History Main / GrowingMusclesSequence

* Teetsi in "WesternAnimation/Madagascar:Escape2Africa" has a tone-up sequence when he is awaken from sleep to fight Alex. It is greatly emphasized by the camera tilting over his body as his muscles quickly pop out one by one.

* Teetsi in "Film/MadagascarEscape2Africa" has a tone-up sequence when he is awaken from sleep to fight Alex. It is greatly emphasized by the camera tilting over his body as his muscles quickly pop out one by one.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!

* A Geico ad has two skinny bros talking about insurance while doing curls. With every cut, one of them starts becoming more and more buff till he's just bulging.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E6PowerPonies Power Ponies]]", resident ShrinkingViolet Fluttershy becomes the [[HulkMashUp Incredible Hulk-esque]] "Saddle Rager" in the comic book world. She [[HulkingOut hulks out]] and wrecks the villain's doomsday device with her bare hooves (and teeth) after witnessing her [[BerserkButton swat a "teensy, little, harmless firefly" with her mane]].

!!Examples

* Some ''ComicBook/MarshalLaw'' superheroes "pump ions" to bulk up.

[[folder:Film]]

* Happens to [[spoiler:[[TheScrappy Scrappy-Doo]]]] in ''Film/ScoobyDoo2002'', and to Shaggy in ''Film/ScoobyDooMonstersUnleashed'', although the causes and intentions for each are different.
* The Nerdlucks turning into the Monstars in ''Film/SpaceJam''. Bugs Bunny, being a Looney Toon, is not above faking one to convince his teammates that [[MagicFeather "Michael's Secret Stuff"]] works.
* Invoked when Clown transforms into his demonic true form, the Violator, in ''Film/Spawn1997''. It's an odd variant because Clown is a short FatBastard human and Violator is a much taller, hunchbacked LeanAndMean demon.

[[folder:WebAnimation]]

* The Crusher from the ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'' cartoon "Bunny Hugged". Even his muscles have muscles.
* A couple of Timmy's wishes in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' result in this.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'': Prince Adam's transformation to He-Man usually ''doesn't'' involve this, despite the former being an ordinary Eternian and the latter "the most powerful man in the universe". In the first series, this was because [[ClarkKenting He-Man is pretty much Prince Adam with a tan and less clothes on]]. In [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 the 2002 series]] a sequence is used for a few episodes in the second season, until He-Man gets his armor.

* Occurs in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS3E7PatriotAct Patriot Act]]" after a mad general steals a SuperSerum and injects himself with it.

* In the [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner]] cartoon ''WesternAnimation/StopLookAndHasten'', Wile E. orders "Leg Muscle Vitamins" from Acme. He downs the entire bottle, and his leg muscles quickly become ridiculously large and defined. Not that it helps him.

* ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast'' has your character undergo two such transformations for the first two {{Power Up}}s he collects in a stage. His transformation into a beast once they pick up the third also has elements of this.

* In the [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner]] cartoon ''WesternAnimation/StopLookAndHasten'', Wile E. orders "Leg Muscle Vitamins" from Acme. He down the entire bottle, and his leg muscles quickly become ridiculously large and defined. Not that it helps him.

* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS4E11WhaleOfABirthdayKarateIsland Karate Island]]" has two of these as Sandy and the episode's antagonist Master Udon prepare for their battle. This even has Master Udon's eyebrows and Sandy's tail flexing into the shape of muscular arms. This is just for show, their figures are back to normal when their battle begins, both of them missing their opening charge.

* Kenshiro from ''[[Manga/FistoftheNorthStar Fist of the North Star]]''. Whenever he's about to use his full strength through the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ebC8EVe1JQ Tenryu Kokyu Ho (Art of the Dragon's Breathing) technique,]] he [[WalkingShirtlessScene rips up his shirt]] and makes his jacket slide off his shoulders by sheer muscle expansion while his pants remain unharmed, which essentially makes him the Japanese [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]. In a variation this is implied to be the result of his ''inexperience'' with the technique, as Raoh, Toki and Jagi, all trained in Hokuto Shinken like him but older, don't need to bulk up to use their full strength, and Kenshiro later remains in the muscular form the entire time.

* Done in ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' when [[OlderThanTheyLook apparently]] [[CuteBruiser 12-year old]] Biscuit Krueger goes from looking a cute schoolgirl to being 10' tall and incredibly ripped.
* Happens to [[AmazonianBeauty Akane]] in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool'' after trying [[SupremeChef Teruteru]]'s "Doping Corn Soup" to help her win a sparring match, the sequence in question ending in a ShoutOut to Gon's transformation in ''Manga/HunterXHunter''.
* Kid Muscle from ''Anime/UltimateMuscle''.
* In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', Sawk goes through this when he uses Bulk Up, a move that increases his attack and defense.

