Ryan Gosling, the acclaimed actor, has consistently captivated audiences with his impressive physical transformations for various movie roles. In preparation for his role as Ken in Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated movie, Barbie, fans have been eager to learn about the diet and workout regimen that enabled him to achieve his remarkable physique.
The "Ken-ergy" Phenomenon
When Warner Bros. released the first glimpse of Ryan Gosling as Ken, the internet erupted. Beyond the striking bleach blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, ripped denim jacket, and Calvin Klein-inspired underwear, Gosling showcased impeccably defined arms, chest, and a perfectly sculpted six-pack. This sparked widespread interest in the methods he employed to attain such a physique.
The Mystery of Gosling's Transformation
Unlocking the secret behind Gosling's six-pack is no easy task. The notoriously private actor rarely discusses his workout routines in interviews and does not maintain an Instagram account to provide glimpses of his training to fans. Nevertheless, information has surfaced piecing together his approach to fitness and nutrition.
Diet: A Foundation of Discipline
To maintain his lean physique throughout the years, Gosling has followed a strict and disciplined approach to his diet. During the preparation for his role in the movie Crazy Stupid Love (2010), Gosling's diet primarily consisted of fish, vegetables, rice, and protein shakes.
Intermittent Fasting
Ryan Gosling has been an advocate of intermittent fasting as a means to cut body fat, increase energy levels, and optimize anabolic hormone levels. Typically, Gosling stops eating at 7 pm in the evening and breaks his fast at 11 am the next morning. Within his 8-hour eating window, he consumes four meals, spacing them two hours apart. This approach allows for controlled calorie intake and may promote fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
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Prioritizing Whole Foods
David Higgins, the celebrity PT who worked with the Kens, encouraged the cast to be mindful of their food choices and, most importantly, say no to ultra-processed foods. Experts recommend having a diet with a range of whole foods, from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean proteins. When eating packaged items, experts recommend minimally processed foods with simple ingredient lists.
Workout: A Traditional Bodybuilding Approach
To complement his disciplined diet, Gosling follows a traditional bodybuilding split workout, dedicating five days a week to the gym, with each session lasting approximately an hour and a half. This type of training focuses on isolating specific muscle groups on different days to maximize growth and definition.
Bodybuilding Split Routine
After learning that Ryan Gosling’s Barbie workout followed a traditional bodybuilding split routine including five days in the gym, averaging an hour and a half each session.
Monday: Back and Biceps
- Standing Dumbbell Bicep Curl: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Cable Lat Pull-Down: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Spider Curl: three sets of 12 reps
- Cable Seated Row: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: three sets of 12 reps
- One-Arm Concentration Curl: three sets of 10 reps
Tuesday: Lower Body
- Deadlift: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Barbell Squat: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Leg Curl: three sets of 12 reps
- Leg Press: three sets of 12 reps
- Dumbbell Lunge: three sets of 12 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: three sets of 20 reps
Thursday: Chest and Triceps
- Decline Barbell Bench Press: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Barbell Bench Press: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: three sets of 12 reps
- Triceps Dips: three sets of 12 reps
- Cable Pec Fly: three sets of 12 reps
- Triceps Cable Extension With Rope: three sets of 12 reps
Friday: Abs and Core
- Russian Twist With Plate or Ball: three sets of 12 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise: three sets of 12 reps
- Back Extension: three sets of 12 reps
- Ab Crunch With Stability Ball: three sets of 12 reps
- Oblique Dumbbell Side Bend: three sets of 12 reps
Saturday: Shoulders
- Rear Delt Raise: three sets of 12 reps
- Military Press: four sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: three sets of 12 reps
- Barbell Shrug: three sets of 12 reps
- Single-Arm Shoulder Press: three sets of 12 reps
Pilates for Flexibility and Strength
During the preparation for his role in La La Land, Gosling incorporated pilates into his fitness routine. Pilates was recommended to him to enhance muscle strength, improve flexibility, and promote muscle longevity. His trainer, Arin Babaian, introduced pilates after incorporating squats and pull-ups into Gosling's workout routine.
Ken-petition: The Competitive Edge
While he wanted to create a cohesive unit, Higgins knew competition would help the actors push themselves, and each other. Just like in the film, it also plays on their natural desire to one-up each other. Push-up challenges and plank challenges abounded. Higgins says that Head Ken (Ryan Gosling) would dip in and out of sessions, but was a particular fan of the Pilates sessions, and Higgins’ competitions.
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Beyond Barbie: The Fall Guy Transformation
Gosling explained how prepping for the role of Colt in Fall Guy differed from how he prepared for Ken. "I ate more," he laughed. "The food in Australia [where the film was shot] is just too good. And also Colt, the character, wasn’t concerned about aesthetics. Instead of learning dancing choreography, he was challenged with fight and stunt choreography. There were a handful of scenes where Gosling had to do his own stunt work, including a fall from a 12-story building and a fight scene on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. That took some fight choreography training, which includes learning small bits of different types of martial arts.
The Importance of Consistency and Realism
It's important to keep in mind that there are no shortcuts or secret formulas to instantly achieve the well-defined waistline that Ryan Gosling is known for. If you're expecting quick results within two weeks, you'll be disappointed. Gosling's dedication to his diet and workout routine showcases his commitment to his craft. By adhering to a healthy eating plan, indulging in moderation, and incorporating both intermittent fasting and pilates into his regimen, he has consistently achieved remarkable transformations for his movie roles.
Achieving Your Own "Ken-ergy": A Week-Long Challenge
One individual decided to challenge themselves to try Gosling's Barbie workout for a week. The workout relied largely on variations of curls and rows, but the kicker was the amount of reps included in each set. Each move included three or four sets of varying reps (8-15). By the end of the first move, standing bicep curls, arms were on fire. The moves consisted of varying squats, lunges, and calf raises, again in a pattern of three or four sets, 8-15 reps. The easiest day yet, consisting of varying chest presses, tricep dips, flies, and extensions. After a variation of core-burning twists, raises and crunches, Day 5 was in the books, and only one workout remained. Consisting of assorted raises and presses, Gosling’s Day 6 routine focused on shoulders, which I was excited to tackle after all the core work the day before.
Results of the Challenge
Doing a week of Gosling’s Barbie workout routine definitely made me feel stronger and more toned, but for me, it’s probably ambitious to stick to such a strenuous workout routine five days a week (not including cardio). However, I absolutely felt like I was actively targeting my muscles in an informed way, performing moves I likely wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus, moving at my own pace was a nice change from the instructor-based classes I normally take (dictating the soundtrack was a perk, too!). At the end of the week, the biggest takeaway was how accomplished I felt getting through Gosling’s Barbie regimen - and not breaking a nail in the process (thank God). Did I have overnight abs? Negative. However, aside from the obvious soreness, my whole body felt tighter after the hours of area-targeted work. I mostly noticed this tightness in my lower body, abs, and arms. It felt like if I kept up with this routine, my body would tone up and eventually gain muscle.
An Ab Workout Inspired by the Kens
Based on his work with the Ken squad, celebrity PT David Higgins shared this ab workout goes nine minutes without a break, with each exercise lasting one minute:
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- Roll back
- Leg lift
- Two step crunch
- Crossbody crunch
- Rope climb
- Windscreen wiper
- Static dead bug