It is quite common for athletes to face questions about whether their muscle growth is natural or not. Ludi Lin found himself in a similar predicament while attending Men’s Health’s Strong Talk podcast.

Lin handled the question calmly. But he was surprised that people had such questions, considering his physique was still on the leaner side.

The Mortal Kombat II actor recently gained almost 40 pounds for his new role as Liu Kang. While he put in immense hard work to build an incredible physique naturally, the rumors kept coming.

Lin laughed it off, admitting that when he was younger, he also assumed the same when he saw really muscular athletes working out.

“I think people outside of fitness culture and inside of fitness culture see fitness as very different things,” he says. “I get that when people see others who are fit and they don’t know the route to achieve it, they don’t know the work that goes into it, could naturally assume that they are on something.”

Instead of directly feeding into the rumors, Lin took a different route. He emphasized how he believes fitness is about personal choice and personal growth, and every person is free to make their own choice.

“People do what they do to get where they want to be, and as long as they know all the risks and consequences, you’re free to make your choice,” Lin emphasizes.

He goes on to tell viewers how he had a long lead time, about six months, to gain 35 pounds for his role. Years of martial arts training, strength training, intense workout routines, and strict nutrition helped him achieve his goal naturally.

Behind Ludi Lin’s Training and Diet to Pack on 40 Pounds Naturally

A dedicated actor, Lin took his transformation for the role of Liu Kang very seriously. In order to gain 40 pounds naturally without adversely affecting his body, he focused on high-volume bodybuilding, hypertrophy workouts, and increasing his calorie intake.

Lin admits that one of the toughest parts for him was changing his diet. He had to up his calorie intake to a whopping 6,500 calories a day to gain weight for the film.

Avocados and bananas were his go-to snack of choice every day. He also took calcium and vitamin D to supplement his growth goals.

Lin’s transformation was truly an inspiration, and he looked absolutely battle-ready for his role. As for the “natty or not” debate, Lin admits that is something people will always engage in, no matter what.

Tell us what you thought of his transformation in Mortal Kombat II.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit