Ever wondered if you too could transform your body into that of a superhero, without having to use a top-secret serum? Wonder no more.
Below you’ll find Chris Evans’ vigorous training routine and diet plan, as well as the list of supplements that helped him reap impressive lean gains in a short period of time and transform fully into the amazing Captain America.
No more excuses for skipping gym sessions – here’s a sure-fire, bullet-proof program that can help anyone gain a substantial amount of lean, strong, functional muscle mass!
Although Marvel’s decision to cast Chris Evans as Captain America initially caused a great deal of controversy, his portrayal of one of the most iconic comic book heroes eventually won the hearts of millions fans, and nowadays we can’t imagine anybody else besides Evans playing the part with such verisimilitude.
Firstly, Chris Evans took a character who could have easily become a caricature and made him real and relatable by imbuing his interactions with earnestness, integrity and bravery without making the end result appear cheesy or cynical.
On the other hand, the actor’s dedication to sculpting the perfect superhero physique is equally worthy of praise as his successful character study.
Namely, to play the part of a hero who represents the zenith of the human potential for strength, agility, endurance, speed and reflexes, Evans managed to brilliantly transform his physique by powering through countless brutal gym sessions under the guidance of his trainer Simon Waterson.
Read the rest of this article to learn exactly how he did it.
Chris Evans Training Program
Since the goal was to help Evans build a big, strong, well-proportioned body that looks realistic and functional, Waterson gave the actor a training regime based on low-rep, high-weight sets of big compound lifts, including squats, deadlifts, incline bench presses and weighted dips.
But Captain America isn’t only muscular, he’s also agile and fast, so in order to fire up his fast-twitch muscle fibers and improve his stability, endurance and stamina, Evans also did a ton of bodyweight exercises and plyometrics and even took gymnastic classes.
“I’ve always liked going to the gym, but these weren’t normal gym sessions. I was puking at the gym. They were brutal, absolutely brutal”, reveals the actor.
Here’s the program that turned Evans into a lean & mean fighting machine in just a few months:
Chest/Shoulders
- Standing Military Press: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Medium-Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Kettlebell Thruster: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Close-Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Incline Push-Up: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Kneeling Military Press: 2 sets x 5 reps
- Weighted Push-Up: 2 sets x 5 reps
Biceps/Triceps
- Weighted Bench Dip: 3 sets x 8 reps
- One-Arm Kettlebell Row: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Incline Hammer Curl: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Overhead Cable Curl: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Incline Inner Biceps Curl: 3 sets x 8 reps
- EZ-Bar Curl: 3 sets x 8 reps
Legs/Back
- Barbell Squat: 1 set
- Front Box Jump: 2 sets x 10 reps
- Barbell Deadlift: 2 sets x 10 reps
- Chin-Up: 2 sets x 10 reps
- One-Arm Kettlebell Swing: 2 sets x 10 reps
- Kettlebell Sumo High Pull: 2 sets x 10 reps
- Weighted Pull-Up: 2 sets x 10 reps
Chris Evans Diet
Gym efforts aside, the key part of gaining the amount of lean mass required for the proper portrayal of his super-soldier character was the strict high-protein diet that Evans followed for three months – some say that’s one of the greatest clean bulking diet plans out there – and which included 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
“I’d consume multiple sources of lean protein and a few protein shakes every day. It was basically a high-protein diet, but it was balanced with dark green, leafy vegetables and fruits and some complex carbs, things like brown rice and porridge,” explains Evans.
Take a look at Captain America’s diet that helped Evans put some real meat on his bones while promoting metabolism and aiding recovery:
Breakfast #1 – Chicken Sausage Frittata
- 1 chicken sausage
- 1/2 cup zucchini
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 5 dry basil leaves
- 5 egg whites
- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Breakfast #2 – Captain America Porridge Combo
- 1 sachet oatmeal
- Almond milk
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 low fat yogurt
- 1/2 banana
Lunch #1 – Chicken Caeser Pita
- 2 x 6oz chicken breast
- 1 hand full Romaine lettuce
- 4 medium sized pitas
- 2 whole wheat pitas
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp. dry mustard
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp. anchovy paste
Lunch #2 – Tuna Burger and Salad
- 1 can of light chunk tuna
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup dry oats
- Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup chopped vegetables
Dinner #1 – Chicken and Peppers With Brown Rice
- 2 x 6oz chicken breast
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 large sliced red pepper
- 1 medium sliced yellow pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. corn starch
- 1 tbsp. salt and pepper
Dinner #2 – The Make-it Bacon Paleo Chicken Classic (for a Crock Pot)
- 1 lb. cubed chicken breasts
- 1/4 lb. chopped bacon
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/2 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. garlic
- 1/2 tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tbsp. pepper
- 2 tbsp. chipotle sauce
SUPPLEMENTATION
Surprisingly, Evans didn’t use a ton of supplements to enhance his physical development – he took the best out of each bunch and supported his diet and gym efforts with a wise mix of glutamine, whey protein shakes, BCAAs, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids and multivitamins.
“The branched-chain amino acids were basically there to fill the chain of repair of protein. The glutamine was used to stop me going catabolic or burning muscle tissue as energy, and was also good for my immune system.
The protein shakes during the day would be normal whey-based shakes containing around 30g protein. But then before going to bed I would gulp down a protein shake that was primarily casein, for slow-release protein overnight”, explains Evans.
The key duties of supplementation are to maximize protein synthesis, maintain joint health and accelerate recovery, and these products did the job perfectly.
Go Get It
Most people are able to build better-looking, more powerful bodies if they follow the right training regime and diet plan. But a few others among us have the ability to become fully-fleshed comic book action heroes and perform amazing feats of strength without any CGI help – again, as long as they’re given the right training regime and diet plan.
Now that you know exactly what to do in the gym and in the kitchen, you’re ready to begin your no-excuses journey to a whole new level of greatness.
Go offline and start the Captain America program right now – then come back after a few months to brag about your achievements in the comment section. We’ll wait. Good luck!
