Sydney Sweeney Reveals The Extreme Way She Packed On 30 Pounds For Christy
The star broke down exactly how she did it, and the method is just as intense as the role itself.
Sydney Sweeney did not half-step for Christy. She bulked up, ate like a college linebacker in the off-season, trained nonstop, and then got teary when the crowd stood up for the premiere. Here is what she actually did, straight from TIFF.
TIFF premiere: what she said and what it took
At the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (aka TIFF), The White Lotus star showed up for the world premiere of Christy, where she plays legendary boxer Christy Martin. During the post-screening Q&A, Sweeney said she put on about 30 pounds for the role and spent roughly two to three months in an intense training cycle, working out three times a day. She called the whole thing an incredible process to try to do justice to an iconic, ridiculously tough athlete.
The diet: heavy on Chick-fil-A and shakes
Director David Michod had a little fun with it on stage, saying Sweeney logged a lot of Chick-fil-A during prep. She backed that up and fleshed out the menu: think Smucker's, milkshakes, and protein shakes on repeat. In other words, the classic bulk.
Standing ovation and a tearful shout-out
The screening ended with a standing ovation, and Sweeney got visibly emotional. She turned to Christy Martin with a simple, heartfelt message:
"Christy, you are absolutely incredible, and I'm so honored."
Quick rundown
- Project: Christy, a film about boxer Christy Martin
- Where this all happened: 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
- The physical change: Sweeney gained about 30 pounds
- Training: three sessions a day for roughly two to three months
- Diet during prep: lots of Chick-fil-A, plus Smucker's, milkshakes, and protein shakes
- How it played in the room: standing ovation; Sweeney was emotional
- Shared from the event: Variety posted video of the moment on X on September 5, 2025
- Director: David Michod
- Release: the film opens November 7
Why this is a little weird (in a good way)
Actors transforming their bodies is nothing new, but gaining weight while training like a fighter is a curveball. Most boxing stories lean into cutting and leaning out. Sweeney and Michod went the other way to match the power and presence of Christy Martin, and yeah, that means fast food and shakes alongside the sparring and roadwork. Inside baseball, but it tracks.
For the paper trail folks: video came via Variety on X; the news hit the trades September 5, 2025. The initial write-up was by Anwaya Mane for Mandatory, and Reality Tea also ran the story.