Ryan Reynolds is known for talking fast and being in great shape, which helped to make him a perfect fit for the character of Deadpool.
While Reynolds was already in great shape prior to filming the 2016 film Deadpool, he took his training to another level and was able to pack an extra seven pounds onto his shredded frame.
The Ryan Reynolds Deadpool workout routine and diet plan below show how the star actor was able to get in great shape to play the Merc with a mouth with an intense strength training regimen.
Reynolds' routine consists building muscle with 5 sessions in the weight room per week and a clean diet that supports muscle growth without adding any unnecessary body fat.
Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool - Photo By: 20th Century Fox
The Ryan Reynolds Deadpool workout routine
A muscular and lean physique is crucial for playing an action hero, and lifting weights is a big part of that. For his role as Deadpool, Reynolds trained 5 days per week, with 2 days off. He followed a 2 on/1 off, 3 on/1 off bodybuilding style split, where every major muscle group as once per week, with the workout split going as follows:
- Day 1 - Legs
- Day 2 - Shoulders
- Day 3 - Off
- Day 4 - Back
- Day 5 - Chest
- Day 6 - Arms
- Day 7 - Of
Reynolds is trained by Don Saladino of Drive495. Saladino designed Reynolds' training program, which he shared in an article with Men's Journal. Each weight lifting session would begin with a thorough warmup, which included:
- 5 minutes of foam rolling
- Movement prep circuits
- Muscle activation exercises
Below you can see what Reynolds' 5 days of lifting per week looked like. Rest between each exercise was kept to a minimum for the most part. 60 to 90 seconds was pretty common on most lifts. For more intense exercises, like squats and deadlifts, longer rest periods were used to allow more time to recover.
Day 1 - Legs
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Squats | 4 | 7 |
Stationary Lunges | 4 | 10 |
1 Legged RDL | 4 | 10 |
Single Leg Press | 4 | 8 |
Day 2 - Shoulders
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10 |
Side Raise | 4 | 10 |
Rear Delt Raise | 4 | 10 |
Front Raise | 4 | 10 |
Day 4 - Back
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Sumo Deadlifts | 7 | 4 |
Pull-ups | 4 | 6 |
1 Arm Row | 5 | 10 |
Machine Row | 4 | 10 |
Day 5 - Chest
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Bench Press | 7 | 4 |
Incline Bench Press | 4 | 6 |
Dumbbell Flies | 4 | 10 |
Dumbbell Pullovers | 4 | 15 |
Day 6 - Arms
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Nosebreakers | 4 | 8 |
Tricep Dips | 4 | 10 |
Rope Pushdowns | 4 | 12 |
Sissy Bar Preacher Curls | 6 | 6 |
45 Degree Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 10 |
Hammer Curls | 3 | 10 |
While this looks like a rigid plan, there was built-in freedom to change the routine around if life got in the way. Having a busy schedule with plenty of traveling, hours on set, and a new baby, it was important that Reynolds' routine had some flexibility.
Don SaladinoOn the importance of flexibility when designing a training program
The biggest mistake people make when making an exercise plan is not to listen to their body every day. Ryan was a recent father and traveling a lot, so if he had been up all night with the baby, or just gotten off a plane from Singapore, you can best believe we were changing up the program. Learn to call an audible.
The training routine designed for Reynolds was very thorough and made sure that no body part was left out. While not glamorous body parts for a comic book antihero, even the back and legs are addressed. And, of course, the arms were given a day to themselves as it is expected that comic book characters have massive biceps and triceps.
A big part of this training program is squats and deadlifts, and that isn't an accident. As Saldino said, "Ryan loves deadlifts, and he loves squats because he knows that's how he's going to make real gains."
While squats and deadlifts may seem unneeded to your average superhero, they help to not only create a balanced physique, but also to build muscle in the rest of your body. Squats and deadlifts can give the body an anabolic, or muscle-building, benefit to the entire body.
The Ryan Reynolds Deadpool diet plan
You don't get a body like Ryan Reynolds' by eating junk food all the time. Obviously, a clean diet is important to allow Reynolds to maintain his lean muscle mass without taking in too many empty calories that contribute to body fat.
Reynolds diet can vary a little bit based on what role he is preparing for. When he is playing a superhero, like in Blade: Trinity and Green Lantern, he would bulk up to 200 pounds with 8% body fat levels, according to Bobby Storm, who trained him for those roles. For one of his less action-oriented roles, like The Proposal, he would stay closer to 180 pounds with 11% body fat.
Either way, Reynolds would follow a pretty clean diet as even 11% body fat is incredibly lean for the average person. This is accomplished through a diet that mostly avoids excess salt and sugar and focuses on lean proteins and quality carbohydrates.
Bobby StormOn the types of foods Reynolds would eat
I cooked for him six days a week. I'd make a healthy Bolognese: 97% fat-free ground bison, sautéed in a skillet with broccoli and my own marinara sauce, along with black pepper, a little cayenne, and some garlic. No salt, no sugar, served over brown rice or a top-quality brown rice pasta. I'd also cook ground turkey and grilled salmon.
Reynolds has had the unique opportunity to play multiple comic book characters throughout his career, including Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, Hal Jordan in Green Lantern, and Wade Wilson in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the 2016 Deadpool film. His charming acting skills and impressive physique are what make him such a popular choice for these roles.
