Probably one of the fittest bodies in Hollywood is that of Ryan Reynolds. He made his first real appearance in the popular movie Van Wilder, where he showed off his six pack, and fitly toned body. However, in 2003-2004, Ryan went through an amazing transformation in preparation for his role in the movie Blade Trinity. This transformation is what really got him the attention in the health and fitness industry. In preparation, he managed to shed his body fat from 11% to only 3%, on top of gaining 20 pounds of muscle mass, all within a time period of about 5 months. Now, you ask, how did he do it?
First off, Ryan was given a specific diet. In his own words he says, “I ate something pretty much every 2-3 hours, never "stuffing" myself, but never letting myself get hungry.” He also drank a large amount of water continually throughout the day.
The Reynolds Diet:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, some "good" fat like a spoon of almond butter or slice of avocado, and 1 cup of oatmeal with applesauce
Midmorning snack: protein bar
Lunch: albacore tuna wrap or chicken and salad
Mid-afternoon snack: protein shake (whey and water), protein bar, or apple and almonds
Dinner: broiled fish or chicken, brown rice, vegetables, and salad
Evening Snack: protein shake
Ryan ate a protein carb mix every 2 hours, resulting in 8-10 small meals a day. Most of his carbohydrates he ate post-workout and never after 8:00pm. The carbs during the day kept his blood sugar levels even, and gave him the right amount of energy to get him through the intense workouts.
The Reynolds Workout:
Guided by personal trainer Darren Chapman, (both for Ryan Reynolds, and Jessica Biel) he performed daily workouts for 2-3 hours a day.
He would start with about 500-1000 sit ups, because this was very meditative for him. It didn’t matter when they were done, but he found it most beneficial at the beginning of the workout. The lower abs are the hardest muscle to develop, so Ryan did a lot of leg lifts with both the exercise ball, and weights, to focus on these muscles.
He would then do heavy weights focusing on one body part a day. It would look something like this: Chest day 1, Back day 2, Shoulder day 3, Legs day 4, with arms mixed in, and a constant rotation of these every day.
Reynolds Supplement Intake:
Ryan went on Creatine to gain more muscle mass, and also took supplements including L-glutamine, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), whey, and a multivitamin.
He notes how important diet played a role in his transformation. He said that 80% of it was based on his diet, when most people believe the workout to be the most vital element. However, 80% of building muscle is eating the right diet. Making sure he had enough calories to gain mass, but not fat, and eating a large amount of protein and carbs was his main focus.
So implementing a specific diet plan and starting your own workout routine can help you on your way to an overall better physique. You may not end up looking like Ryan Reynolds, but you can easily get on the right track to a fit and healthy body.
1. Sugar has a tendency to be a craving and a curse all at once. It tastes good going down and keeps you from feeling ‘up’. When you crave something sweet, its important to have something else ready and available to eat instead. Try to choose snacks that have a small amount of carbohydrates to give you a measurable amount of energy for your day like whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese, fresh fruit or a small box of raisins and low-fat cheese or plain, nonfat yogurt blended with fruit.
2. Caffeine is another substance that will give us the wake up call that we need, but leave us hanging later on. Try to choose the decaffeinated version of your favorite beverage like coffee, tea or cola and avoid using caffeine to help you stay awake; this will only throw off your natural sleep cycle and promote your low energy levels.
3. Dehydration – With our busy lifestyles, it is easy to forget to drink water throughout the day. We need water to flush out toxins, keep our energy levels elevated and to keep our tissues hydrated. It contains no calories, so you can drink as much of it as you want to, and if you need some variety, add a lemon or lime slice to it. You can also make homemade lemonade with lemon, water and a small amount of sugar or artificial sweetener.
4. Exercise –Whether or not you exercise consistently, the amount of exercise that you get (or don’t get) could be contributing to your lack of energy. While exercise energizes us physically, mentally and emotionally, we feel more sluggish without it. On the other hand, when we do exercise, it enhances our mood by releasing endorphins, a ‘feel good’ chemical that increases energy levels. Hopefully it will encourage us to exercise more…. but not too much. Overtraining will deplete your energy reserves, break down muscle and make you feel weaker instead of stronger. Exercising too much could suppress your immune system, which could increase your chances of a bacterial or viral invasion, making you more vulnerable to illness. So make sure that you stay in control of your workout sessions and the frequency of them.
You (and you alone!) are in control of your own energy levels, so choose to eat the right foods and drink the right beverages to boost your energy instead of bring it down.
