Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Ken in the 2023 Barbie movie has captivated audiences, sparking interest in the actor's physical transformation. While his role as Colt Seavers in Fall Guy demanded a different physique, both roles highlight Gosling's dedication to fitness and his ability to adapt his training to meet the demands of each character. This article explores the diet and workout strategies that helped Ryan Gosling achieve his Ken-like physique, as well as his preparation for the action-packed Fall Guy.
From Ken to Colt: Adapting the Training
Gosling's preparation for Fall Guy differed significantly from his Barbie training. "I ate more," he admitted, citing the delicious food in Australia, where the movie was filmed. Unlike Ken, Colt Seavers wasn't concerned about aesthetics. As an ex-stuntman, Colt's physique reflected years of physical labor rather than meticulous gym sessions. His character even had a job as a valet before returning to stuntwork, where one of the perks was unlimited burritos.
While Gosling's eating habits were more relaxed for Fall Guy, his training became more specialized. Instead of dance choreography, he focused on fight and stunt choreography. Gosling performed some of his own stunt work, including a 12-story fall and a fight scene on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This required fight choreography training, incorporating elements of various martial arts. Although he had five stunt doubles, Gosling's participation in occasional falls and fights allowed him to connect with his stuntman character more deeply.
The "Fall Guy" Workout: Building a Stuntman's Body
For The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling didn't just aim to look muscular; he wanted a body capable of performing stunts. This meant shifting away from traditional bodybuilding and embracing functional training.
Four Pillars of Gosling's "Fall Guy" Workout:
Weightlifting: Five days a week, Gosling engaged in weightlifting, but with a focus on moderate weight and higher repetitions (8-15 reps per set). Each workout lasted 60-75 minutes, beginning with compound lifts like squats and bench press to build overall strength, followed by isolation exercises for specific muscles.
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Stunt Training: Three times a week, Gosling trained with the movie's stunt team. He didn't just go through the motions; he sought to understand how stunt performers think and move.
Cardio: Gosling started almost every day with 30-45 minutes of cardio before eating. This included incline treadmill walking or outdoor running.
Recovery: Recognizing the importance of rest, Gosling dedicated one day to complete rest and another to light activity like swimming or yoga.
Sample Workout Schedule:
- Monday: Incline bench press (4 sets of 8-10 reps), tricep work, and core exercises focused on rotational strength.
- Tuesday: Deadlifts (5 sets of 6-8 reps), weighted pull-ups (4 sets of 8-10 reps), single-arm dumbbell rows (3 sets of 10-12 per side), and face pulls.
- Wednesday: Back squats (4 sets at 8-10 reps), Bulgarian split squats (3 sets of 10-12 per leg), and core work emphasizing anti-rotation moves.
- Thursday: Military press (4 sets of 8-10 reps), handstand holds against a wall, medicine ball catches, and arm supersets.
- Friday: Circuits with kettlebell swings (20 reps), burpee pull-ups (10 reps), medicine ball slams (15 reps), and farmer's carries (40 yards).
- Saturday: 90 minutes of yoga for mobility and flexibility, plus light stunt technique practice.
- Sunday: Complete rest with light walking and massage.
The "Barbie" Transformation: Sculpting Ken
Ryan Gosling's transformation into Ken required a different approach, focusing on achieving a sculpted physique.
The Ken Workout: A Bodybuilding Split
Gosling's Barbie workout followed a traditional bodybuilding split routine, with five days a week dedicated to the gym for approximately 90 minutes each session. He also incorporated pilates into his routine to enhance muscle strength, improve flexibility, and promote muscle longevity. Even on rest days, he engaged in active recovery activities like hiking or playing basketball.
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Here's a breakdown of Gosling's Barbie workout routine:
- Monday: Back and Biceps
- Standing Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Cable Lat Pull-Down: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Spider Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Cable Seated Row: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 12 reps
- One-Arm Concentration Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Tuesday: Lower Body
- Deadlift: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Leg Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Dumbbell Lunge: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Chest and Triceps
- Decline Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Triceps Dips: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Cable Pec Fly: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Triceps Cable Extension With Rope: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Friday: Abs and Core
- Russian Twist With Plate or Ball: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Back Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Ab Crunch With Stability Ball: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Oblique Dumbbell Side Bend: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Saturday: Shoulders
- Rear Delt Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Military Press: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Barbell Shrug: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Single-Arm Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Sunday: Rest
The Ken Diet: Fueling the Transformation
To achieve his Ken physique, Ryan Gosling followed a strict and disciplined diet. He 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.
A sample of his daily diet includes:
- Breakfast: A meal combining complex carbohydrates, high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics, and antioxidants, such as multi-grain bread and unflavored yogurt.
- Lunch: A balanced mix of lean protein, complex carbs, and fiber-rich vegetables, such as fish.
- Afternoon Snack: A protein shake.
- Dinner: Protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats, such as skinless chicken breast, sweet potatoes, and a mixed green salad.
The main rule was no processed foods (“nothing that comes wrapped in plastic"), with intermittent fasting in place with windows varying depending on an actor’s day. The decision behind this rather than going low carbs was that Higgins needed his actors to be fuelled due to the sheer amount of work they were doing. On set health smoothies helped keep the dream-vibe alive.
The Ab Workout for Abs of Steel
Celebrity PT David Higgins, the architect of the Kens’ daily gym torture sessions, shared an ab workout based on his work with the Ken squad. This ab workout goes nine minutes without a break, with each exercise lasting one minute.
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- Roll back: Sit upright with bent knees tucked into your chest, hands on your shins. Roll back, so your upper back is on the mat, keeping your knees tucked in. Repeat, returning to the upright position before tucking down again.
- Leg lift: Lay on your back, left leg crossed over the right. Lift your feet and legs straight up. At their height, incorporate a slow twist to the left then right, then slowly lower to the ground. Do this for a minute then swap your right leg on top and go again.
- Two step crunch: Perform a crunch as normal, pausing halfway up before continuing, then pausing again at the top to add more time under tension.
- Crossbody crunch: Crunch up, crossing your elbow into your opposite knee, before opening back out on the decline. Do a minute each side.
- Rope climb: Lie on your back. Imagine there's a rope feeding between your raised feet, you're crunching up to try and grab onto that rope, pulling yourself up one arm after the other arm, with a left, right, left right pull at the top of each crunch.
- Windscreen wiper: Sit in a seated position with a bend in the knees. Lean back to feel the tension in your stomach. Lift your ankles, and sway your feet left to right, as far as you can in either direction. If you really want to feel the pain, add a knee to chest raise in the middle of each movement.
- Static dead bug: Lie on your back with your knees bent, arms outstretched. Crunch your knees up one at a time, bring your alternative hand down to meet them. Hold this for 30 seconds before swapping legs and arms for the final 30.