Written by Kyle Hunt | BEXSci.
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
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Alan Ritchson's rise to stardom seemingly came out of nowhere. He unceremoniously appeared on our screens, like Jack Reacher wandering into a random town.
The reality is, he's been gracing our screens for over 15 years. But not with the physique that he is known for on Reacher.
Alan wasn't always a 6'3, two hundred and forty-pound ass-kicker. In fact, he was a late bloomer and got bullied in high school. But those bullies are at least partially responsible for the man we see today.
To quiet the haters, Ritchson took to the gym. He worked so hard that by his senior year, he was voted "best physique" of his graduating class. It didn't stop there.
As he went from small project to small project in Hollywood, his physique remained a large part of who he was. However, that took on an entirely new meaning when he landed the role of Jack Reacher.
At the time, he was a lean 205lbs. The problem was that the producers wanted him to be much bigger than that. Well, Alan went back to work. By the time filming started, he had added 35 pounds of muscle. How did he do it?
In this article, we examine the Alan Ritchson Workout and Diet Plan in-depth, revealing the secrets behind his Jack Reacher-sized physique. We uncover his weekly training program, the specific nutrition strategy for bulking up, and a few other aspects of Ritchson's approach to fitness. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Alan Ritchson Workout Routine
Alan has always been pretty muscular, but as mentioned, he had to take his physique to a new level to play Jack Reacher. Surprisingly, before Reacher, Alan did mostly a calisthenics-based workout routine.
Although pushups, pullups, and the like are excellent exercises (and underrated), you need to pump some serious iron to pack on 30+ pounds of muscle.
So, what do you do when you need to get jacked? Look to the people who have it mastered: bodybuilders. One glance at Alan's program, and you will notice it's a traditional bodybuilding split.
He hits each muscle group once a week, typically Monday through Friday. The workouts are quick, only taking about 30 minutes.
Monday: Chest
- Smith Machine Incline Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Smith Machine Flat Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Smith Machine Decline Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Low Pulley Cable Chest Fly: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Pushup: 1-2 sets to failure
- 20 Minutes of HIIT Cardio
Alan starts his week with a prototypical chest day. A massive chest is a big part of the Reacher look, so chest training has to be a priority. He spends most of the workout in the Smith Machine - beginning with an incline press, then dropping the bench flat, and eventually down to a decline.
On a good day, he does 100 reps of each. After the three pressing movements, he moves onto a low pulley cable fly before ending with one or two sets of pushups to failure.
Tuesday: Back
- Pullup: 4 sets x failure
- Cable Row: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Row: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable Lat Extension: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Run a few miles on a treadmill
Day two is a back day. The workout starts with four sets of pullups to failure. Alan is a huge fan of bodyweight movements. From there, he does two cable exercises. The cable row is a standing row variation from a low pulley attachment—picture a T-bar row position.
For the lat pulldown, you have multiple options. You can do the standard wide grip, neutral grip, narrow reverse grip, or one arm at a time. Finish with a standard one-arm dumbbell row and a cable lat extension with a rope handle.
Wednesday: Legs and Abs
- Dumbbell Lunge: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Split Squat: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg Extension: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg Curl: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg Raise: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Sit-ups: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- 10 Minutes of Sled Pushes and Pulls
Wednesday is all about the lower body and abs. This workout is a lower back-friendly leg day with no squats or deadlift variations. Alan can't do squats because they aggravate his lower back, so he has to get creative.
Although squats and deadlifts are great exercises, you can build big legs without them. Don't let the single-leg exercises blind you to their difficulty.
Starting the workout with lunges and split squats is no joke. After that, Alan super sets leg extensions and leg curls back to back before finishing up with abs and cardio.
Thursday: Shoulders
- Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Standing Cable Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable Facepull: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- 20 Minutes of HIIT Cardio
You can't look tough without big shoulders—that's just a fact. Alan starts his shoulder workout with a seated Smith Machine press and a two-hand standing cable press.
The cable press is unique. He stands in front of the cable stack and presses up and forward at a steep incline angle. I'm sure he gets a little upper chest activation there, too. After those two movements, your front delts will be on fire.
Next, he does a superset on the cables of lateral raises followed by facepulls. Last but not least, a few sets of shrugs to help build those monster traps.
Friday: Arms
- Rope Triceps Pressdown and Overhead Extension: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Rope Hammer Curl: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Grip Bench Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Skull Crusher: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- EZ Bar Curls: 4 sets x 21's [7 reps at the bottom, seven reps at the top, and seven full-range reps]
- EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Bodyweight Dips: 1-2 sets x failure
- Run a few miles on a treadmill
The last workout of the week is critical. It's the key to unlocking big, impressive Jack Reacher-sized arms. And big arms are not just a sign of strength. They're a statement. You can't play a tough guy in a TV show without giant pipes.
Alan's arm workout consists of several supersets, grouping biceps and triceps.
The first superset is kind of a triset. He does cable triceps pressdowns, immediately followed by overhead extensions. I say kind of a triset because he does these two movements almost like they are one exercise. After that, he drops the cable attachment and does rope hammer curls.
