Whether playing a linebacker or a superhero, Alan Ritchson's acting ability and physique have mad him a great fit for a number of different roles.
Known for playing Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State, Arthur Curry/Aquaman in Smallville, and Gloss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Ritchson's 6'3", 200+ pound frame has been part of the reason he has been able to stand out.
The Alan Ritchson workout routine and diet plan below shows how he is able to maintain his lean and muscular look while preparing for different roles in TV shows and movies that often require plenty of action.
Alan Ritchson as Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State - Photo By: Lionsgate
The Alan Ritchson workout
An article by Joseph Potts on Stack took a look at what Ritchson does to get in great shape. Surprisingly, it isn't a ton of traditional lifting in the weight room and instead consists of a foundation consisting of the following:
- Sprints
- Distance running
- Bodyweight exercises
- Plyometrics
Ritchson considers running to be the core of his training program. His routine consists of 5 running workouts per week, of which 2 are short sprinting sessions and the remaining 3 are more distance running. The sprints workouts are very intense and done at near maximum speeds. The endurance running sessions consists of 3 to 5 miles.
Rather than a traditional lifting workout, Ritchson normally does strength training with circuits done in a Tabata style. This consists of doing 1 exercise for time, followed by a short rest and moving on to the next exercise. These consist primarily of bodyweight exercises and plyometrics.
The circuit below shows an example of the type of circuit that Ritchson may do in a typical workout. These don't necessarily require any major weight room equipment, and can be done with just some open space and a pair of dumbbells.
Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
Weighted squat jumps | 1 minute |
Weighted lunge jumps | 1 minute |
Lateral lunges | 1 minute |
Mountain climbers | 1 minute |
Dumbbell shoulder press | 1 minute |
Bent over rows | 1 minute |
T push-ups | 1 minute |
Mountain Climbers | 1 minute |
These exercises are done for time and not necessarily reps. Ritchson would do each exercise for 1 minute, followed by just a 10 second break between lifts. This allows all major muscle groups to be worked in less than 10 minutes.
If you try this yourself, you can challenge yourself in different ways. You may need to start with a conservative weight to be able to perform reps for 1 minute straight without needing a break. Eventually, you will be able to either increase the weight or the number of sets that you do.
These circuit workouts can be great for both building muscle mass and reducing body fat. All major muscle groups are worked, which helps to build muscle, and the intensity of the workouts allows extra calories to burn off.
Ritchson also gets plenty of core work in to build a solid midsection. Below is a sample core circuit that he would do. Each exercise is super-set with 1 minute of mountain climbers.
Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
Crunches | 1 minute |
V-ups | 1 minute |
Oblique raises - left | 1 minute |
Oblique raises - right | 1 minute |
For this core circuit, Ritchson would perform each exercise for 1 minute, followed by 1 minute of mountain climbers, before moving on to the next exercise and repeating. This really targets the abdominals and obliques, while also getting the blood pumping with non-stop action.
The Alan Ritchson diet
To be in such great shape, Ritchson has to have a pretty strict diet. He generally eats clean except for 1 cheat day per week where he can eat when he wants. This helps to keep him lean. Whenever he has a seen that requires him to get his body fat levels super low, he cuts out refined sugars, grains, and dairy leading up to the shoot.
Recap
While Ritchson may be best known as playing linebacker and football team captain Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State, he has earned many other roles such as voicing Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and playing the role of Aquaman years before Jason Momoa did. His great acting skills and commitment to diet and exercise have made this possible.
