Michael B. Jordan's body transformation journey has been remarkable.
His toned muscular body can be seen in his character in Black Panther. This has left many wondering how he scaled up his muscles within 10 months after his last cast in Creed 2.
Rumors started spreading that Michael B. Jordan took steroids. Due to this, I have embarked on a journey to determine whether Michael's buffed-up body was a result of steroids, exercise, or diet.
Well, let me find out the truth.
Who Is Michael B. Jordan?
Michael B. Jordan, known for his roles as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther and the lead in the Creed movies, has seen highs and lows in his Hollywood career.
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He gained a lot of attention in a movie called Fruitvale Station, but when Fantastic Four kind of flopped, it was uncertain where he’d go from there. But things changed.
Is Michael B. Jordan On Steroids?
There is no public evidence or verified information to suggest that Michael B. Jordan is on steroids.
Having witnessed friends in the MMA industry undergo drastic transformations, I've seen how such changes can raise eyebrows.
With Michael's notable physique evolution over the years, it's only natural for people to wonder about the role of steroids. Let's explore this further.
His Physical Training
His training involved weightlifting and extensive boxing preparation. Gym sessions emphasized compound movements to work multiple muscle groups at once.
Research in the National Library of Medicine has suggested that this is the fastest way to build up a lot of muscle mass [1].
You can also check out Jocko Willink's amazing routine.
For "Black Panther," Michael's workout routine apparently remained the same, suggesting possible steroid use for added mass without extra effort. His facial shape also seemed to change, potentially due to fluid retention from steroids.
“I’m not good at everything, I just do my best at everything.”
- Michael B. Jordan
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Timeline Of His Physical Gains
Drawing from my own experience of tracking physical progress through photos, it's evident that Michael bulked up impressively over a 3-year span, starting from his initial success with Creed.
Michael's muscle growth over three years since "Creed" is impressive. Typically, natural bodybuilders first gain muscle rapidly, then plateau. His quick, significant gains, especially noticeable during "Black Panther" with potential bloating, might suggest atypical muscle development, raising questions about steroid use.
He could've bulked up naturally, but we'd expect to see progress photos with increased body fat. The lack of these photos suggests his muscle gains might've come from a brief steroid cycle.
Michael was instrumental in proposing the "Rocky Balboa" movie sequel, which Sly Stallone quickly supported.
Creed I
Apparently, Michael trained five days a week with a strict low-fat diet for about 12 months to get ready for real boxing. This involved both physical training at the gym as well as learning how to box (it's one of the best exercises to lose weight and gain lean muscle).
He claims to have gained 24 lbs of pure muscle, which is not a crazy amount and certainly achievable with the right coaches and dietitians. He looks ripped but not in the sense of a WWE star like The Rock.
Black Panther
When he was cast into the role of Killmonger for Black Panther, he wanted to make sure he did the comic character justice. That meant he had to bulk up even more, and apparently, that involved gaining another 15 lbs of pure muscle.
Comparing images from the two movies does show that his arms, chest, and shoulders all seemed to be a lot bulkier. His physique didn’t drastically change, but gaining 15 lbs on top of the 25 from Creed isn’t an easy task.
I say that because his training didn’t seem to involve a long bulking phase followed by a cutting phase to reduce his body fat again.
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Creed 2
Now, things changed even more, and apparently, Michael gained another 10 pounds for Creed 2, which was filmed just a few months after Black Panther.
This would have involved a lot more training to lift even heavier weights.
Given the timeline of events, this made us a little bit suspicious that it wasn’t just the result of lifting and choosing the right protein powder.
FAQs
Did Michael B. Jordan Really Fight in Creed?
Yes, Michael B. Jordan really did fight in Creed, and he went through extensive boxing coaching to be able to do this. He was even knocked out on at least one occasion and regularly finished a day bruised and bloodied.
How Much Training Did Michael B. Jordan Do for Creed?
Michael B. Jordan spent about 12 months training for Creed. This involved a tough workout routine to build the muscle to look like a boxer. And he also worked with trainer Corey Calliet to learn how to box so that he looked and acted authentically.
How Did Michael B. Jordan Gain Weight?
Michael B. Jordan gained weight by sticking to a low-fat and high-protein and carb diet. On workout days, he probably burned through 4,000 to 5,000 calories, just to keep up with the demands on his body.
Does Michael B. Jordan Do His Own Stunts?
Yes, Michael B. Jordan did his own stunts, and he didn't use a body double to act in the boxing scenes. While most of the punches didn’t actually make full force body contact, there were numerous occasions where he took hard enough knocks.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592763/
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