Orlando Bloom follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Chris Hemsworth by embracing cryotherapy

The actor has undergone a dramatic physical transformation for his latest film, The Cut. His intense nutritional and fitness regimen was so demanding that he turned to ice baths to aid in his recovery post-workouts.

At 47, Orlando Bloom (known for Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lord of the Rings) is leaner and more defined than ever. This transformation was in preparation for his role in The Cut, a film directed by Sean Ellis, where Bloom plays a boxer making a comeback fight in Las Vegas after the peak of his career. The combination of special makeup effects and Bloom’s own efforts has made him almost unrecognizable. One key part of his preparation was adopting the recovery trend of cold water immersion, also known as cryotherapy.

Bloom’s transformation for The Cut is being compared to other notable physical changes in Hollywood, such as Chris Hemsworth’s intense prep for Mad Max or Zac Efron’s muscular look for The Iron Claw. While Hemsworth and Efron were already in top shape before their roles, Bloom had a different starting point. In an interview with Deadline, he mentioned that although he wasn’t out of shape, weighing around 83 kg, he wasn’t as defined as he is now.

To achieve this new physique, Bloom worked with nutritionist Philip Goglia, whose dietary plan left the actor surprised. “I ate more than I expected to keep muscle mass while losing weight,” Bloom shared. His diet had some unusual elements, such as a spoonful of honey at night to help maintain muscle while burning fat. Over three months, Bloom dropped to 77 kg, then lost even more weight, reaching 70 kg by eating just five small meals a day—mostly tuna and cucumber.

In addition to this strict nutritional plan, Bloom followed a rigorous workout routine. “The training was intense: two hours of cardio daily—one hour in the morning and one in the evening—followed by boxing, weight training, and very limited food intake,” he explained. At one point, he lost over 4.5 kg of water weight in a single night using a hot bath with Epsom salts, a technique often used by boxers before weigh-ins.

Given the demanding nature of his regimen, recovery became essential. That’s where cryotherapy came in. Cold water immersion, or ice baths, has gained popularity for its benefits in reducing muscle soreness and aiding recovery, and Bloom isn’t the only one who swears by it. Chris Hemsworth, Zac Efron, and even elite athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo have been vocal about incorporating cold therapy into their routines. Bloom has also shared on social media how ice baths have helped his body recover during this transformation.

Cryotherapy is not just a celebrity trend; it’s widely used by professional sports teams. Football players like Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé (during his time at PSG) have posted videos using ice baths for recovery. Even FC Barcelona shared images of players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha taking ice baths outdoors during their summer training sessions.

What Is Cryotherapy?

According to Rekovery, a specialized recovery center, cryotherapy involves the therapeutic use of extreme cold to treat various physical conditions. While it often involves ice baths, it can also use cryogenic gases or advanced cooling systems to lower water temperature for controlled immersion.

Typically, cryotherapy involves submerging the body in water temperatures between 8°C and 15°C for 10 to 20 minutes after intense exercise. Sometimes, it is combined with sauna or hot water sessions, depending on the athlete’s or actor’s recovery needs. The main goal, as explained by Rekovery, is to “reduce inflammation and relieve pain, making it a valuable tool in physiotherapy and rehabilitation.” Cryotherapy is commonly used to treat acute injuries like sprains, chronic pain, muscle overuse, and to speed up recovery after strenuous workouts.

Athletes who regularly incorporate cryotherapy into their training routines also report mental health benefits. For example, endurance athlete Rich Roll, an ambassador for On, describes ice baths as “an antidepressant, calming and clearing the mind.” Scientific studies support this claim, with research such as the paper “Health Effects of Voluntary Exposure to Cold Water: A Continuing Subject of Debate” suggesting that cold water immersion can have positive mental health effects.

Although cryotherapy’s mental health benefits are still under debate, there’s no doubt about its physical advantages, especially among celebrities and professional athletes. For actors undergoing rapid physical transformations, like Orlando Bloom for The Cut, ice baths have proven to be an essential recovery tool. You can catch Bloom’s physically demanding performance in The Cut, now showing in theaters.

To see more articles related to this topic, follow this link.