Alan Ritchson "Jack Reacher" Workout: Get Powerful & Shredded -

Alan Ritchson is known for his physically demanding roles where he portrays powerful, muscular characters. His most iconic role to date has been as the legendary “Jack Reacher” in the Amazon Prime series adaptation.

Ritchson’s dedication to transformation for these roles serves as inspiration for many looking to achieve a similar look through dedicated training. This post will break down Alan Ritchson’s iconic roles, physique details, and the key aspects of his infamous “Jack Reacher” workout program.

Table of Contents

ALAN RITCHSON’S ICONIC ROLES

Some of Alan Ritchson’s most notable physically-imposing roles include the following:

Jack Reacher (TV Series) – As the eponymous ex-military investigator “Jack Reacher”, Ritchson had to attain Reacher’s famous 6 ‘5 stature and chiseled 220 lb physique.
Thad Castle (Blue Mountain State) – As the star linebacker of Blue Mountain State University, Ritchson flexed his athleticism and size.
Aquaman (Smallville) – An early superhero role where Ritchson portrayed a younger Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the Smallville TV series.
Gloss (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) – Played one of the brutish male “Careers” tributes in the second Hunger Games film.

Hawk (Titans) – Currently stars as the DC superhero Hawk in the Titans TV series adaptation.

Each of these roles required Ritchson to transform his physique through intense strength and hypertrophy training. What’s most impressive is his ability to maintain these physiques long-term for return appearances in sequels or recurring TV roles.

HOW TALL & BIG IS ALAN RITCHSON? ALAN RITCHSON HEIGHT & WEIGHT

At a towering 6’2″ with an muscular 225 lb lean physique, Alan Ritchson cuts an imposing figure rivaling many of the characters he portrays. Here’s a breakdown of his key vital stats:

Height	Weight	Chest	Arms	Waist
6’2″	225lbs	50″	16″	32″

Compared to the average man, Ritchson has nearly 10 extra pounds of lean muscle mass on a larger frame. His chest, arms, and waist measurements put him squarely in the “shredded” category year-round. Maintaining such a low body fat at over 200lbs naturally comes through dedicated training and nutrition.

It’s likely Ritchson cuts weight even further when preparing for specific action roles. For his portrayal of “Jack Reacher” in the Prime series, he aimed to achieve the character’s listed height of 6’5″ and weight of around 220 lbs. This meant adding even more mass to his already sizable frame through focused bodybuilding and powerlifting.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF ALAN RITCHSON’S PHYSIQUE

Upon examining pictures of Alan Ritchson’s physique over the years across various roles, some consistent traits emerge:

Broad shoulders – Ritchson has developed great width to give the illusion of added height.
Thick, powerful legs – Especially his quadriceps and hamstrings which are well developed from years of lower body strength training.
Ripped six-pack abs – Ritchson rarely loses his chiseled abdominal definition even at peak bulk phases.
Thick, muscular arms – Biceps, triceps and forearms are thick and full from frequent heavy compound and isolated exercises.
Tapered waist – Ritchson’s small 32″ waist serves to accentuate the broad V-taper of his upper body.

Dry, shredded look – Even when heavier, he retains very low body fat to always look adequately “cut” for roles.

This combination of size, symmetry and leanness is what has allowed Ritchson to portray so many physically imposing characters over the years. Maintaining such year-round conditioning is no easy task and requires dedicated training discipline.

ALAN RITCHSON “JACK REACHER” WORKOUT ROUTINE

To get into shape for his starring role as “Jack Reacher”, Alan Ritchson underwent a multi-phase transformation plan. Here’s a brief overview of his routine:

Hypertrophy Phase (12 weeks)

Focus on muscle gains through higher volume training
4-5 day full body split
3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on compound lifts
3-4 sets of 10-15 reps on isolations

Strength Phase (8 weeks)

Transition to a powerbuilding routine
3 full body workouts per week
3-5 sets of 3-5 reps on compounds
Supersets and giant sets used frequently

Peaking Phase (4 weeks)

Higher intensity training
2 full body workouts per week
3 sets of 1-3 reps on main lifts
Increased cardio and calisthenics
Carb cycling and calorie adjustments

Ritchson focused on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, rows and pullups during these phases. Training was always intense with short rest periods to elevate his metabolic rate. Diet was rigorously monitored through each phase as well.

