Alan Ritchson’s rise seems to have happened overnight. He was suddenly on the Internet, almost like Jack Raecher, and immediately won over the audience. However, behind that “sudden” success lies a demanding path. Alan was not always big and strong. As a teenager, he was skinny and insecure, so he was often targeted by his peers. That experience pushed him to start seriously training and working on himself.
Over time, he improved so much that in his senior year of high school, he was declared the student with the best physical shape. Later, he tried to break into acting through smaller projects; his physical fitness remained one of his trademarks.
However, the real transformation happened when he was cast as Jack Reacher. At the same time, he weighed about 205lb pounds and was in good shape, but the production wanted a much more imposing appearance.
Alan then took his training and diet to the next level – and by the time filming began, he’d gained about 35 pounds, mostly in muscle. How did he manage to make such a transformation? It’s a story worth exploring in more detail.
The Alan Ritchson Workout Routine
Before he was cast in Reacher, Alan Ritchson relied on bodyweight training. While push-ups and pull-ups are great exercises, building really large amounts of muscle requires a serious approach – weight training. If the goal is to look like Jack Reacher, the logical step is to adopt bodybuilding methods.
That’s what Alan did. His training program is based on the classic division of muscle groups, where each group is trained separately during the week, usually Monday to Friday. Although it sounds demanding, his workouts are not long – on the contrary, they last about half an hour. The focus is on intensity, precision, and maximizing time spent in the gym.
Monday: Chest
Alan Ritchson starts the week with a focus on the chest, as a classic “chest day”. A developed and strong chest is one of the main elements of Jack Reacher’s appearance, so it is not surprising that he attaches great importance to this training. He does most of his training on the Smith machine, going through three variations of thrusts: from oblique, flat, and negative angles.
The idea is to hit the muscles from all angles. When he is in the best shape, he can “cram: up to 100 repetitions per exercise. After that, he switches to isolation along the cables and leaves the very end for push-ups, which he does until complete failure.
Training
- Smith machine – Incline Press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Smith machine – flat press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Smith machine – negative thrust: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cables from the bottom position – chest spread: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Push-ups: 1-2 sets to failure.
Cardio: 20 minutes to HIIT training (high intensity, intervals)
Tuesday: Back
On day two, Alan Ritchson devotes himself to the back, aiming to build the width and depth that gives Jack Reacher that signature, powerful look. Training begins with pull-ups – one of his basic exercises. He does four heavy series until he completes the entire back musculature. After that, he moves on to work with cables. First, he performs a standing bottom cable row, a movement reminiscent of a T-bar row that hits the mid-back perfectly.
Then comes the focus on the lats through different variations of the pull on the machine – changing the grips (wide, neutral, reverse, or one-handed) further enhances the stretch and contraction. At the end of the training, he does heavy one-handed dumbbell rowing, and the very end is reserved for an isolation exercise on a cable with a rope to maximally “exhaust” the muscles.
Training
- Pull-ups: 4 sets to failure
- Cable rowing (bottom cable): 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Lat pull (various grips): 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable Lat Extension (Rope): 3 sets x 15-25 reps
Cardio: Run 1-3 miles on a treadmill
Wednesday: Legs and Abs
When he trains his legs, Alan Ritchson makes sure he doesn’t strain his lower back, so he ditches squats and deadlifts. Instead of classic barbell exercises, he chooses safer alternatives that still deliver great results.
The workout begins with lunges and Bulgarian squats – single –leg exercises that require strength, as well as good control and balance. In this way, it effectively activates the muscles without stressing the back. He then moves to the supersets, combining leg extension and leg curl to hit both the front and back lunges without pause.
The final portion of the workout is reserved for abs and cardio, which helps him maintain the definition and functional form essential to his Jack Reacher look.
Training
- Dumbbell lunges: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbell Bulgarian squat: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg extension: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg curl: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Leg raises: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Abs: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
Cardio: 10 minutes of sled pushing and pulling
Thursday: Shoulders
Big, strong shoulders are crucial to an impressive upper body – a fact Alan Ritchson knows. His shoulder workout starts with a Smith machine seated press, then moves on to a special standing cable exercise, where he pushes the handles up and forward at a sharp angle.
This combination not only activates the front deltoids, but probably also engages the upper pectoral muscles, so the front of the shoulders quickly feels “on”.
Next comes the cable superset: lateral raises paired with face pulls hit the shoulders from multiple angles for maximum definition. Finally, Alan adds a few sets of shrugs with dumbbells, strengthening the trapezius muscles that give the upper body a final look.
Training
- Smith machine shoulder press: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
- Standing Cable Press: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable Lateral raise: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Cable face pulls: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- Dumbbells shrugs: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
Cardio: 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Friday: Arms
The final workout of the week is crucial – it’s the one that builds Jack Reacher – style arms. Big hands are not only an indicator of strength but also a visual cue; it’s hard to believably play a powerful, intimidating character without impressive upper arms.
Alan’s arm program combines the biceps and triceps through different angles and loads to activate each muscle. The focus is on controlled movement, supersets, and reps to failure – a combination that builds mass.
