Playing Catwoman comes with major expectations, as it is one of the most iconic female actions roles in movie history.
The Anne Hathaway Catwoman workout routine and diet plan below show how she was able to get in great shape to play the mysterious action star Selina Kyle/Catwoman in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.
While Hathaway didn't need to lose a significant amount of weight or drastically change her appearance, she did need to alter her exercise routine to prepare for the more physical role of a comic book character.
She had never played a role that required something like fighting crime opposite Christian Bale's Batman, and it took 10 months of proper training and nutrition to prepare her.
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises - Photo By: Warner Bros.
The Anne Hathaway Catwoman workout routine
For her role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, Hathaway trained 5 days per week with both exercise and stunt training. She talked about the importance of strength training in an article by Cathy Horyn of Bazaar, saying that "I've always thought that skinny was the goal, but with this job I also have to be strong."
One workout that Hathaway has done in the past for her lower-body consisted of Rotational step-ups. They consist of standing next to a step, with one foot on the step. Then, stand up, twist towards the step, and switch feet. She would perform with the following sets and reps:
- 12-15 reps per leg
- Rest of 30-60 seconds
- Repeat 3- 5 times
After not having many action roles early in her career, Hathaway adapted quickly to the more physical nature of a Batman movie and learned to enjoy it. She said that she really enjoyed that, with her workouts, she would get out of them whatever what she put in. She found her results to be almost predictable based on what her program had planned.
Anne HathawayOn training for the role of Catwoman
I adore it. I absolutely love it. It's kind of for me the difference between cooking and baking. Acting is more like cooking, where you're like "How does this taste?" - you've got to feel it a little more. Baking, you put a cup of flour in there, and everything's going to turn out ok. If you measure correctly and make it with love it's going to be delicious. And that's what I love about action, there's noticeable results. Do this many sit-ups and you'll be able to get your leg higher.
In the video below, Hathaway discusses what she had to do to physically prepare for the role. While she was already in great shape, she had to reach a new level of fitness to perform stunts that she previously wouldn't have been able to do,
So what is the secret? Not surprisingly, she says that the key is all the boring stuff that most people don't want to do. She had to watch what she ate to make sure her diet was on point and have her workouts planned in detail. With all this, it still took her 10 months to get into her desired shape.
The Anne Hathaway Catwoman diet plan
Jackie Keller was Hathaway's coach and in change of her nutrition plan. She focused on a diet that was 1500-1800 calories per day. As Hathaway is a vegetarian, she had to pay extra attention to make sure she was getting enough protein throughout the day she could support her lean muscle mass.
Hathaway would eat several small meals throughout the day rather than just 2 or 3 bigger meals. She was able to get the majority of her protein intake from fish, nuts, and protein smoothies. A typical daily diet would look like this:
- Breakfast - Autumn oatmeal
- Snack - Chocolate energy bar
- Lunch - Swiss chard frittata with garden carrots
- Snack - apples and almonds
- Dinner - Veggie chicken patty, brown rice, spinach and French onion soup
- Dessert - Rocky road popcorn balls
- Snack - Pear and cashews
- Smoothie - Chocolate power smoothie
Jackie KellerOn what Hathaway's diet for Catwoman training looked like
Default to fish, particularly salmon, sardines, and trout along with legumes to increase fiber and fatty acids. This will help you fill up and reduce saturated fat and, over all you will eat less. You need lots of water to keep flushing stuff through your system. Almost all of us, even the most conscientious drinker is probably under hydrated. Water is actually important for metabolism.
Recap
This Anne Hathaway Catwoman workout routine and diet plan shows how she was able to get in shape to play the iconic role. While she has had major roles in other films, this is by far the most action oriented and it is impressive how dedicated she was to the role.
