Competitive bodybuilders spend weeks dialing in their physiques before stepping on stage. One of the most talked-about aspects of peak week is water manipulation, a strategy some athletes use in an attempt to maximize muscle definition. Actor Tom Holland recently revealed he experimented with dehydration bodybuilding prep to get ready for a shirtless scene in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. His verdict? It wasn’t worth it.
The actor opened up about the experience during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, explaining that he tried dehydrating himself before filming a bathhouse scene with Florence Pugh. Instead of achieving a dramatic visual difference, Holland said the process mostly left him feeling miserable.
Tom Holland Says Dehydration Didn’t Deliver the Results He Expected
Holland explained that he attempted a bodybuilding-style dehydration prep before filming the scene. The scene called for him to strip down to his underwear inside a Russian bathhouse.
“I tried to do that stupid dehydration thing for that scene, where I didn’t drink any water the day before and then I drank loads of water the day before that,”
The method is similar to strategies some bodybuilders use during peak week in an effort to create a drier, more defined appearance before competition.
After trying it for himself, Holland admitted he wasn’t impressed.
“I tried to see if it would make a difference, and the only thing it did is it just made me really grumpy. I don’t even think it really made that much of a difference.”
Holland also joked that it was probably a good thing his co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon weren’t on set that day.
“It would have been strange,” Holland joked. “We were in our underwear.”
What Is Bodybuilding Peak Week Water Manipulation?
Peak week is the final stretch before a bodybuilding competition. Athletes make small adjustments to training, nutrition, carbohydrates, sodium, and, in some cases, water intake to present their best physique on stage.
Water manipulation is one of the more controversial aspects of peak week. Some competitors carefully alter their hydration levels in an effort to reduce subcutaneous water and improve muscle definition under bright stage lighting.
However, many experienced coaches stress that these strategies are highly individualized and should only be used with careful planning. Improper dehydration can negatively impact performance, reduce muscle fullness, increase fatigue, and in some cases create health risks.
Holland’s experience is a reminder that the technique doesn’t always produce a noticeable visual payoff.
Holland Continues His Run as Spider-Man
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters on July 31 and follows Peter Parker years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film sees Parker continuing to protect New York City while living in anonymity after the world forgot his identity.
Alongside Holland, the film features Florence Pugh, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, and Sadie Sink.
Despite the demanding physical preparation that comes with portraying the iconic superhero, Holland recently told People that his biggest responsibility isn’t looking the part, but representing Peter Parker in the right way.
“For me, it is the biggest responsibility of making these movies, is making sure that young kids have someone that they can look up to. And I don’t mean that in me, I mean that in Peter Parker.”
While bodybuilders may spend years refining their peak week strategies, Holland’s experience suggests that for actors chasing a superhero physique, dehydration isn’t always the shortcut it’s made out to be. It may simply leave you thirsty, uncomfortable, and, as Holland put it, “really grumpy.”
Image embed via Instagram @tomholland2013
