Outlander fans have long suspected that Caitriona Balfe’s romance with Sam Heughan stretches beyond their on-screen chemistry.
In a recent interview, the actress was spotted drooling over her co-star’s newly ripped body.
Does this hint an off-screen romance is right around the corner?
According to Sportsrageous , Heughan used a combination of CrossFit training and dieting to get into the best shape of his life.
In fact, Heughan was spotted in a marathon recently and photos released online prove that the actor has become absolutely ripped.
Apparently, fans weren’t the only ones drooling over Heughan’s chiseled frame.
Balfe, who plays Claire on the hit show, was reportedly impressed when she got a look at Heughan’s new body.
In addition to the marathon photos, Heughan posted several images of the medal he won during the race.
The proceeds from the race helped a local charity that provides blood for cancer patients.
Heughan was able to raise over $280,000 for the event.
Apart from the marathon training, Heughan stuck to a strict workout regime in order to prepare for Jamie’s ordeals in the coming season.
This includes the Battle of Culloden and another stint in prison, where Heughan’s character had to lose weight.
Not to mention that the actor will also undergo an aging process in Season 3 of Outlander and fans will get a look at how Jamie appears twenty years down the road.
In speaking about an older Jamie, Heughan teased fans that he was going to gain a lot of weight and sport a large beer belly for Season 3.
“It’s fine, we’re getting put out to pasture and we can just get fat. I’ve already started. Surely [Jamie’s] got a bit of a beer belly. I’m going to take it upon myself to age ungracefully. I think Fat Jamie is what everyone wants to see,” Heughan joked.
Health Aim reports that Heughan wasn’t able to stick to a steady diet during filming, which caused a little fluctuation in weight .
“During shooting my weight did vary a little, because it is quite difficult when you are on location, and good nutrition can be hard to find. I started taking supplements, and I started eating protein bars as they were easy to carry around,” he revealed to Men’s Fitness .
For his character’s stays in prison, Heughan had to switch up his diet to get leaner.
“In the last few months I went Paleo, as my character Jamie gets captured and he is in prison for a short while. I wanted to lean out a bit more, and I did find that did help, though it was quite difficult at first to get into that regime.”
Meanwhile, production for Season 3 of Outlander is well underway.
According to Hall of Fame Magazine , fans will watch Jamie and Claire live separate lives before reuniting 20 years later.
It’s clear that Heughan intensified his workouts to prepare for the new season of Outlander , but some believe that he did it all to impress Balfe.
Of course, other rumors indicate that Heughan may have toned up to be considered for the upcoming role as the new James Bond.
Whatever the reasons behind Heughan’s fitness, fans will get to see him in action when the new season of Outlander airs sometime next year.
Until then, fans can expect Heughan to share more behind-the-scenes photos of his ripped body. Hopefully, more information is revealed about Balfe’s reaction to Heughan’s new look.
Starz has not announced an official premiere date for Season 3, but fans can expect Outlander — along with Sam Heughan and his hot body — to return a little early next year.
[Featured Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]