Tom Hardy Says He Was Just “Really Overweight” For Bane Transformation

From Bronson to Warrior, Tom Hardy is an actor who’s renowned for his physical presence on screen – it’s to the point his transformation for the role of Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is still talked about to this day. Though would you believe the man himself didn’t rate the state of his own rig back in 2012?

Honouring the storied tradition his Nolan Trilogy co-star Christian Bale (AKA Bruce Wayne / Batman himself) routinely makes headlines for, Tom Hardy packed on over 30 pounds (13.6kg) of mass, muscle, and brute strength to play Gotham’s reckoning. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 1 – more specifically, during its viral ‘Kids Ask’ segment – he revealed his form wasn’t as impressive as everyone had assumed.

“If you really study the photographs [of Bane], I was really overweight, actually. I ate a lot and I wasn’t much heavier than I am now, but I just ate more pizza. They shoot from low to make you look big,” admits Tom Hardy.

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“People would lift up the lids on their motorbike [helmets] and say, ‘I always thought you were bigger, mate’… I was just bald, slightly porky, and with pencil arms.”

“That’s the magic of lighting and three or four months of lifting and training and eating lots of pizza. It wasn’t great for my heart. The point was to look as big as possible. I have really skinny legs and my friend Jacob Tomuri — my stunt man — liked to say, ‘Why did Tom come in riding an emu?”

Elsewhere, the British thespian has previously spoken about the toll of undertaking roles like Bane in general, citing the demand as untenable after a certain age.

“I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes,” Hardy told The Daily Beast.

“It was alright when I was younger… but I think as you get into your 40s you have to be more mindful of the rapid training, packing on a lot of weight, and getting physical, and then not having enough time to keep training because you’re busy filming… so your body is swimming in two different directions at the same time.”

“Compared to Christian Bale, I’ve been by no means extreme in my body changes.”

RELATED: Hugh Jackman Needs To Train For Six Months Before Returning As Wolverine For ‘Deadpool 3’

“I haven’t damaged my body, but I’m certainly a bit achier than I used to be. I certainly have joints that click that probably shouldn’t click, you know what I mean? And carrying my children is a little bit harder than it used to be – but don’t tell them!”

All we’ll say is this: if Tom fucking Hardy was insecure about his transformation into Bane for The Dark Knight Rises – what chance do the rest of us ordinary blokes have?

Anyone with a lingering desire to achieve what the big guy did for The Dark Knight Rises can give the following workout a red-hot go (courtesy of Muscle & Strength; pizza diet optional).

Tom Hardy – Bane Workout Plan (The Dark Knight Rises)

Monday

• Incline Barbel Bench Press
  Warm Up: 2 x 10-15
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Dumbbell Floor Press
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Modified Arching Pull Up
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: As many as possible
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Partial Deadlift
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Floor Clean & Push Press
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 x 10-15
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Floor Crunch
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 4 x 10-15
  Rest Periods: 1 minute

Tuesday

• Dumbbell Calf Raise – Run The Rack
  Warm Up: 1 x 15
  Working Sets: 2 x 3 by rack
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Full-Range Squat
  Warm Up: 2 x 10-15
  Working Sets: 5 x 10
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Walking Lunge
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 lengths
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Modified Hamstring Raise
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x As many as possible
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Seated Barbell Curl
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Dips
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 5-8
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Hanging Leg Raise
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 4 x 10-20
  Rest Periods: 1 minute

Wednesday

(Rest.)

Thursday

• Barbel Bench Press
  Warm Up: 2 x 10-15
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Feet Elevated Three-Point Pushup
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 x As many as possible
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Side-to-Side Pull Up
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x As many as possible
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• T Bar or Barbell Row
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Double Plate Raise
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Wide Grip Upright Row
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Incline Sit Up
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 4 x 10-20
  Rest Periods: 1 minute

Friday

• Seated Calf Raise
  Warm Up: 1 x 10-15
  Working Sets: 2 x 10-15
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• 1.5 Rep Front Squat
  Warm Up: 2 x 10-15
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Single Leg Press
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Romanian Deadlift
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Standing Dumbbell Curl
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Decline Close Grip Tricep Press
  Warm Up: 1 x 10
  Working Sets: 2 x 8-12
  Rest Periods: 2 minutes
• Lying Leg Raise
  Warm Up: 0
  Working Sets: 4 x 10-20
  Rest Periods: 1 minute

Weekend

(Rest.)

There’s more where that came from: we watched and ranked every single Christopher Nolan movie. Check it out now.