Do you want to know how to get ripped like Captain America? The MCU has boasted a host of well-toned, fit, and extraordinarily chiseled actors and actresses over its 14-year history.
But few have turned more heads than Captain America himself, Chris Evans. Born in Boston in 1981, Chris has had an extensive film and television career dating to the early 2000s.
Chris Evans Film Career
His first major appearance was in a television series, The Newcomers, followed by Opposite Sex. Following his brief television career, he began his TV debut in the Teen Movie Series, specifically Not Another Teen Movie; however, his breakout role was in the 2005 hit, Fantastic four as The Human Torch.
After that, he starred on and off in various films with impressive success until he was cast as Steve Rogers in 2011s Captain America: The First Avenger. Since then, he has starred in 11 MCU films and is one of the most iconic figures in the series.
His success as Captain America is undoubtedly due to his excellent acting skills and charismatic nature; however, it would be disingenuous to claim that his success wasn’t partly due to his perfect physique.
Thankfully, Chris and his trainer have given us some insights into how he got there, so let’s look at Chris Evans’s workout routine and see how we can get ripped like Captain America.
How did Chris Evans get ready for his role as Captain America?
As Captain America, Chris had a rigorous regimen, including an extensive workout routine and a calorie and protein-rich diet.
Trained by Simon Waterson, who also worked with 007’s Daniel Craig, Chris developed a comprehensive and well-rounded routine that sculpted every inch of his body. His workout was designed to hone his physique and agility; it combined high-weight, low-rep bodybuilding techniques, gymnastics, and plyometrics.
In addition, his diet was a healthy approach to building muscle mass, which included fruits, veggies, and healthy fats, with lots and lots of protein. Overall, his diet and routine are excellent, well-rounded, and therapeutic approaches to gaining muscle mass.
Chris Evans’ Stats:
Chris sits at 6 feet, weighs around 180-195 pounds (81-88 Kg), and is, as of writing this article, 40 years old. He gained about 11 pounds (5 Kg) for his roles, reduced his overall body fat percentage by about 4%, and gained considerable muscle mass.
Captain America’s Diet and Workout Routine
Balance and growth were the game names for Chris’ workout routine and diet. However, the biggest challenge faced by Chris, at least when trying to bulk up, was finding the right combination of proteins and healthy calories to promote the level of growth needed for his role.
From an interview with Philstar Global, To quote Waterson, “The biggest challenge for Chris was eating enough to put on muscle but avoid storing any excess energy as fat.” and “We relied on low-carb protein shakes in between meals and snacks such as fruit and nuts.” In an interview with Men’s Health, Waterson laid out the general diet plan Chris used in combination with his routine:
Diet & Nutrition:
- Morning: Bowl of Porridge combined with Dark Berries & Walnuts
- Morning Snack: Whey-Based Protein Shake with 5g BCAA (Branch-Chain Amino Acid)
- Pre-Workout Snack: Apples & Almonds
- Post Workout Snack: Whey-Based Protein Shake with 5g BCAA (Branch-Chain Amino Acid)
- Lunch: Chicken Salad with Brown Basmati Rice
- Afternoon Snack: A Protein Shake
- Dinner: Lean Protein, Low Carb Meat (Beef, Chicken, or Fish) with assorted veggies
- Before Bed: A Casein-Based Protein Shake
This is the general diet he followed for each of his on-screen appearances; however, he would alter it for his role in Captain America Winter Soldier with more supplements, telling bodybuilding.com:
“Supplement-wise, I used a bit of glutamine, whey protein shakes, branched-chain amino acids, then 500mg supplements of Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fatty acids every meal…”
He did this because he needed more bulk in that film; he combined this with a workout that was even more intensive than usual.
Chris’s workout involved a balanced approach that used resistance training to develop his entire body:
Chris’ routine was a high-intensity, seven-day regimen that focused on several factors: muscle growth, a balanced physique, agility, flexibility, low body fat, and power. In an interview with Men’s Fitness, Waterson said, “Chris had done some weight training before, but as with many guys, it had been focused on the vanity muscles of the chest, arms, and abs… These guys are always amazed when I point out that they have muscles on the backs of their bodies too.
