Last week's edition of the British edition of Men's Fitness magazine featured Sacha Baron Cohen, the British actor and star of the "Borat" film series, on its cover, a striking sight. The 53-year-old, clutching dumbbells and sporting a muscular physique, stands in stark contrast to his past portrayals of frailty and sleazy onscreen. His sudden transformation into a muscular hunk, given his lack of experience in action films, has sparked considerable discussion on social media.
Sacha Baron Cohen (left) in "Borat" looks completely different from the man he appears on the cover of "Men's Fitness."
Like most actors who reshape their bodies, Sacha Baron Cohen's transformation was driven by a role. In the final episode of the Disney+ miniseries "Ironheart," which premiered on July 1st, he finally made his debut as the Marvel supervillain Mephisto, the demonic ruler who pacts with souls. While his role was limited, the effort he put into his physical transformation alone was impressive. Later, at a press conference, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige announced that Mephisto would definitely appear in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It seems the comedian will continue to stay in shape for the role for years to come.
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In this issue of Men's Fitness magazine, along with the cover photo, the article details Sacha Baron Cohen's transformation. His training was led by Alfonso Moretti, a renowned American personal trainer known as "The Rage Coach." Cohen initially sought out Moretti for his training thanks to the help of Hollywood muscleman Matthew McConaughey.
"After I got the role, I only had three weeks to change my body shape. I thought of Matthew, so I called him for help. He first asked me who I was and how I got his personal number. Then he gave me Alfonso's number," Cohen joked, still in his comedic style. In fact, he and Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Chris Rock are all close friends, and tabloids have often photographed them partying and traveling together.
Sacha Baron Cohen's Mephisto will also appear in a future Marvel movie.
For coach Moretti, this transformation was also a huge challenge. During their first Zoom call, Moretti had Sasha strip down to his underwear. "He looked like a ruler, the same width at the top and bottom," the coach described the actor's previous physique. However, after getting to know him better, he discovered that Cohen had a history of exercise, particularly taekwondo, so he wasn't completely without any athletic background.
Moretti subsequently developed a detailed training plan for Cohen, including a high-fiber, high-protein, low-sugar diet. Due to the actor's busy schedule, the training began with 100 push-ups daily, primarily employing short, high-intensity 25-minute workouts. Even during filming, the training was strictly supervised via video calls. Ultimately, the training achieved such rapid results that Marvel's costume designers had to repeatedly modify Mephisto's tight-fitting costume to achieve a snug fit.
Before the special training, Sacha Baron Cohen described himself as having absolutely no core strength and feeling like an "arthritic jellyfish." This drastic transformation has allowed him, now in his 50s, to feel like he's back to the peak of his powers. He believes anyone can achieve this transformation by tailoring their training plan to their physical condition and schedule.