More details on Ritchson’s specific “Jack Reacher” workout splits, exercises, sets/reps and diet will be outlined in the next section. Stay tuned to learn how to get shredded like the actor himself through this famous program.

ALAN RITCHSON “JACK REACHER” WORKOUT SCHEDULE

To properly emulate Alan Ritchson’s legendary “Jack Reacher” transformation, it’s important to understand the specific workout splits and programming he followed. Here are more details on his routine:

Workout A

Back Squats: 5×5
Bench Press: 4×6-8
Bent Over Rows: 4×8-10
Lat Pulldowns: 3×12
Calf Raises: 3×15-20

Workout B

Deadlifts: 4×4
Overhead Press: 5×5
Pullups: 3xfailure
Dips: 3xfailure
Hanging Leg Raises: 3×15

Ritchson did this 2 day split twice per week for a total of 4 intense full body sessions. He kept rest periods short at 60-90 seconds to keep the routine challenging.

For the strength phase, he increased lower reps like 3×3-5 on the main lifts. In the peaking phase, he lowered volume but pushed intensity with rest-pauses, drop sets and super heavy singles.

Exercise variations like close grip bench, trap bar deadlifts, and wide grip pull ups kept it fresh. Core work like planks, windshield wipers and weighted crunches happened daily.

Cardio consisted of 30 minutes of steady state twice per week, plus intervals 2-3 times like sprints, battle ropes or skipping. Mobility incorporates stretching, foam rolling and mobility exercises daily.

Ritchson’s “Jack Reacher” sessions were always high intensity, focusing work capacity and strength equally through compound exercises and density techniques. His attention to programming details served as a model routine.

ALAN RITCHSON “JACK REACHER” WORKOUT NOTES

Here are some additional notes on Alan Ritchson’s approach to the “Jack Reacher” transformation:

Nutrition: Ritchson ate very clean at a slight surplus during hypertrophy (400 cal). Strength phase he leaned out on maintenance. A carb refeed happened weekly. He carb cycled low (100g), medium (200g), high (300g) during peaking.
Supplements: Basic multi, fish oil, creatine, BCAAs, caffeine, ZMA were used. No prohormones or anabolics were used according to Ritchson.
Injuries: By training so intensely for months, shoulder fatigue and low back tightness occurred during the program. Ritchson addressed these with prehab, mobility, massage, and stretching to keep training.
Mindset: Motivation came from the role itself and desire to honor Reacher’s character. Ritchson journaled goals and overcame plateaus with intensity techniques, better form focus and increased calories.
Consistency: Dedication to the program for 6 months straight was key. Ritchson prioritized recovery with 8 hours sleep, ice baths and knew consistency outranks intensity for long term results.
Results: By the end Ritchson had gained over 15 pounds of muscle and leaned down to 8% bodyfat. Photos show remarkable definition across his entire physique which translated powerfully on screen.

The “Jack Reacher” program proved to be an extremely effective routine for physique transformation when calories, training and recovery were meticulously controlled over an extended period of focused effort. Ritchson’s commitment to the process served as an inspiration for fitness enthusiasts.

Final Thoughts

Alan Ritchson’s transformation for his iconic role of “Jack Reacher” shows the potential for dramatic physique changes when adopting a meticulously planned routine over several months. His workout incorporated intense full-body training splits, strategic periodization of rep ranges and density techniques to simultaneously build strength, size and definition.

Just as important was Ritchson’s devotion to clean eating, supplementation, mobility work, recovery strategies and mental perseverance. While genetics did assist his profound gains, Ritchson’s “Jack Reacher” program proves that dramatic transformations are achievable through consistent, diligent effort over time. His approach serves as an exemplary blueprint for others looking to maximally improve their own physiques through dedicated training.