Kristen Stewart (a.k.a K-Stew) recently described her preparation for Snow White and the Huntsman. She said to the BBC that the preparation was especially arduous for her. However, she has always been in great shape, so the body that we see in Snow White is a long time in the making. In an interview with the BBC she explained the pain that she went through:
“Physically I had never challenged myself as much as I did on this movie, I destroyed myself physically, by the end of it I could barely move.”
So, how did she get in shape to play a Snow White that was more action-fantasy than pure fairy-tale? She told OM Magazine that she has always been sporty and kept active, but Huntsman took her to the next level.
Kristen’s Workouts
Like all actors and actresses who want to stay very lean, healthy and look good, Kristen works out. In June 2012 she was a featured actress in OM, a Swedish magazine. In the magazine she described some of her prefered ways of staying in shape. These included regular running and Pilates.
For Snow White and the Huntsman she had to do much more though. She had a personal trainer at hand who got her doing a variety of bodyweight exercises, such as push ups and squats, as well as resistance exercises with free weights.
The key change from her usual workouts was an increase in intensity. While both running and Pilates will get you fit, lean and strong, only by pushing yourself harder with intensive resistance exercise you will start to become more athletic. See our fitness section to learn more about what is really required to get a body like Kristen Stewart.
Kristen Stewart’s Diet
Since playing Bella Swan in the vampire television series Twilight, Kristen has made an extra effort to look after her figure. In the film Breaking Dawn, playing a vampire herself, she had to slim down even more. Vampires are always portrayed as being lean, and Kristen’s Bella Swan is verging on ethereal.
To achieve this there is really only one option – consume a very low calorie diet. Much like a diet ballet dancers or pole vaulter will consume really. Regular exercise ensures that muscles remain healthy while a very low calorie diet ensures that fat content is minimal. Staying healthy can be a challenge as few calories mean less opportunity for good nutrition.
In 2010 Kristen actually shared some of her secrets on Lopez Tonight, an American talk show hosted be George Lopez. She explained how she ate meals that were high in protein and low in calories, such as her favorite Chilli Verde, a pork and green chilli dish that packs a powerful punch. Chillies also help (slightly) to raise metabolism. She also eats a lot of spicy soup.
However, it is not all about super-low calorie meals. Kristen also enjoys making her own pies. However, this appears to be more of a hobby for when she has friends for dinner, and not a daily feature on her diet.
Basically, if you wish to be slim and athletic like Kristen Stewart, you need to eat and exercise like an athlete for a while, and then maintain your new slim frame with a permanent moderate calorie lifestyle with regular intensive exercise. At the start of the article we suggested that living like a pole vaulter is one approach. Lucklily we have an article about that – see what Olympic pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva eats when she is preparing for an event – eat like this and you will be lean, but you must exercise those muscles too.
Trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman
References
- Kristen Stewart ‘physically destroyed’ by Snow White – BBC News, 30 May 2012
- Kristen Stewart’s Secrets For Staying Fit: Get The Details – Yahoo! Movies, Jun 12, 2012
Photo of Kristen Stewart by Eva Rinaldi.