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84 menshealth.com.au
Hitherto best knownas
college “party liaison” Van
Wilder, Ryan Reynolds’ cubed
abs in the 2004 vampire movie
Blade: Trinity put him on the
lifting fraternity’s radar – but
it wasn’t until his title role in
Deadpool that he graduated
from romcom cheesecake to
wisecracking beefcake. And
while the film doesn’t so much
poke fun at inescapable comic
book adaptations as fillet them
with twin katanas, Reynolds’
physique was no joke – nor
was it obscured by CGI, as
it was in his 2011 career low,
Green Lantern.
Trainer Don Saladino devised
a program called “jump, throw,
carry”, incorporating
a plyometric bound, med-ball
slam and farmer’s walk; this
was followed by one of the Big
Four (a bench press, squat,
deadlift or military press
session) and isolation work.
Deadpool’s beloved
chimichangas were
presumably of the menu.Jason
Momoa
CONAN THE BARBARIAN 2011
Christopher
Reeve
SUPERMAN 1978
Ryan
Reynolds
DEADPOOL(2016
This reboot was
ambitious: the original
had achieved cult status,
while Arnie, who played
Conan, had just won his
seventh Mr Olympia
competition. But while
the reboot failed to
launch a franchise it
helped make Momoa a
generational man
mountain, be it as Khal
Drogo in Game of
Thrones or as Aquaman.
Momoa built muscle
and savaged fat with
trainer Eric Laciste’s
high-volume half-hour
sessions, performing
seven reps of squats,
shoulder presses, incline
benches, cable crosses or
pull-ups, resting for a few
seconds, then repeating
for seven sets. Then he’d
do six sets, then five
- and the same all over
again with two more
exercises. Barbaric.
At 193cm and 80kg, Reeve
was initially dismissed as
“too skinny” to play the
Man of Steel. A padded
suit was ofered, but Reeve
wanted to supply his own
muscle. So, bodybuilder
and actor David Prowse
(who played Darth Vader)
was brought in to work
Reeve into shape. After
six weeks of training
and eating four meals a
day, he had bulked up to
almost 100kg.
In unflattering Lycra that
even Henry Cavill was
apprehensive about, Reeve
made you believe that
a man could fly.Go the Distance
Now in his forties, Reynolds
opts for workouts designed
to build longevity. Here are
his go-to moves for core
stability and full-body fitness01/ Box Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps
Unlike his incautious alter ego,
Reynolds keeps his personal
welfare at the forefront of his
mind. Box squats help both to
maintain good technique and
minimise knee stress. Squat
onto a box just below knee
height – it’ll prevent you from
bouncing up, while targeting
your glutes.02/ Single-Leg Deadlift,
4 sets of 8 reps
Practise with your bodyweight
before picking up the barbell.
Hinge at the hips until your
torso is parallel to the floor and
your leg is lifted behind you.
Push through your standing
leg to return.03/ Sled Push, 58 sets of 20m
This move combines strength
work with cardio, hammering
both your lower body and your
core. Lean into the sled with
your back straight, then brace
your abs to drive it forward. Try
to keep your sense of humour
when the burn begins.