Alan Ritchson’s workout routine explained

New year, new workout regimen.

Its officially 2024, and with the new year people are fixated on what they want to achieve over the next 12 months. Workout goals are a staple of the season, and — while many of us will fall off throughout January and February — some determined folks will see their fitness goals attained in 2024.

For the most ambitious of these committed few, a challenging but enticing goal tempts. To look like the hulking, muscle-bound lead of Prime Video’s Reacher. Actor Alan Ritchson bulked up immensely for the role, and in perhaps the best gift of 2024 (so far, at least), we’re sharing some of the workouts that earned him all that brawn with the rest of the world. It won’t be easy, by any means, but anyone who manages to stick with this challenging routine is sure to see results.

Alan Ritchson’s Reacher workout routine

Bulking up is easier for some than others, but it’s never a simple task. Ritchson’s always been a large man — standing more than 6 feet tall — and his history on screen illustrates that. He tends to play footballers, superheroes, and generally men of action, and bringing such physically capable characters to life is a challenge. But, to believably capture the muscle-bound character described in author Lee Child’s Reacher books, even Ritchson had his work cut out for him.

The first step to attaining his workout goals was consistency, diet, and likely some protein supplements. It took a good eight months of grinding, five days a week, for Ritchson to beef up for Reacher. It helps that he targeted specific areas to create the illusion of even more muscle, a task that requires particular focus on shoulders, chest, and lats, according to GQ.

It takes time to properly, and without injury, work up the kind of muscle Ritchson is working with – an important thing to keep in mind if you truly intend to mimic his workout. Even Ritchson, a man who was born big and has always been muscular, had to endure a brutal eight months of consistent exercise to manage that Reacher look.

Once you’ve accepted this, you can lean into Ritchson’s main areas of focus. Leaning into compound exercises, which include squats, deadlifts, and the like will help work a large swath of muscle groups all at once, earning you more bang for your buck. Add a high-protein diet to the mix, making sure to beef up calorie intake to balance out your fitness, and you’re really cooking with fire.

Ritchson reportedly consumed a good 4,500 calories a day during his Reacher training, and anyone looking to attain a similar look has the same general task on their hands. You don’t necessarily need to match Ritchson’s caloric intake, but you will need to increase how much food — and, in particular, protein-heavy foods like chicken, lentils, tofu, and salmon — you consume. Add in some complex carbs and healthy fats, and you should be making quick progress.

So long as you balance all that eating with a solid and consistent workout routine. On top of those compound exercises, GQ recommends doing around 8-12 reps of the below workouts a few times a week — we’re talking two to three, not five to six here — and gradually increasing your weights to find the best results.

Start with some deadlifts, which you should research through a fitness resource before trying out for yourself. Proper foot placement is key here, if you want to avoid injury or strain. Then shift over to some straightforward bench presses — but, again, make sure you follow proper form. Follow this with some overhead presses — which involve holding two barbells, one in each hand, and pressing them upward over your head — and some lateral pulldowns, which typically require a machine. Polish everything off with some lateral raises, which only require a basic dumbbell, and you should be bulking up in no time.