Lou Ferrigno is a bodybuilding icon. One of the first bodybuilders who brought the sport from obscurity into the mainstream. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou also found a home on the silver screen. He starred in 1977’s Pumping Iron and 1983’s Hercules. However, the role that became iconic and put him on television screens across the United States was ‘The Incredible Hulk’.

Lou Ferrigno became the first to portray the live-action version of the iconic comic book hero, the Hulk. The Incredible Hulk aired its first episode in December 1977, and people were in awe of Lou’s portrayal of the Hulk. While his bodybuilding background and massive frame helped Lou play the green monster on screen, he had to make a silent sacrifice for the show to succeed. 

Lou Ferrigno had no room for compromise

Ferrigno had a chat with David Robson of bodybuilding.com in 2019. Robson asked Lou how he maintained his muscle mass during the grueling shoot. David also said many people would have lost a lot of size while shooting for such a role. However, Lou said, “I knew that if my physique failed, it would hurt the show, and it would hurt the ratings. So I had to sacrifice.”

Lou Ferrigno had to be covered from head to toe in green makeup every time he shot for the show. The makeup made Ferrigno feel hot and had a similar effect to cardio training. “You cannot simply remove it and go and train and then go back and do another three-hour makeup session; it was just too difficult”, said Lou.

READ MORE: Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno Clinched the Iconic Role With His Original Bodybuilding Body in 1977

Training to play the Hulk was no easier than preparing for a Mr. Olympia contest. In fact, Ferrigno didn’t compete when he was shooting for The Incredible Hulk. Lou said it took a lot of dedication and grueling workouts to maintain the physique of the Hulk. The fact that Lou didn’t use a bodysuit made the whole scenario even more challenging for the bodybuilding icon.

The former Mr. Universe loved playing the Hulk and knew he had to follow an immaculate routine to portray the muscular green giant.

The Hulk’s diet

Lou also revealed the strict diet he had to maintain while playing the Marvel superhero on screen. Lou made sure not to eat excess fat or carbohydrates. However, he didn’t discard them to look shredded.

Lou also ate protein four to five times a day to help him maintain muscle mass.

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While Lou Ferrigno could have compromised and worn a bodysuit, he was too dedicated to take shortcuts. Instead, Lou silently sacrificed all luxury and trained rigorously to become the best Hulk he could be.