett described her workout regimen for Avengers: Age of Ultron. "A lot of it is endurance, stability, and strength training."
While she swore off traditional cardio, she did sprint work, battle ropes, and kettlebells, incorporating Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics work, hot yoga, fight training, and SLT Pilates into her routine. She even added in MMA training, per Superhero Jacked.
"I like to work up a sweat. I’ve tried Pilates and yoga and all that, and I like to dabble in different things, but I always come back to a good old-fashioned athletic, full-body workout.”
Strict Diet, While Allowing Herself One ‘Vice’
Apart from putting in effort and dedication at the gym, Scarlett also adhered to a strict diet while training to become Black Widow. According to Superhero Jacked, which cites Healthy Celeb, the British Academy Film Awards winner opted for nutrient-rich foods that could provide all the needed macronutrients for her body to repair after all those intense workouts.
She kept her menu short but consistent, going for a two-egg omelet breakfast with oatmeal and berries, followed by a turkey salad lunch with quinoa, spring onions, olive oil, and lemon juice, and a protein-rich dinner of steamed fish, red onions, cabbage, and broccoli.
However, she did allow herself one guilty pleasure.
“My greatest vice is cheese. Nothing else reigns over my life,” Scarlett was quoted as saying.
‘Marvel Food Plan’
Meanwhile, Hollywood Reporter published Black Widow’s so-called "Marvel Food Plan" shortly after the premiere of Avengers: Endgame, which entailed a low/low/high-carb cycle with a 12-hour period of fasting between dinner and breakfast.
According to the publication, Scarlett’s menu during low-carb days comprised 115 g protein, 75 g carbs, and 50 g fat. Meanwhile, on high-carb days she had less protein and fat, upping her carb intake to 125 g.
In her case, time-restricted eating seemed to have worked like a charm, allowing her to maintain a lean figure while strengthening her muscles for all those action-packed scenes.
Click here for the full list of foods and quantities in her "Marvel Food Plan."