* Younger Toguro from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' goes through this every time he unleashes a percentage of his full power, assuming ever more ridiculously bulked up forms during the course of the series. A less prominent example from the same series is Byakko, who grows as he absorbs the blows of his opponents, [[spoiler:which turns out to be his undoing.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Ggio Vega and Poww do this when they decide to unleash their full power. [[spoiler:Later on, Riruka's Fullbring forces a yakuza trapped inside a weaponised plushie to go through one of these.]]
* Aisha Clan-Clan in ''Anime/OutlawStar'' can transform into a more muscular version of herself under a full moon. (And then further into a non-anthropomorphic [[PantheraAwesome panther creature]].) It's not really apparent if Aisha's muscling up is supposed to be something that's literally happening or just an indication that she's [[LetsGetDangerous switched from "silly" to "serious"]], since she always has SuperStrength.
* Sandra Guts from ''Literature/DirtyPair'' does this to herself with her own formula called 'Hustle.'
* The [[ViralTransformation Eclipse Driver]] Marty of ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'' has this as his viralizing ability. He could grow his muscles to increase his strength and toughness, to the point where he becomes [[ImmuneToBullets immune to physical attacks like bullets]]. [[spoiler:So Arnage switches weapons and pulls out a WaveMotionTuningFork]].

* Ichiya from ''Manga/{{Fairy Tail}}'', whenever he uses his Power Perfume. Laxus did it once when he first showed off his Lightning Dragon Slayer magic, though subsequent uses lack this, and Cobra performs a downplayed version in that only his arms and hands get larger and draconic from activating his Poison Dragon Slayer Magic.
* This is the villain Muscular's Quirk in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. It quickly enters BodyHorror territory because his muscles grow so large and powerful that ''his skin can't contain them''.
* Every time Machio from ''Manga/HowHeavyAreTheDumbbellsYouLift'' flexes, his body swells up with so much muscle that he promptly explodes out of his tracksuit and towers over everyone else.
* Michiru's "gorilla arms" form in ''Anime/BNABrandNewAnimal'' temporarily gives one or both of her arms massive veiny muscles.
* The main character in ''Literature/DarkWarrior'' gets one as part of his awakening as an ArtificialHuman.

* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The Hulk in all his incarnations. He is, after all, the TropeNamer of the related trope HulkingOut.

* In ComicBook/TheNewUniverse, [[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/lnders.htm David Landers]] of ''ComicBook/DP7'' goes through quite painful transformations when he grows muscles, which he has to sustain by being a BigEater.
* Patriot of ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'', in the storyline where it's revealed he takes Mutant Growth Hormone. He injects himself with too much, and grows to the size of a truck.

* This happens to Caitlin Fairchild in the first issue of ''ComicBook/{{Gen 13}}''. She goes from short and slender and mousy to [[StatuesqueStunner tall]], [[AmazonianBeauty ripped]] and [[BreastExpansion stacked]] once her powers activate.

* Notably averted by ComicBook/{{Bane}} in his comic book appearances: Venom makes him veiny, but he stays pretty much the same size (although sometimes his muscles do bulge ever-so-slightly when he takes a dose, as seen when he prepares to fight Batman in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''). Most adaptations play the trope straight, though, and he's bulked up considerably in the ComicBook/{{New 52}}.

* ''ComicBook/EarthwormJim:'' In the second issue, whilst boasting that being an Insectikette gives her the strength of 100 men, Princess Whats-Her-Name does this in a three panel sequence; first she strikes a pin-up girl pose, then she flexes her muscles, causing her to bulk up like an Olympic body-builder, then she unflexes them and snaps back to the pin-up girl look.

* Tim turning into The Muscle in the {{Imagine Spot}}s of ''Film/TheDangerousLivesOfAltarBoys''.
* Happens to [[spoiler:''[[TheScrappy Scrappy Doo]]'']] in the first ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie, and to Shaggy in the second, although the causes and intentions for each are different.

* Invoked when Clown transforms into his demonic true form, the Violator, in the ''Film/{{Spawn|1997}}'' film. It's an odd variant because Clown is a short FatBastard human and Violator is a much taller hunchbacked LeanAndMean demon.
* Done quite naturally in the film ''Film/TheThreeStooges Meet Hercules'', as the nerdy but affable MadScientist labors in a rowing crew aboard a galleon. The strain of pumping the oars causes him to bulk up significantly, with many [[FanService shots of his bulging biceps]], until he is a match for the mythological strongman himself.
* Seen in ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', when Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde after taking a sip of his formula. It's much more obvious when a mook later drinks a whole bottle.

