Chris Evans Inspired Workout Program: Train Like Captain America
The Avengers are about to suit up once again and this time it’s to face their toughest foe yet in Thanos.
Thanos is on a mission to collect all 6 Infinity Stones and impose his reign of terror on the entire universe, which is likely to result in galactic genocide.
But the Earth does have its heroes and the galaxy its guardians, and you better believe they’ll fight for justice until their final breathe.
One of those heroes is none other than the original “super”, Captain America, portrayed by Chris Evans for the 6th time.
The following workout is inspired by Chris Evans’ portrayal of the iconic character and is aimed to help you build your own superhero physique.
Who knows, maybe Tony [Stark] will bump you up to the big leagues to help prevent the Earth’s destruction.
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Introduction to the Chris Evans Inspired Workout
Ironically, and unlike many other actors who get the chance to wear a supersuit, Chris Evans isn’t about that gym life.
This may or may not have to do with the fact that he is blessed with great genetics to begin with – making it much easier for him to bail on the gym in favor of sporting events with some bros and brews.
Regardless, he does understand the importance of weight training and eating accordingly when it comes to putting on lean muscle mass.
And with the help of Marvel and Simon Waterson (his personal trainer) Chris Evans transformed his body to play one of the most memorable superhero roles ever.
With a little bit of digging around on the internet, we designed a program inspired by him to help you transform your own physique.
From all the information we have access to about Chris Evans, we can deduce the following principles about how Chris works out:
Chris Evans Works Out with a Professional
This is especially important if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy being in the gym or going to the gym (like Chris).
A professional personal trainer can modify workout programs to meet your individual capabilities, alter it to make it more enjoyable for you to perform, and tailor it to the amount of time you can/want to actually commit to going to the gym.
They can also find your true motivation for wanting to transform your body and bring it to the forefront of your mind to help you crush your workouts.
In Chris Evans’ case, he has celebrity trainer Simon Waterson (and his team) in his corner to help him get ready for his Marvel films.
Chris Evans Trains with Heavy Weight
Unlike a lot of other superhero actors who focus more on volume training, Chris’ trainer had him using lower rep ranges with heavier weight to help him elicit a muscle building response.
Simon is also a believer in putting a lot of focus on training the lower body intensely and explosively. Your lower body is naturally stronger than your upper body and the more weight you push overtime, the more gains you can expect to see.
Chris Evans Has His Nutrition On Point
Chris Evans has admitted in many interviews that the hardest part of building muscle mass is eating enough calories. He even claims that getting enough calories regularly was exhausting and most days it felt like he was eating non-stop.
For some, it may sound enjoyable. But we’re not talking about those higher calorie foods such as pizza, hamburgers, fries, candy, etc here.
We’re talking about lean protein sources, whole grains and oats, fruits and veggies, healthy fats, and low-fat dairy. Foods that are both very satiating and micro-nutrient rich. For those who aren’t used to eating in this way, eating the calories necessary to build muscle through quality foods can indeed be challenging.
Chris Evans Committed to a Goal
Chris Evans had to get in shape. Sure, he had help and he put in the work, but he literally had to do it.
When you commit to a multi-million dollar role which is expected to have numerous sequels, you have to get it done. And you have to put systems in place where you can consistently get it done for the long-haul.
Now, it wouldn’t be smart to quit your job, move out to Hollywood, and start begging directors to cast you in any role available just so you can get in shape. But what you can learn from Chris is to achieve a transformation, you should set hard deadlines for yourself and you should always keep your next goal in mind.
Doing so will lead to a consistent muscle building experience in the gym.
Chris Evans Captain America Inspired Workout Program
Below is a 12 week workout program inspired by Chris Evans’ physique to help you build a similar body as his portrayal of Captain America (post Steve Rogers).
It is important to note that this isn’t Chris Evans’ actual workout program.
However, it was designed with careful attention to detail based on information we have on how Chris Evans trains and how his trainer, Simon Waterson, trains his clients.
The program is a 4 day upper/lower workout program that utilizes a lower rep range, so you can perform the exercises with a heavier weight selection. Both upper/lower days include a mix of heavy compound movements with additional accessory movements – most of which focus on bodyweight resistance.