From there, he groups two dumbbell triceps exercises together before grabbing an EZ bar for another biceps and triceps superset. For the EZ bar curls, he does them old-school 21 style - seven reps from the bottom to halfway, seven reps from halfway to the top, and then seven full range of motion reps.
Remember when I said he loves bodyweight exercises? He finishes his arm workout with bodyweight dips to failure.
Follow along with Alan while he demonstrates this workout
Alan's Jack Reacher Bulking Diet
To Jack Reacher, a calorie is a calorie. A quality meal for him is anything off the menu at a local diner, washed down with lots of black coffee. Reacher's motto is to eat when possible because you never know when or where the next meal will come. However, that's not going to cut it for Alan.
Alan had to gain over 30 pounds to play Reacher. Diet is a top priority when bulking like that. However, as important as diet is, Ritchson is an intuitive eater. Most of the time, he follows a relaxed meal plan. In fact, he's most consistent with his diet while filming because people cook for him while on set.
Alan says he follows an 80/20 healthy-to-clean ratio. While most of his diet consists of lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats, he loves key lime pie, cookie dough, and snacks.
These extra treats were an essential part of the process. If you don't have a big appetite, including higher-calorie foods helps ensure you stay in a calorie surplus during bulking phases.
Here is a sample day of eating for Alan's Jack Reacher diet.
Breakfast:
- Scrambled eggs
- Flavored oatmeal
- Fruit
Lunch:
- Deli turkey
- Swiss cheese
- Mayo
- Mustard
- 1-2 Chocolate chip cookies
Snack:
- Two scoops of protein powder
- Almond milk
- Banana
- Spinach
- Peanut butter
- Oats
- Avocado
Dinner:
- Brisket or turkey meatloaf
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Slice of key lime pie
Snack:
- Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
- Cookie dough
Daily Supplements:
- Protein powder
- Electrolytes
- Trace minerals
- Vitamin B12
How You Can Train and Eat Like Alan Ritchson
So, you want to pack on muscle, like Alan did when preparing for Reacher, but don't want to follow this routine as written? That's fine. You can add a few of his critical principles into your routine and reap the rewards.
#1: Utilize Calisthenics
Surprisingly, Alan only did a little weight training before preparing to play Reacher. His workouts consisted of running to a park, doing 100 reps each of pushups, pullups, dips, and sit-ups, and then running back home.
Even with the addition of heavy iron, Alan stayed true to his bread and butter. Almost every workout has a bodyweight component.
So, what does this mean for you?
If you are not already doing them, add pullups, pushups, and dips into your routine. You can do them anywhere; they are easy on the joints and, best of all, highly effective for building muscle.
#2: High Reps
Given his size, it may come as a surprise that Ritchson doesn't lift heavy weights.
Well, heavy is relative. What I mean is that Alan trains using high reps. Almost all of his sets are in the 15-to-25-rep range, which is still adequate for building muscle.
If you have never pushed reps that high, give it a shot. The new stimulus might spark some new growth.
#3: Short Workouts
Many people think that to build muscle, you must spend all day in the gym. However, you can build muscle in 30 minutes if the workouts are intense.
It's rare for one of Alan's workouts to last more than a half hour. If your time is limited, use supersets to cut down on how long you are in the gym.
The best type of superset is called an agonist-antagonist superset. These are when you group two opposing muscle groups, like the chest and back or biceps and triceps (these were a favorite of Arnold Schwarzenegger).
#4: Don't Overcomplicate Your Diet
Nutrition can be easier than many people make it out to be. You can have some treats as long as your diet mainly consists of lean protein, complex carbs, fruits, veggies, and healthy fat.
Alan loves cookie dough. And cookies. And key lime pie. He loves pizza, too. Okay, so Alan is just like most of us.
Your diet doesn't need to resemble a bodybuilder in contest prep. Eat healthy, but make room for some foods you enjoy as well.
#5: Get Your Testosterone Checked
Before we wrap up, I have to address the elephant in the room. I know what you are thinking—there's no way this dude made this transformation naturally. Well, you're right.
After season one of Reacher, Alan's body was broken. He was run down, low on energy, and felt like crap. So, his doctor suggested he get some blood work done. It turns out his testosterone was low.
From there, his doctor prescribed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Is that all he is on? According to him, yes.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of low testosterone, including fatigue, low libido, or loss of strength or muscle, it's worth it to get your testosterone checked. If nothing else, it's good information to have.
The new, smarter way to solve Low T. With Fountain’s online doctor’s visits, treatment is a breeze. Start your personalized evaluation and see if TRT injections or topical cream are right for you.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it: Alan Ritchson's training and nutrition plan, which he used to transform himself into Jack Reacher. I'm sure most of what's written you have seen before. Alan doesn't do anything out of the ordinary, and that's a feature, not a bug.
So much of the fitness industry is about selling you on a new fad; I love it when a guy sticks to the basics. There is beauty in the simplicity. Because you know what? It's the basics that deliver results.
Kyle Hunt
Author