--> she could feel her legs stretch and muscles grow to launch her faster and farther than a normal girl should.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Lampshaded but averted when the Nerd Trio get their hands on a [[CompensatingForSomething couple of magic orbs]].

* ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' and by extension ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'': one of the Green Ranger's spells.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has this happen to a depowered Bane and some of Joker's goons when they get injected with [[PsychoSerum "Titan"]], a derivative of the [[SuperSerum Venom]] normally used by Bane. [[spoiler:It almost happens to Franchise/{{Batman}} when he [[TakingTheBullet takes the bullet]] for Commissioner Gordon, but he's able to resist the transformation until he takes an [[MagicAntidote antidote]]. ComicBook/TheJoker, [[VoluntaryTransformation on the]] [[OneWingedAngel other hand...]]]]

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'': The DLC case includes a scene like this when you start closing in on the culprit. Apparently, [[spoiler:fish-barrel water]] buffs you up like nothing else.
* The [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Bleeding Hollow clan]] from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' uses a BloodMagic ritual to invoke this on their berserkers, turning them into massive, hulking orcs. [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Ariok]] voluntarily undergoes this same ritual in order to buy the player and their allies enough time to escape the clan during the intro for ''Warlords of Draenor'' . He ends up becoming even more massive than said hulking orcs in the process.

* In ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', this happens to ''[[AdiposeRex King Dedede]]'' of all characters due to the influence of a Jamba Heart, complete with close-ups on his newly obtained biceps and pecs.
* A staple of the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' franchise. While the T-Virus doesn't seem to provoke this effect, other, faster-acting or more prone to physical mutation ones like the G-Virus or T-Veronica virus tend to do this.
* Casting the Atlas alchemy spell in ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'' briefly shows the Boy swell up into a herculean state almost four times bigger than his normal self.
* One of the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting transformations]] in ''VideoGame/ShapeShiftShawn'' has Shawn turn into a muscular yellow ogre. While in this form, he can effortlessly plow through most regular enemies, but he also has the ability to destroy the level itself, smashing through solid walls and floors.

* In ''Naked Butler'', Mizoguchi Toyoharu, ''a 56-year-old man'', does this ''to rip through ropes and his own shirt.'' Yes, it's every bit as crazy and hilarious as it sounds.

* Hazel Rainart, one of the direct servants of the BigBad in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' reveals this talent in Volume 5. By stabbing raw crystals of [[GreenRocks electric Dust]] into his upper arms, Hazel's arms noticeably swell with his veins protruding. He also gains some slight [[ShockAndAwe electrical powers]] from this enhancement, making him a [[{{Pun}} literal]] example of a LightningBruiser.

-->'''Hella Jeff''': fucking incredible

* Done in a number of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAM_tLYl6_o werewolf]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGMmxzZarBw transformations]] in animation. Apparently the "were" in "werewolf" is the Anglo-Saxon for "bodybuilder".
* Bane in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''.
** Another example from ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''; this happens to Joker in the episode “Brawn” when he steals Bane’s Venom equipment and uses it on himself.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'': Vilgax in the early seasons had Cybernetic SpikesOfVillainy that did this.
* Raimundo from ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' had this issue when the Shen Gong Wu kept magnetically pulling towards him, making him increasingly more powerful to the point he was virtually invincible, with Wuya attempting to use him as a vessel for her to defeat the monks.
* One of the effects of the [[SuperSerum Super Soldier Serum]] that created ComicBook/CaptainAmerica.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' in the episode "The Patriot Act" after a mad general steals super soldier serum and injects himself.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes", Rick and Summer both workout using steroids to get muscle extremely fast to beat up Mr. Needful as payback.
* A couple of Timmy's wishes in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' resulted in this.
* Billy turning back into Ganthar in ''WesternAnimation/MartinMystery''.
* [[OnceAnEpisode In each episode]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheMiniavengers'', a kid will pass through a momentary but incredibly exaggerated sequence before getting their superpower, temporarily ending up dozens of times the size of the earth.
* WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}, every time he eats his spinach. The change is brief and usually located in the (already abnormally muscular) forearms, sometimes with a superimposed image of a battleship, a cannon, a high-powered turbine or similar imagery.
* Munya from ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays''.

** In "Itchy & Scratchy Land", the opening Itchy & Scratchy sketch has Scratchy lift weights for a few seconds which makes his muscles grow big instantly.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' episode "The Incredible Bulk" featured a plot involving power bars that would cause anyone who ate them to go through a series of such transformations until they would finally explode.

