Did Bradley Cooper Gain Weight For American Sniper?

‘American Sniper’ centers on the life of Navy SEALs sniper Chris Kyle, who garnered a fearsome reputation for racking up 160 official kills during his tours in Iraq. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the biopic peels back the layers of Kyle’s incredible life and experiences in the military, showcasing his struggles both in and out of home. However, playing the role brought a different type of challenge to Bradley Cooper, who had to embody Kyle’s muscular physique believably. The actor had to bulk up in a meaningful way, highlighting his character’s real-life persona and his dedication to his craft. To that end, the actor’s physical transformation was not just an aesthetic choice made to support the film’s subject matter but also pay respect to Kyle as a person.

Bradley Cooper Underwent Physical Training to Honor Kyle’s Legacy

While building weight is not always required when starring in a movie, Bradley Cooper felt a responsibility to represent Chris Kyle on screen authentically. The former sniper was a combat-trained behemoth who was capable of delivering MMA-style chokeouts during practice sessions. As such, it was vital for Cooper to add a significant amount of muscle and body mass to his 185-pound frame, which was a far cry from Kyle’s 230-pound physique. Even though the actor and his character shared the same height, frame, and shoe size, Cooper had to gain 40 pounds to resemble Kyle’s big, hulking stature. However, the challenge was to do it quickly without causing any damage to his body.

Cooper started working with Jason Walsh, a trainer he met via John Krasinski while working on a previous film. Walsh said the actor began his journey with significant disadvantages, such as back and shoulder issues and significant imbalances. As a result, an emphasis was placed on “fixing” these problems through corrective movements. Training took place twice a day, first in the early morning, which was based around deadlifts and squats to provide a solid foundation, while the afternoon session mostly concentrated on regular muscle-building exercises. Walsh also made his client perform Bulgarian split squats, single-leg deadlifts, and a Romanian deadlift with a landmine. Combining these exercises and more was vital in helping Cooper get closer to portraying Kyle.

Bradley Cooper Upped His Food Intake For the Bulking Process

In conjunction with his new physical regime, Bradley Cooper also had to increase his daily caloric intake. The actor described the process as a “real shock” to his body because of the amount of food he was consuming daily. Even having five meals a day prepared by a personal chef was not enough, as he started taking supplements that provided both carbohydrates and proteins. Gradually, the work started to pay off as Cooper began to resemble Kyle’s physique and look in a more natural way. He could even perform heavy rack pulls, as seen in the film during one workout scene. The transition to a heavier body was game-changing for the actor, who found it a new way to look at life. “It changes the way you walk, the way people relate to you. If someone bumps into you on the sidewalk, they kind of ricochet off,” he said.

The most important aspect was physicalizing Kyle’s movements, which became second nature to Cooper once he had built an appropriate size for his body. “I had to get to the point where I believed I was him. Chris wasn’t ripped. He wasn’t sinewy. He was just a bear,” the actor explained. His slow transformation into a bulkier frame helped him embody his character’s confident mindset and intimidating physicality. However, it also came with issues like outgrowing his clothes. He admitted to wearing elastic-waisted pants daily after achieving a certain size. He was also surprised when his hands grew bigger, making it impossible to wear his father’s wedding ring. These minor setbacks were worth it because he could show Kyle on screen in a real and tangible way.