If you ever wondered how the cast of the Marvel Universe manage to get such amazing bodies for films like 'Avengers: Infinity War', you might be surprised to know it's not all down to diet and exercise. Of course, that's the main thing, but Benedict Cumberbatch reveals some unusual trade secrets.

Benedict Cumberbatch at CinemaconBenedict Cumberbatch at Cinemacon

The 41-year-old admits that he didn't even try and keep up with the muscle madness of Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth for 'Avengers: Infinity War', but it was a different story for 'Doctor Strange' where he had to undergo some gruelling last-minute preparations to look the best he could possibly be for his shirtless moment.

'You spend months eating the right stuff, doing the right kind of press-ups and pull-ups and dips and all the other jazz', he explained on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden'. 'The day and night before, you kind of dehydrate yourself, and then on the actual day on set - I don't even know if I should [be saying this] - you basically are told to eat Skittles and drink coffee because it dehydrates you.'

As perfectly depressing as that sounds, there's a very good reason behind this bodily sabotage and it's a technique that has been adopted by actors, models and competitive body builders all over the world. But, yeah, it's most certainly not good for you.

'It's horrible', Benedict said. 'So, basically, your skin then shrink-wraps around the muscle fibre. Horrible mental images.'

Victoria's Secret models like Adriana Lima have similar methods of body prep for their shoots and runway shows, though it's actually aimed at reducing bloating due to water retention. 'Literally the day before you drink only one glass of water', she told E! News last year. 'And that night you take a boiling hot bath. By the shoot you've got no liquid in you whatsoever.'

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It's certainly not a healthy method of getting into shape, so we'd always advise consulting a doctor's opinion before embarking on such a drastic attack on your body. Getting to star in 'Avengers: Infinity War' has got to make it all worthwhile though.