Ryan Reynolds, known for his roles ranging from romantic comedies to superheroes, has consistently maintained an impressive physique. His transformation from the "Van Wilder" days to his superhero roles in films like "Blade: Trinity," "Green Lantern," and "Deadpool" is a testament to his dedication to fitness and nutrition. This article delves into the workout and diet regimens that have helped Reynolds achieve and maintain his superhero shape.
Early Days: The "Van Wilder" Transformation
Back in his "Van Wilder" days, Ryan Reynolds admits he "was pretty unhealthy" and "didn’t care what I ate or what I drank.” However, his role in "Blade: Trinity" marked a turning point, prompting him to get serious about his health and fitness.
The Blade: Trinity Era: Leaning Down
For his role in "Blade: Trinity," Reynolds reportedly leaned down to 4% body fat. Trainer Bobby Strom, who has been training Reynolds since "Blade: Trinity," notes that they "try to make him look different in each role," avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to his physique.
Functional Fitness for Superhero Roles
Nowadays, Reynolds says his training is more functional and less aesthetic. “Most of it is self-preservation. You want to still be able to get up after take 50 of falling off some ledge and landing on cement,” he says.
The Deadpool Workout Regimen
Ryan Reynolds is 40 years old, decently built, 6’2”, and 190 lbs when he bulks up. For some of the roles he can even go a bit heavier. The "Deadpool" workout regimen, designed by celebrity coach Don Saladino, emphasizes movement and athleticism. Unlike the CGI-heavy "Green Lantern," Reynolds wanted "Deadpool" to feel authentic, which meant really feeling the role, physically.
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Emphasis on Movement
Saladino’s core tenet is movement. “I would never do just straight bodybuilding because he has to do so many of his own stunts,” Saladino says, explaining that while big muscles might look the part, they can be pretty restrictive when it comes to jumping through windows, rolling around with katanas, or just lifting your arms over your head. For Reynolds’ fight scenes across the three Deadpool movies, it was important he could move like an athlete.
Slow and Measured Approach
It was also key to take a slow and measured approach to his workouts to retain a symmetrical figure, and to prevent his body type changing too much throughout filming. “The [Deadpool] suit is very tight-it's perfectly fitted,” explains Saladino. Get too big, or lose too much weight and Reynolds simply wouldn’t fit in the suit.
Warm-Up Routine
Each workout would begin with loosening up and foam rolling. “It was all about a dynamic warm-up,” says Saladino. “We might clean up in his thoracic extension by hanging from a pull up bar, with some thoracic rotations.” Saladino likens the process of helping an actor move as efficiently as possible to flossing your teeth. “We'll segmentally look at his body and we'll just try and grease it,” he says. “When you’re flossing your teeth, you're just making sure it's smooth, and it's clean. Like, I want to make sure that his joints are really flossed. So that's like, number one focus early on.” After 10 minutes of warm-ups, they’d go into a jump/carry portion which might be medicine ball carries paired with box jumps to get the blood pumping and joints moving.
Training on the Road
How Reynolds trains depends on where he is, too. If he’s on the road, Saladino is conscious of wearing him out, so swaps high-intensity cardio for low-impact walking. “We're having him doing a lot of walking,” he says. “And then when we get home, and we're feeling a bit energetic, we could throw in a little bit more high intense bursts, you know, keeping his cardiovascular a bit shorter, maybe like five to 10 minutes.”
Sample Leg Day Workout
Here’s a sample workout based on Saladino's Deadpool leg day program. Warm up, then get to work with three sets of 12 reps of each:
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- Leg Press: Adjust the machine to the right weight. Take a seat, with your knees bent. Grip the handles with your hands as you extend your legs, pushing the weight platform away from you. Do not lock your knees. Hold, then slowly bring your knees to your chest for one.
- Leg Extension: Adjust the machine to a comfortable weight. Sit with the foam bar across your shins. Facing forward, chest and head high, grip the handles as you exhale, extending your legs, and lifting the bar up and away. Hold, and reverse to return to the start.
- Leg Curl: Similar to the previous exercise, this time you’ll be laid on your front with the bar behind your calves. This works in the same way as a bicep curl, but for your hammies.
- Seated Calf Raise: You can do this with a machine, or a barbell across your lap. Either way, adjust your set-up so that you’re comfortable. Keeping your back straight, you’re going to raise your heels off the ground, so your weight is on your tip toes. You should feel this all down your calf.
Five-Day Workout Split
For 60 minutes, five days a week, Reynolds might work through a split like this:
- Legs
- Chest
- Arm Day
- Back
- Shoulder & Abs
Additional Training Elements
When he is preparing his body for a role, RR will workout 3 hours per day, 6 days per week hitting the gym and lifting weights. He hits the gym six times a week and works out a different body part every time. For example, that could mean that he could be doing, legs on Monday, chest on Tuesday, arms on Wednesday, shoulders on Thursday, back on Friday, and his abs on Saturday. He also spends hours a day fight training with a stuntman to create all those awesome stunts you see in his films. He needs to learn to fight, kick, punch, and roll.
