For her third outing as Marvel’s fierce assassin Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts, Florence Pugh didn’t just rely on grit and raw talent—she backed it with a meticulously crafted workout and nutrition plan designed for power, safety, and longevity.
Guided by Marvel’s head personal trainer Brendan Johnston, and grounded in her own balanced approach to food and movement, Pugh proved that getting superhero-strong doesn’t mean sacrificing the joy of living well.
Here’s how she trained and ate her way into action-star form—without losing her signature authenticity.
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A New Trainer, A Tactical Plan
Brendan Johnston, a former U.S. Marine and Marvel’s long-time strength coach, brought a performance-first philosophy to Florence’s Thunderbolts prep. Having trained A-listers like Scarlett Johansson and Tessa Thompson, Johnston understood the high stakes of a Marvel shoot. But Florence brought something special to the table.
“Her super-strong mind wants to do it all,” Johnston told Women’s Health. And with just two weeks before cameras rolled, the pair hit the ground running.
Three Core Goals Guided Her Program:
- Injury Prevention: With Florence eager to do her own stunts, staying pain-free was priority one.
- Endurance Building: Long 14-hour shoot days demanded sustainable energy and mental resilience.
- Aesthetic Functionality: She didn’t just need to look the part—she had to move like a superhero too.
Florence’s already-solid foundation—thanks to prior stunt training, a dance background, and personal workouts with her London-based trainer James Shields—gave Johnston the freedom to focus on refinement, not repair.
Heavy vs. Light Days: A Flexible Strength Split
Johnston designed a split-training plan with built-in adaptability, offering two tracks depending on Florence’s energy and schedule each day: a heavy lift day or a light recovery-focused session.
Heavy Days: Full-Body Strength and Conditioning
Each intense session began with treadmill warm-ups and dynamic band work to mobilize hips, glutes, and shoulders. Then came high-rep circuits with powerful compound movements:
- Dumbbell squats
- Dumbbell shoulder presses and flies
- Biceps curls and triceps extensions
- Core drills
- Medicine ball slams
The circuit was cycled six times with minute-long rest intervals. Depending on fatigue, Johnston would tweak rep schemes to maintain form, often using time-based sets (like 30-second rounds) instead of fixed reps.
“She’d rather hold heavier weight and do fewer reps than break form,” Johnston said. “It’s all about safety under load.”
When Florence craved variety—or just needed to blow off steam—boxing mitts came out. “If the conditioning piece was too hard, she’d get her hits in the next day,” Johnston joked.
Light Days: Recovery With Purpose
Lighter sessions centered on active recovery and mobility. Florence would start with a 1,000-meter row at her own pace, then move into balance-based strength work like:
- BOSU ball back rows
- Resistance band triceps extensions
- Glute and hip mobility drills
“The goal was to feel the work but not run out of gas,” Johnston explained. Florence also prioritized acupuncture with electrical stimulation and sports massage therapy for enhanced recovery.
Strength, Stunts, and Spontaneity
Outside of structured training, Florence continued her love for functional fitness. Her Fighting With My Family CrossFit roots showed up in her kettlebell swings, tire flips, and a no-nonsense mindset.
Her stunt training was no less intense—complete with kickboxing, knife choreography, wrestling, and agility drills. The physicality of her roles meant this wasn’t just about looking tough. It was about embodying strength on screen.
Yet her favorite workouts? Ones that brought joy.
- Dancing (a passion from childhood)
- Outdoor hikes and monkey bars
- Boxing for cardio and mental release
- Rock climbing for play and power
“She’s not training for looks—she’s training for capability,” said a trainer from her past projects.
Nutrition That Nourishes (And Satisfies)
Florence’s relationship with food is as grounded as her fitness ethic: eat what feels good, fuel for strength, and skip the guilt. Her diet isn’t managed by a team of nutritionists—it’s led by her love of cooking and flavor.
What’s on Florence’s Plate?
Breakfast Staples:
- Yorkshire tea with oat milk (steeped strong—tea bag stays in)
- Eggs on sourdough (boiled or fried)
- Smoothies with banana, spinach, and protein
- Black coffee and the occasional protein bar
Lunch Favorites:
- Big, fresh salads with rocket, cherry tomatoes, feta, chili, and red onion
- Homemade dishes full of herbs—she often picks rosemary from her own garden
Snacks She Actually Craves:
- Peanut butter and carrots
- Protein pots from Pret or M&S
- Cheeseboards (yes, really)
- Marmite and crackers
Dinner With Soul:
- Family-style Greek meals: moussaka, stifado
- Roasts with chorizo, potatoes, and dad-cooked chicken
- Homemade fettuccine or lobster ravioli with wine and butter sauce
Treats, Not Cheats:
- Rhubarb tart with ice cream
- Guinness on a night out
- A chilled vodka martini with Grey Goose
Florence doesn’t just tolerate indulgence—she celebrates it. Her fridge is always stocked with cheese and fresh fruit, not calorie-counted containers.
How to Train Like Florence Pugh
Want to build powerful legs like Florence? Incorporate these five moves used in her training regimen:
- Goblet Squats – Full lower-body strength with core engagement
- Heel-Elevated Smith Machine Squats – Quad-focused hypertrophy
- Bulgarian Split Squats – Single-leg strength and balance
- Glute Bridges – Posterior chain activation
- Romanian Deadlifts – Hamstring and glute strength with mobility focus
Try This Lower Body Routine (3–4 rounds):
- Goblet Squats: 12 reps
- Smith Machine Squats: 10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 8 per leg
- Glute Bridges: 15 reps
- Romanian Deadlifts: 10 reps
- Burnout: 20 bodyweight squats + 15 reverse lunges/leg + 30s jump squats
Combine this with 2–3 strength-focused sessions per week, and add in boxing, hiking, or dance sessions to keep things playful—just like Florence.
Florence’s Fitness Mantra: Balance Above All
In an industry obsessed with perfection, Florence Pugh is refreshingly human. She trains hard without punishing her body. She eats to enjoy, not restrict. Her focus is on function over form, strength over size, joy over judgment.
That’s what makes her training so powerful—and why her approach resonates beyond Hollywood. As she once said in interviews, she refuses to “squeeze into shapes” that aren’t hers.
Instead, she’s redefining what strength looks like—one fight scene, one roast dinner, and one boxing round at a time.