Training
Cable triceps + overhead extension: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
Rope hammer curl (biceps with a rope): 4 sets x 15-25 reps
Dumbbell skull crusher: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
EZ Bar – Overhead Triceps
Extension: 4 sets x 15-25 reps
Dips (bench push-ups or bodyweight): 1-2 sets to failure
Cardio: Run a few miles on the treadmill
Alan’s Jack Reacher Bulking Diet
For Jack Reacher, every calorie has the same value – it doesn’t matter where it comes from. His “real” meal can be whatever is on hand, often from a roadside restaurant, with strong black coffee. His way of thinking is very practical: he eats whether he can, because he doesn’t know when he will have the next chance.
However, for Alan Ritchson, such an approach does not work in reality. To physically respond to the role of a reacher Alan has to increase his body mass by more than 13kg, and diet played a crucial role in this. Instead of a strict diet, he relies on intuitive eating and a plan that fits into his daily rhythm. During filming, he is disciplined, having organized the preparation and delivery of meals.
He adheres to the 80/20 principle – the majority of his diet consists of quality foods, while a smaller part is left for enjoyment. It focuses on lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, but occasionally includes sweets like key lime pie or cookie dough. These “weaknesses” actually help, as it is difficult to consume over 4000 calories a day solely from whole foods.
This is roughly what a day of his diet looks like:
Breakfast:
- Scrambled eggs
- Flavored oatmeal
- Fruits
Lunch:
- Turkey cutlet
- Swiss cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- 1-2 chocolate biscuits
Snack:
- Two scoops of protein powder
- Almond milk
- Banana
- Spinach
- Peanut butter
- Oatmeal
- Avocado
Dinner:
- Brisket or turkey roll
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- A slice of key lime pie
Late snack:
- Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
- Raw cookie dough
How You Can Train and Eat Like Alan Ritchson
Want to build muscles like Alan Ritchson from reacher, but without following his plan? You can take the crucial ideas from his approach and adapt them to your own with great results.
#1: Include Pushups, Pullups, and Dips in Your Workouts
Before he started more serious weight training, his regimen was very simple – a run to the park, then 100 reps of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups, then back home. And later, when he introduced weight training, he didn’t abandon the basics.
Bodyweight exercises remained a part of almost every training session. Incorporate these basic exercises into your routine if you haven’t already. They are simple, require no equipment, and deliver results in terms of strength and muscle mass.
#2: Use High Repetitions
Although he looks like someone who lifts huge weights, his focus is not on that. He often trains with more repetitions. Most often, he does sets of 15-25 repetitions, which is still optimal for hypertrophy. If you are used to fewer repetitions, a change can bring you a new stimulus and help you break through stagnation.
#3: Get in and Get Out of The Gym Fast
His workouts are short and efficient – they rarely last more than 30 minutes. The point is intensity. Instead of staying in the gym for a long time, focus on the quality of work and minimize breaks. If you want extra efficiency, use supersets – especially combinations of opposing muscle groups. That way, you save time and increase the intensity of your training.
#4: Have Some Flexibility in Your Diet
A diet should not be complicated or restrictive. The point is to eat quality food most of the time – lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. However, this does not mean that you have to completely throw out what you love. Alan Ritchson regularly throws in things like raw cookie dough, biscuits, key lime pie, or pizza. It’s all about balance – you don’t have to live like a bodybuilder all year round. Eat smart, but leave room for small pleasures without a guilty conscience.
#5: Get Your Testosterone Checked
Finally, let’s touch on a topic that many have in mind. Such drastic physical changes rarely come without additional factors – and that’s the reality. After the first season of Reacher, Alan was physically drained – drained of energy, tired, and out of balance. After medical tests, it was found that he has a low testosterone level, so he was recommended testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Is that the only factor? It’s hard to say for sure, but he claims it is.
If you have symptoms such as constant fatigue, lower libido, or loss of strength and muscle mass, getting your hormones checked may be a smart move. Even if everything is fine, you will gain a clearer insight into your body’s condition.
FAQs
How Many Hours a Day Does Alan Ritchson Work Out?
His training sessions last about 20-30 minutes. During that time, he works intensively, without breaks, focusing on fast, efficient work. When you are fully concentrated, even a short training session can yield serious results.
How Much Does Alan Ritchson Work Out?
During his preparation for Reacher, he trains 5-6 times a week, with minimal rest days.
How to Get Ripped Like Alan Ritchson?
If you want a similar form, focus on strength training with a higher number of repetitions and high intensity in shorter sessions (about 30 minutes). It’s crucial to include bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and dips. The diet should be based on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, with occasional “cheat” meals. The most important factor is consistency.
What Supplements Does Alan Ritchson Use?
His daily supplements include:
- Protein powder
- Electrolytes
- Trace minerals
- Vitamin B12
For more information about training, check out these topics:
- The best 4-day split workouts for muscle building
- The best 5-day split workouts for muscle building
- The best 6-day split workouts for muscle building