Ryan Reynolds' Diet Plan
Muscles are built in the kitchen after all, so how is Ryan eating when he is prepping for these roles? Simply put, his diet is that of a typical body builder which to be honest, is not the most fun way to eat. He eats every two hours, that is, six to eight times per day. For each of these meals he would eat a smaller portion than you would if you were eating only two or three times a day. Important to note is that even though he is eating smaller portions more frequently, he would still be taking in a calorie surplus. What matters most here, in our opinion, is the amount of food that you put in your mouth during the day, rather than the frequency or amount of meals. The most important macronutrient is protein. Protein is the most important macro for putting on lean muscle mass. Ryan eats a lot of boring foods, for example to get his carbohydrates in he would eat oatmeal without sugar and for protein he would eat lean beef, skinless chicken breasts, egg whites, and gulp protein shakes. For the fats, he would go to the healthy fats that you get from avocados and nuts. When he preps for a role he is pretty much on the basic, boring in our opinion, bodybuilder diet.
Metabolic Flexibility
Refreshingly, Saladino is reluctant to put a label on Reynolds’ food plan-it wasn’t keto, for example. “He will consume animal protein, he will consume very fine carbs, and he will consume healthy fats,” Saladino says. Unlike the carb-conscious cutting mentality, Saladino says he has never shied away from carbs, instead opting for “metabolic flexibility” manipulating macros based on external factors like time of year or how his body feels, but never restricting calories. “You should not be living in a cut. People screw up because they start limiting calories and their bodies start basically shutting down,” he says. “You need to slowly start introducing calories and building that up.” As such, instead of aiming for a certain weight, Saladino focused on body composition, the number on the scale be damned. He asks his clients “If I increased your body weight by 10 pounds, but you were able to look exactly the way you wanted to look naked. Would you take it?” It’s a much healthier approach to building a body, and one that ensured Reynolds kept energy levels high at all times, helping him push harder and further.
Key Dietary Components
Ryan's diet was high in protein to support muscle growth and repair. He included lean meats, fish, and plant-based proteins in his meals. His diet also emphasized complex carbohydrates like quinoa and sweet potatoes for sustained energy, along with healthy fats from sources like avocados and nuts. Ryan also focused on portion control and timing his meals around his workouts to optimize performance and recovery.
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Sample Meal Plan Components
- Carbohydrates: Sweet potato is one of his favorite carbohydrates. He’d do oatmeal and protein in the morning. Brown rice and a little bit of fruit.
Don Saladino's Nutritional Advice
- “I suggest avoiding white sugar, so no added sugars, avoid white flour, white bread,” he advised. “I prefer people not to have wheat but, if it's not realistic, wheat is kept in. Same thing with dairy, I prefer people not to be on dairy.
Supplements
Even though Ryan is not big on the supplements he is known to take some creatine monohydrate for short periods of time when he is preparing for a role. Now creatine has been shown to be very effective for helping you build muscle, and it is not super harmful.
The Importance of Sleep
If you’re a longtime Men's Health reader, you know the importance of catching some much-needed Z’s every night. “Sleep is how we repair our hormones so that we're functioning optimally during our workouts,” he said. “You burn calories at rest and when you get proper sleep, your energy levels are better. So you're more active during the day. He says that one client who began getting an extra hour-and-a-half of sleep every day dropped 10 pounds without making any other alterations to their routine. Sounds like as good a reason as any to get some extra shuteye (besides, you know, not passing out at school or work).
Mental Health and Motivation
“I’ve had anxiety my whole life really,” Reynolds said. “I tend to pave over anxiety with work and, to a lesser extent, achievement,” Reynolds said. “You want to tick boxes sometimes. So these days, my goal is to be as present as I can and not just tick a box just to do it. I’m fully embracing and living that right now. Despite the acting duo's online banter, Reynolds is more motivated by competing with himself than Jackman, Saladino said.
Adapting the Routine for Beginners
While Ryan's routine is intense and designed for someone with a solid fitness foundation, beginners can adapt it to suit their level. Start with lighter weights, fewer sets, and shorter workouts.
Staying Lean with Cardio
Stay lean by adding in high intensity cardio to your training regimen. Ryan enjoys doing three to five sets of 10 seconds of intensity on the bike ERG, or 50 to 100 feet climbs on the vertical climber,” Saladino explained to Esquire.
Key Health Habits
Through it all, he prioritizes key health habits to keep up the demand of his A-list lifestyle.