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'Stranger Things' star David Harbour has amassed a reputation worldwide for his role as Jim Hopper in the hit Netflix series.
However, it wasn't just his stellar acting on the show that captivated millions of viewers tuning in to watch the series. Harbour, radiates, for the lack of a better word, 'dad energy' in the series. So what better way to make that energy even more profound than by sporting a quintessential 'dad bod'?
Harbour even joked with Late Show host Stephen Colbert that as he doesn't have children, he doesn't qualify as a dad, therefore making his 'dad bod' merely a 'bod'.
The Secret Behind David Harbour's Transformation
David Harbour has been in the limelight lately, and it's not because of his infamous Stranger Things belly. Turns out, he has undergone quite the transformation.
Marvel's Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson also features Harbour as a supporting character, Alexei Shostakov. The role features several flashback scenes to his prime, requiring Harbour to shed some serious pounds to fit into his old spandex.
Luckily for Harbour, the transformation killed two birds with one stone. After seemingly dying at the end of the third season of Stranger Things, it was announced that Harbour would reprise his role for the fourth season.
His character picks up from the finale of the previous season, who was meant to be in a Russian prison. This was the perfect opportunity for Harbour to commence his weight loss journey, as his character needed to look emaciated on screen.
So what exactly did Harbour do to lose such a substantial amount of weight?
Harbour's Diet
Harbour's initial scenes in Black Widow were set in the present day. He was required to sport a belly, so he climbed up to 280lbs, just because he felt like doing so.
He even claimed that it was the best feeling ever, and to his surprise, his wife was shockingly in support of his new look.
The latter half of the production required him to shed his fat to look leaner, and as filming went on, he lost an impressive 60 pounds.
"It's not just eating," said the Stranger Things star when asked about his weight loss. "It's amazing. You try to do all these different things, the protein and this and that, and then you just stop eating and lose weight."
Harbour added that as he enjoyed putting on the pounds compared to losing them.
The Regime
For season four of Stranger Things, Harbour had to go a step further to look slimmer on the small screen. He said that his regime was brutal, both emotionally and physically.
To get in shape, Harbour worked out with celebrity trainer Don Saladino, who has also trained the likes of Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Harbour's regime comprised heavy compound movements and focused on building full-body strength and endurance.
A typical day of exercise for David Harbour went as follows:
- Deadlifts: A great compound exercise, perfect for burning fat and strengthening your lower back, glutes and hamstrings.
- Medicine Ball Slams: This exercise focuses on building a strong core and using the arms to initiate the movement,
- Farmer's Walk: This exercise helps build great arm strength. It's a strenuous but rewarding means of building strong legs and a firm core.
- Sled Pushing: It's a very popular exercise for full-body splits, as it requires you to have a strong back and maintain synchrony with your lower body.
An exercise split like the one mentioned above helps burn a substantial amount of fat. That was David Harbour's primary goal, while also focusing on building a strong core and utilising functional movements to engage the full body.
Takeaway
David Harbour has been nothing short of impressive. Seeing his journey from a trademark 'dad bod' up till where he is today, one can't help but feel inspired by his astonishing achievements.
By simply adhering to a simple, yet effective regime, he was able to accomplish his targets and add yet another layer of complexity to his already great performance.
Let that a source of motivation for those lacking it, as anyone can lose weight as long as they want it badly enough.