But Chris was great to train. He understood the importance of a balanced physique. I had to work him hard but at a sensible pace – I couldn’t afford to have him sidelined for four weeks with an injury.” Overall, Chris met his routine with great energy and enthusiasm with few complaints; however, Chris had some issues when it came to leg day; in the same interview, Waterson said,
“But then, who loves training legs?
Because if you are doing it properly, it is the most painful session. Legs never hurt for a day afterward – it always lasts until the week. But your legs and glutes are your body’s most prominent and robust muscles, so you must train them hard to get bigger and leaner everywhere else.
So many men ignore legs because they want big arms, but pushing your lower body to the limit will transform your upper body faster than anything else thanks to significant growth-hormone response.” So don’t worry, Chris, we feel you; no one likes leg day.
Chris’s exact workout routine has never been released for full disclosure. Still, many websites have made educated guesses based on small tidbits which Chris and Waterson have released, and the best one we could find comes from manofmany.com; it is the most balanced while also maintaining the high-intensity feature which Waterson used to help Chris’ superhero figure emerge:
Chris Evans’ Workout Routine
Monday: Leg Day
- Military Presses – 3 sets of 5
- Squats – 3 sets of 5
- Deadlifts – 3 sets of 5
- Jump Squats – 2 sets of 12
- Box Jumps – 2 sets of 10
- Lying Leg Curls – 2 sets of 12
- Standing Machine Calf Raises – 2 sets of 15
Tuesday: Upper Body
- Military Presses – 3 sets of 5
- Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets of 5
- Pull-Ups – 3 sets of 12
- Z Press – 3 sets of 8
- Push-Ups – 3 sets of 12
- Inverted Rows – 3 sets of 12
Wednesday: Recovery
- Yoga, Cardio, Balance Beam, or Ribbon Twirling.
- We should note that Chris used much high-intensity training with low cardio.
- Hence, we recommend HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) for 15-20 minutes to maximize your growth.
- Light cardio, like jogging or swimming, is an excellent option for a more relaxed recovery day.
Thursday: Leg Day
- Trap Bar Deadlifts – 3 sets of 5
- Front Squats – 3 sets of 5
- Leg Press – 3 sets of 12
- Seated Leg Curls – 3 sets of 15
- Jumping Lunges – 3 sets of 15 per leg
- Seated Calf Raises – 3 sets of 15
Friday: Upper Body
- Bent Over Rows – 3 sets of 5
- Incline Bench Press – 3 sets of 5
- Kneeling Shoulder Press – 3 sets of 5
- One Arm Dumbell Row – 3 sets of 12
- Dips – 3 sets of 15
- Chin-Ups – 3 sets of 15
Saturday: Recovery
- Yoga, Cardio, Balance Beam, or Ribbon Twirling
- We should note that Chris used much high-intensity training with low cardio.
- Hence, we recommend HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) for 15-20 minutes to maximize your growth.
- Light cardio, like jogging or swimming, is an excellent option for a more relaxed recovery day.
Sunday: Arms and Abdominals
- Planks – 3 sets at 30 seconds per set
- Sit-Ups – 3 sets of 15
- Bicycle Crunches – 3 sets of 15
- Leg Raises – 3 sets of 15
- Weighted Crunches – 3 sets of 10
- Dumbbell Curls – 2 sets of 10
- Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – 2 sets of 10
- Barbell Curls – 2 sets of 10
Here is the last word on how to get ripped like Captain America by using his diet, workout, and healthy habits.
We’ve looked at many routines celebrities, and other athletes use, but we particularly like Chri’s approach; focusing on protein-enriched muscle growth and maintaining a healthy diet is excellent. In addition, we love Waterson’s emphasis on creating a well-rounded, complete physique.
We believe this routine can help you see actual results, even if you don’t use the entire regimen or follow a less intense version.
One thing we should mention, the diet Chris used is designed exclusively for building up bulk fast; however, due to its low carb intake and its massive amount of protein, we don’t recommend it for long-term use, but if you’re looking to grow mass fast you can’t go wrong with this approach.
Suppose you’re interested in other celebrity workout routines. In that case, you can check out our Celebrity Bodybuilders Section here, or if you want to check out our other articles and bodybuilding tips, you can check out our entire sitemap here. Finally, if you or someone you know is considering bodybuilding, share this article on Facebook or Twitter so that others can learn more about building muscle.