In an era where action flicks and superhero stories are Hollywood's bread and butter, we're finally getting the strong female leads we've been lacking for decades. It's not enough for the female stars of these films to be talented and beautiful; they also have to acquire a very particular set of skills (and sometimes, a very particular set of muscles to match) in order to fulfill the physical demands of their roles.

From soldiers and spies to intergalactic assassins and psychotic ballerinas, these women put in maximum effort before the cameras ever began rolling, in order to be in peak condition when it came time to kick ass onscreen. That means hard work, specialized training, being highly attuned to their diets, and pretty much whatever else it takes to get in the best shape for the role. These women did it all, and then some, and we've got all the details about their training regimens.

Actresses Who Did Serious Training For A Role

DEMI MOORE

For her role as Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, the first female Navy SEAL, in the 1997 film G.I. Jane, Demi Moore famously got in such peak physical condition that she was able to do one-armed pushups. To nail the part Moore trained with an actual Navy SEAL instructor, Stephen Helvenston, and eschewed stunt doubles, even for the movie's most intense scenes involving a brutal obstacle course. 

She said, "I could have come in and asked to let the stuntwoman do the obstacle course, but I felt I would have walked away having missed an opportunity experiencing, first-hand, what these people actually go through in training; it's the whole reason for doing this film in the first place."

But just one trainer wasn't enough for Moore, she went the extra mile by also hiring celebrity trainer Gregory Joujon-Roche to ensure she wouldn't be left behind the other hardworking actors on set. "I didn't want any special treatment just because of who I am or my position in the film," she said.


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