Supergirl is one of the most iconic female superheros in the DC Comics universe and Melissa Benoist was the actress tasked with bringing her to life in CBS' Supergirl.
There is a lot of pressure that comes with playing a superhero, and the Melissa Benoist Supergirl workout and diet routine below is what helps her pull of the role so convincingly.
Her workout consists of a good mix of functional training to prepare her. This helps her both look the part and be able to pull off most of her own stunts.
As Supergirl, she spends a good part of her time running, flying, and fighting. It takes the right training program to be able to prepare for all these aspects of the character.
Photo Credit - CBS
The Melissa Benoist Supergirl workout
The character of Supergirl, like her cousin Superman, doesn't derive her powers from exercise. In the comic books, she has superhuman power on Earth because she is from another planet. That means she doesn't really need to look bulky to look strong, but it helps if she looks the part of a superhero.
In an interview with InStyle, Benoist shared how she physically prepared herself for the role. Her main workouts consisted of:
- Boxing
- Core work
- Pilates
- Plyometrics
Melissa BenoistOn training for the role of Supergirl
I don't think I've ever hit anyone before, and so I definitely had to learn technique. Like how to actually punch someone and not hurt yourself more than you're hurting the person you're punching. And so boxing was part of it, and core work and Pilates and (plyometrics), were a lot of it.
All of these aspects of her workouts help her to be able to do her own stunts. The plyometrics and pilates help tone her body to give her the look of a superhero. The boxing helps her to hold her own in fight scenes, which consist of plenty of punching and kicking.
One of the most important parts of playing Supergirl is to fly convincingly. To be able to look like she is flying on the small screen, only so much CGI can be done. She spends a lot of time on wires to shoot flying scenes. This is what makes the core work so important, as she could be suspended from wires for hours and she has to be able to hold and maintain a solid posture.
All of the training combines to give her a strong and toned look worthy of playing an iconic hero. Boxing, pilates, plyos, and core work are a great foundation for getting a lean, strong body that is capable of looking the part of a strong fighter.
The Melissa Benoist Supergirl diet
The right exercise program will only get you so far, and Benoist has to maintain a diet worthy of the character of Supergirl. You can see some quotes straight from Benoist below from an article on the Belfast Telegraph:
Melissa BenoistOn her diet for the role of Supergirl
I love supermarkets, I love grocery shopping, I love the produce aisle because to be super you have to be healthy, and I would probably stock up on all the fruit. I love fruit.
While she doesn't get into specifics about her diet, it is clear that she focuses on solid whole food nutrition. It's clear that she doesn't go out to eat too much and that the bulk of her diet consists of home cooked meals.
Fruits and vegetables can be the foundation of any good diet plan. These foods have so many good things in them, like vitamins, that keep you healthy. They also don't have many empty calories, especially vegetables.
A diet that sticks to quality, whole foods is great for anyone looking to have a supehuman physique. An emphasis on good protein sources, fruits, and vegetables can fuel both the training to look the part and the long hours on set.
Recap
Benoist's acting skills are what are most important for playing the role of Supergirl, but it certainly doesn't hurt that she looks the part. The Melissa Benoist Supergirl workout routine and diet plan above help her to look like a superhero.
