The INSIDER Summary:
- Emma Stone plays real tennis legend Billie Jean King in her recently released movie, "Battle of the Sexes."
- The actress had an intense training regimen to gain 15 pounds of muscle for the role.
- She could eventually deadlift 185 pounds.
Emma Stone went through a physical transformation to portray real tennis icon Billie Jean King in her new movie "Battle of the Sexes."
The 28-year-old actress gained 15 pounds of muscle over a span of three months to transform into King. The film centers on the legendary 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Trainer Jason Walsh, the founder of climbing gym Rise Nation, spoke to USA Today about how Stone got in shape for the role. Walsh previously worked with Stone to prepare her for "La La Land."
To bulk up for the film, Walsh created a training regimen that focused on strength training.
Stone's exercises included walking with dumbbells, also known as heavy farmer's walks, and 300-pound hip thrusts. She could eventually deadlift up to 185 pounds and could do push-ups with 50 pounds of chains on her back.
Walsh told USA Today that she worked hard to get into character.
"She took it seriously," he said. "She wanted to do the story justice."
He later added: "She needed to be resilient and to have the psyche of being really strong."
The actress added two high-protein shakes with "hundreds of calories" each into her daily diet to help get fit.
Walsh said they included spinach, the supplement known as ashwagandha, and protein powder.
After the actress bulked up, she maintained her weight with cardio.
"Battle of the Sexes" is out on limited release now but will have its wide release Friday.
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