Last updated on December 16th, 2019 at 01:48 pm
Aside from being chosen to take part in the experimental “Operation” that Captain America went through, there has to be another way to achieve his physique…Right?
And no, I do not want to attempt being frozen for 70 years, as I do not think that has anything to do with it!
When I did Chris Hemsworth’s update I said “I don’t think there could ever be a more perfect casting”….”Okay, besides his co-stars like Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Chris Evans and a few others.”
And I stand by that.
I think Chris Evans was born to be our Captain America.
We’re now quite some time since his initial transformation for Cap, back in his first role in 2011; so it’s time for an update (as this original article landed on the site in 2015!).
Chris Evans Stats:
Height: 6 ft.
Weight: (approximate) 180-192
Age: 37 years old
Alright, I have a confession to make.
Technically speaking Chris Evans is off the average height range among male celebs by an inch, but I still include him in the line-up anyway….
That average height falls in the range of 6’1-6’3 with celebs like Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Chris Hemsworth, (Evans would be right here. I mean, c’mon it wouldn’t be fair to keep him away from the other Chris stars) Adam Driver, Stephen Amell, Clive Standen and so many more.
Guys around 5’10-6’0 are dudes like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Jason Statham, but the ACTUAL shorter range is filled with guys like Mark Wahlberg, Zac Efron, Kit Harington, Tom Holland and more.
Even taller than them are guys like The Mountain, Joe Manganiello, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Winston Duke, Alexander Skarsgard and a few others.
But, don’t worry either way.
We write these routines to be utilized by any shape and size.
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Chris Evans Diet and Nutrition Plan
Men’s Fitness and Evans’ trainer Simon Waterson give us a ton of information about his diet and nutrition.
Waterson actually says:
‘The biggest challenge for Chris was eating enough to put on muscle but avoid storing any excess energy as fat,’ says Waterson. ‘We relied on low-carb protein shakes in between meals and snacks such as fruit and nuts.
So, as we know, bulking up takes a surplus of calories, but too much will result in added fat storage/gain.
Evans wanted to fall right in that sweet spot for lean muscle gains.
And Men’s Fitness gives us some example foods for his diet, stating:
Breakfast
Bowl of porridge with dark berries and walnuts
Morning snack
Protein shake and 5g BCAA
Pre-workout snack
Apple with almonds
Post-workout snack
Protein shake and 5g BCAA
20min later
Chicken salad with brown basmati rice
Afternoon snack
Protein shake
Dinner
Lean protein, such as fish, chicken or beef, with vegetables. No starchy carbs.
Chris Evans seemed to have quite the schedule, but the meals seem not only nutritious, but also tasty.
We see a lot of celebs opt for a sustainable approach, and some for some added restrictions.
That’s why our Academy Nutrition Classes (Monks, Minimalists, SuperHumans, Vikings, Spartans, Hunter Gatherers, Greek Gods, Samurais) revolve around helping you find the specific diet that is right FOR YOU.
Of course, there are a lot of reasons to HAVE the strict guidelines.
Like I said, we’ve also seen a lot of celebs opt for specific restrictions.
For example: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart incorporate 80/20 dieting with big weekly cheat meals, Hugh Jackman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Terry Crews utilize intermittent fasting(something I use daily as well), Mustafa Shakir and Madelaine Petsch are vegans, Brandon Routh and Frank Grillo opt for paleo, and tons of others utilize their own variations as well.
And, that’s just to name a few celebs from each, by the way.
You can check out our Nutrition Pillars for more information and articles on all of the above and more.
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Chris Evans Workout Routine Research
I know Evans was already pretty jacked for his role in “Captain America: The First Avenger”, but when you have ripped up guys like our Marvel casting next to you on set, it has to be pretty motivating to keep your physique in tact!
Getting a bit more specific with Evans’ training and physique, we’ll continue to take into account some things from the Captain America interview with Men’s Fitness.
Some more of the conversation with Waterson:
To help Evans add lean muscle mass quickly, Waterson gave the actor a training regime based on high-weight/low-rep sets of the classic compound lifts, specifically squats, deadlifts, incline bench presses and weighted dips and chin-ups.
‘He also did a lot of bodyweight moves and included some plyometrics to fire up his fast-twitch muscle fibres, such as squat-to-box-jumps,’ says Waterson. ‘The aim was to keep his heart rate high throughout the workouts.
The interview followed with:
Adding serious muscle while cutting fat is one thing, but doing so while managing not to injure a Hollywood leading man put additional pressure on Waterson to deliver the ideal leading-man physique.
‘Chris had done some weight training before, but as with a lot of guys it had been focused on the vanity muscles of the chest, arms and abs,’ says Waterson. ‘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.’
Training smart AND efficiently…I like it! And here’s my favorite part of the interview:
The transformation didn’t come easy – Evans especially hated leg training. ‘But then who loves training legs?’ says Waterson. ‘Because if you are doing it properly it is the most painful session there is. Legs never hurt just for a day afterwards – it always lasts into the week. But your legs and glutes are the biggest and strongest muscles in your body 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 a big growth-hormone response.’
Captain America hates leg day!?
Okay, that’s question one.
Question two is: did anyone notice Waterson mentioned “big growth hormone response”…AKA…Super-Soldier-Serum!?
Maybe. Either way, I’m trying it.
Let’s do this.
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The Chris “Captain America” Evans Workout Routine
Evans transformed his physique tremendously by putting on lean mass (and shaving his chest…). Let’s take a look at what his Captain America routine has to offer while taking into account everything his trainer told us. This means we’re going for a “balanced physique” while knowing the importance of leg day!
Straight from Waterman’s mouth:
“Perform one warm-up set for each exercise, then do three sets of six to eight reps at your eight-rep max.”
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Chris Evans Workout: Sample Workout Routine Schedule
Monday: Leg Day
Tuesday: Back Day
Wednesday: Chest Day
Thursday: Arm Day
Friday: Shoulders/Trap Day
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day
Chris Evans Workout: Leg Day
Back Squats
Lunges
Leg Press
Calf Raise
Seated Hamstring Curls
Squat to Box Jumps
Cardio:
If you’re using this routine for weight-loss and fat-loss you can add in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 15-20 minutes.
If you’re going to be using this for mass gain, but still want to increase some excess fat; you can do a low intensity incline walk for 10-15 minutes.
Cardio may be listed, but does not have to be done on all training days.
Chris Evans Workout: Back Day
Deadlifts
Barbell Rows
Lat Pulldowns
Cable Rows
1-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Wide Grip Pull-Ups (Can be Weighted like Evans)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Chest Day
Incline Bench Press (Can sub for Dumbbells)
Dumbbell Bench Press
Cable Flys
Incline Cable Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Dips (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Arm Day
Preacher Curls
Skull Crushers
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Hammer Curls
Tricep Overhead Extension
Chin Ups (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Shoulders/Trap Day
Military Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Shrugs
Barbell Strict Press
Barbell Shrugs
Front Dumbbell Raises
Shoulder Width Push-Ups (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
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