* Happens to Jade from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' in the episode "The Amazing T-Troop" when she uses the ox talisman. Interestingly, while the ox talisman does grant the user the power of super strength, this is the only occurrence where this trope is applied.
* A [[StockFootage sequence]] depicting this happening is often played when WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}} transforms into [[HulkingOut Bad Kaeloo]]. [[MaleGaze The most attention is paid to her buttocks]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "Power Ponies", resident ShrinkingViolet Fluttershy becomes the Incredible Hulk-esque "Saddle Rager" in the comic book world. She [[HulkingOut hulks out]] and wrecks the villain's doomsday device with her bare hooves (and teeth) after witnessing her [[BerserkButton swat a "teensy, little, harmless firefly" with her mane]].
* The Crusher from the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon "Bunny Hugged." Even his muscles have muscles.
* Powerful Pierre in the ''WesternAnimation/HeckleAndJeckle'' cartoon "Log Rollers" flexes his muscles on his arm, his pinky finger, his tongue, his ears and finally his eyelash.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Karate Island" has two of these as Sandy and the episode's antagonist Master Udon prepare for their battle. This even has Master Udon's eyebrows and Sandy's tail flexing into the shape of muscular arms. This is just for show, their figures are back to normal when their battle begins, both of them missing their opening charge.
* One ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode, "Ron the Man", practically centered around this trope. When Dr. Drakken gets jealous of Professor Dementor's superior henchmen, he steals rings that can make a person more muscular in order to enhance his men. Ron ends up stealing a ring himself to make himself beefier so as to be seen as a man, and he later gives that ring to Rufus, who buffs himself up to make Drakken surrender.
** There's even a scene earlier in the episode where the CEO of [=HenchCo=] shows Kim and Ron an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh1wgl8tZKQ instructional video]] for the muscle enhancing ring, depicting a man in a swimsuit, who looks similar in appearance to Ron, putting on the ring and twisting it to activate it, before turning into a massive bodybuilder and performing a most muscular flex in celebration of his new physique.
* The ''ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}}'' cartoon showed Little Eric swelling with muscles during his transformation. This was [[RetCanon backported into the comic strip]], which had previously represented the transformation with an explosion panel.
* Tramm, sidekick to Aqualad in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', is a [[FishPeople humanoid blowfish]] who has the ability to transform from his normally small, scrawny self into a much larger ([[TopHeavyGuy at least around the chest and arms]]) form with SuperStrength when he needs to fight.

** Played with with the Super Saiyan Grade 2 and Grade 3 transformations. They increases the user's power by an incredible amount, but not only they drain stamina faster, with the bulkier Grade 3, as Future Trunks learns when fighting Perfect Cell (and later with Caulifla against Goku in the Tournament of Power), all the extra muscle mass that the form comes with cripples the user's speed, making it completely useless; all the strength in the world doesn't mean squat if you can't ''hit'' your opponent.

** A rare female example comes from ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' with Kale, a ShrinkingViolet Universe 6 Saiyan who goes from a normal-looking slim young girl to [[spoiler: the female version of Broly.]]

* Kenshiro from ''[[Manga/FistoftheNorthStar Fist of the North Star]]''. Whenever he's about to use his full strength through the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ebC8EVe1JQ Tenryu Kokyu Ho (Art of the Dragon's Breathing) technique]], he [[WalkingShirtlessScene rips up his shirt]] and makes his jacket slide off his shoulders by sheer muscle expansion while his pants remain unharmed, which essentially makes him the Japanese [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]. In a variation this is implied to be the result of his ''inexperience'' with the technique, as Raoh, Toki and Jagi, all trained in Hokuto Shinken like him but older, don't need to bulk up to use their full strength, and Kenshiro later remains in the muscular form the entire time.

* Sandra Guts from ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' does this to herself with her own formula called 'Hustle.'

Depending on the character and the setting, a Growing Muscles Sequence can be {{voluntary|Shapeshifting}} or {{involuntary|Shapeshifting}}, range from painless to {{painful|Transformation}} to a BodyHorror and its end result can run the gamut from having a HeroicBuild to being TheGrotesque.

** When Frieza first unleashed his 100% Full Power form to fight Super Saiyan Goku on Namek, his body bulked up from LeanAndMean to beefier than Goku himself (and Goku had gotten a muscle mass increase from his own transformation to boot) and to the point it looked like his skin was barely able to contain his muscles. Curiously, when he did so again when he arrived on Earth in ''Resurrection F'' there was no visible muscle increase, implying his training to maximize his power naturally took away the need for it. Nonetheless, [[spoiler:as revealed in the Universal Survival Saga]], Frieza ''can'' still bulk up his muscles if he wants to.