Camila Mendes Masters of the Universe Workout & Diet Plan

Key Takeaways

• To train for Teela in Masters of the Universe, Camila Mendes spent months on full-body strength training to build a steady bulk. Coached by LA Thoma Gustin, her plan paired dumbbell and kettlebell circuits with daily combat and weapon practice.
• Her workout was built on hour-long, full-body circuits, not a standard bodybuilding split. Three-move rounds trained strength, mobility, stability, and balance together, suiting a warrior role that demanded controlled movement under load.
• Her diet was a healthy bulk, not a crash transformation. She ate in a calorie surplus with steady protein and carbs to fuel training and build real muscle, treating it as getting stronger rather than a restriction to endure.
• Stunt work tied it all together. She trained daily for two months in London on sword and bow-staff handling, so the muscle she added translated into fight choreography she could actually use on camera.
• At SOLE Fitness, our adjustable dumbbells and strength gear let you run a similar circuit-style training at home without any gym membership.

How Did Camila Mendes Train for Teela?

To prepare for Teela in Masters of the Universe, Camila Mendes followed a practical approach centered on consistency rather than extreme workouts. Her training combined progressive full-body strength sessions with daily stunt practice, while her nutrition focused on eating enough protein and carbohydrates to support muscle growth and recovery. The goal wasn't simply to look stronger on screen, but to develop the strength and endurance needed to perform demanding fight scenes.

She began prep around September 2024, well before cameras rolled, and trained alongside co-star Nicholas Galitzine as the two learned about their bodies and nutrition together. Mendes described the prep as some of the happiest months of her life, spent twirling a sword and bow staff and feeling strong.

If you're inspired to follow a similar style of strength training at home, SOLE Fitness offers adjustable dumbbells, treadmills, and other home gym equipment that make it easy to build a full-body workout around the same training principles.

Camila Mendes's Teela Workout Routine

The backbone of her training was full-body circuit work built around dumbbells and kettlebells. Gustin structured the sessions as a series of three-move circuits, with three rounds of each, set between a warm-up and a cool-down. A complete session ran for about an hour, keeping the work efficient instead of stretching across a half-day.

The focus set it apart from a standard bodybuilding split. Rather than isolating one muscle group per day, the routine trains strength, mobility, stability, and balance in the same session. That blend suited a warrior role that demanded controlled movement under load, not a static physique.

Camila Mendes trained daily for two months, combining full-body dumbbell circuits and combat training to prepare for her Teela role.

The Circuit Structure

Each round paired a pressing or pulling movement with something that challenged balance. The first circuit included half-kneeling single-leg shoulder presses, tall plank rotations, and hip thrusts, which built shoulder and glute strength while forcing the core to stabilize the body.

A second circuit layered in push-ups, B-stance Romanian deadlifts with a rotation, and bird dog rows. The rotations turned standard lifts into anti-rotation challenges that hit the obliques and the smaller muscles around the hips and spine. These moves built the kind of functional strength that holds up during fight choreography.

Core & Cardio Finishers

Mendes closed her sessions with dedicated core and conditioning work. A core circuit used crunches and lateral V-ups, with the latter engaging the full midline and obliques in one movement. The targeted core work supported her stunt readiness, as wire scenes and combat sequences constantly load the trunk.

For conditioning, she finished with treadmill sprint intervals to lift her heart rate at the end of the session. Short, hard cardio bursts after strength work build endurance without eating into recovery and layer cleanly on top of lifting.

Stunts & Combat Training

Strength work was only one piece. Mendes trained every day for two months in London to prepare for the fight scenes, learning sword and bow-staff handling alongside the choreography.

She has said the few seconds of stunt footage on screen took months of repetition to get right. That movement and combat practice ran parallel to her gym sessions, so the muscle she added translated into something she could actually use on camera.

Camila Mendes's Bulking Diet for Masters of the Universe

Mendes’s diet was a steady bulk rather than a crash transformation. She ate to support muscle growth over months of heavy training, treating nutrition as part of getting stronger rather than a restriction to endure. She has been open about her aim to put on real muscle for the role and to feel powerful throughout the process.

This matters because the goal was added mass, not a shredded look. Eating in a surplus, with enough protein and carbohydrates to fuel daily strength and stunt sessions, is what let her build the size Teela needed while recovering well enough to train the next day again.

Building muscle for a role like Teela takes a calorie surplus and steady protein over months, paired with consistent training, not extreme dieting.

A Healthy Approach to Eating More

Mendes framed the bulk as a healthy and meaningful process, one she went through with Galitzine as they learned about nutrition together. That framing carries weight, since she has spoken about how women can fear putting on muscle, and she worked past that to eat for performance.

The practical lesson is simple. Building muscle requires a calorie surplus, steady protein intake to repair the tissue you break down during training, and enough carbohydrates to power circuit and combat work. Consistency across months, paired with the strength sessions, is what produced the visible change.

Ready to Build Teela's Strength at Home With SOLE Fitness?

Build a warrior-strong physique at home using SOLE Fitness adjustable dumbbells and structured circuit training.

Mendes's plan comes down to repeatable basics: full-body circuits, a handful of dumbbell and kettlebell moves, balance and core work, and a short cardio finisher. Most of it runs on a single pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bit of floor space, which makes it one of the more realistic celebrity routines to copy at home.

Our SW180 adjustable dumbbells suit that style of training, shifting from 5 to 80 pounds in 5-pound increments so you can load shoulder presses heavily and dial down for balance moves without owning a full rack. For the sprint finishers, our treadmills handle intervals on a cushioned deck that helps reduce joint impact. Every SOLE fitness machine includes free access to the SOLE+ app, with more than 3,000 workouts to keep your training structured. Train like Mendes with SOLE Fitness equipment. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long did Camila Mendes train for Masters of the Universe?

Mendes began preparing around September 2024, months before filming started. Her training ran for the better part of a year, including two months of near-daily sessions in London focused on fight choreography and weapon work for the role of Teela.

What kind of workout did Camila Mendes do for Teela?

Her training was a full-body circuit built around dumbbells and kettlebells, structured as three-move circuits done for three rounds each. Sessions targeted strength, mobility, stability, and balance, with a core circuit and treadmill sprint intervals to finish, all coached by trainer LA Thoma Gustin.

Did Camila Mendes bulk up for Masters of the Universe?

Yes. Mendes spent months bulking to build the muscle Teela required, eating in a surplus to support heavy training. She described the process as healthy and meaningful and has spoken about pushing past the common fear that women adding muscle will feel genuinely strong.

Can a beginner follow Camila Mendes's workout?

Yes. Her routine is beginner-friendly and scalable, since most moves use light to medium dumbbells and can be adjusted to your level. Start with lighter weights, focus on balance and form during stability moves, and swap treadmill sprints for any cardio you have access to.

Can I do the Teela workout with SOLE equipment?

Yes, the SW180 adjustable dumbbells switch quickly between shoulder presses, rows, and Romanian deadlifts, while SOLE treadmills like the F80 make sprint finishers more comfortable with its cushioned running deck.

 

*Disclaimer: Products and prices mentioned in this article are accurate as of the date of publication and are subject to change. Please visit the official SOLE website for the most current information.