There is an optional 5th day for those of you who may want to perform some direct isolation work for the arms and abs. Otherwise, both are targeted indirectly during each workout through compound exercises.
In terms of rest periods, on the lower rep sets you should rest for 2-3 minutes between sets and exercises. For the higher rep ranges, rest for 60-90 seconds between sets and exercises.
On your off days focus on working on your mobility. Yoga, general stretching, mobility flows, and SMR are great options here. Chris Evans didn’t perform a whole lot of cardio while preparing for this role. But if you feel as though you need some additional cardio, feel free to perform some on your active recovery days.
Chris Evans Workout Day 1: Lower Body Day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Squat | 3 | 5 |
| 2. Deadlift | 3 | 5 |
| 3. Jump Squats | 2 | 12 |
| 4. Box Jumps | 2 | 10 |
| 5. Lying Leg Curl | 2 | 12 |
| 6. Standing Machine Calf Raise | 2 | 15 |
Cardio: 10 Min Jog on Treadmill/6 MPH/ 2-4 Incline
Chris Evans Workout Day 2: Upper Body Day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Military Press | 3 | 5 |
| 2. Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 5 |
| 3. Pull Up | 3 | 12 |
| 4. Z Press | 3 | 8 |
| 5. Push Up | 3 | 12 |
| 6. Inverted Row | 3 | 12 |
Cardio: 10 Min Jog on Treadmill/6 MPH/ 2-4 Incline
Chris Evans Workout Day 3: Active Recovery
On your active recovery days feel free to work on mobility (yoga is an excellent option) or incorporate cardio if you feel it’s needed.
Chris Evans didn’t perform much cardio during his preparation, but did admit to performing HIIT cardio when needed. If you enjoy performing cardio and want to add it, feel free to do so and simply adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
Chris Evans Workout Day 4: Lower Body Day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trap Bar Deadlift | 3 | 5 |
| 2. Front Squat | 3 | 5 |
| 3. Leg Press | 3 | 12 |
| 4. Seated Leg Curl | 2 | 15 |
| 5. Jumping Lunges | 2 | 15 Each |
| 6. Seated Calf Raise | 2 | 15 |
Cardio: 10 Min Jog on Treadmill/6 MPH/ 2-4 Incline
Chris Evans Workout Day 5: Upper Body Day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bent Over Row | 3 | 5 |
| 2. Incline Bench Press | 3 | 5 |
| 3. Kneeling Shoulder Press | 3 | 5 |
| 4. One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 |
| 5. Dips | 3 | 15 |
| 6. Chin Ups | 3 | 15 |
Cardio: 10 Min Jog on Treadmill/6 MPH/ 2-4 Incline
Chris Evans Workout Day 6 & 7: Active Recovery & Optional Abs/Arms
On your active recovery days feel free to work on mobility (yoga is an excellent option) or incorporate cardio if you feel it’s needed. Chris Evans didn’t perform much cardio during his preparation, but did admit to performing HIIT cardio when needed. If you enjoy performing cardio and want to add it, feel free to do so and simply adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
You can also perform the following workout on Sunday if you wish to do some vanity (arms and abs) training.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1a. Plank | 3 | 30 Secs |
| 1b. Sit Up | 3 | 15 |
| 1c. Bicycle Crunch | 3 | 15 |
| 1d. Lying Floor Leg Raise | 3 | 15 |
| 1e. Weighted Crunch | 3 | 10 |
| 2a. Dumbbell Curls | 2 | 10 |
| 2b. Overhead Dumbbell Extension | 2 | 10 |
| 3a. Barbell Curl | 2 | 10 |
| 3b. Skullcrusher | 2 | 10 |
Final Notes on the Chris Evans Captain America Inspired Workout Program
The 12 week workout program listed above was inspired by Chris Evans’ workout habits.
If your goal is to look like Captain America, it is a solid workout to help you reach your goals.
To get the most out of this workout plan, make sure you are eating a diet that is aligned with your goals.
Start off by finding your calorie needs with our bmr calculator. Then if your main goal is to put on lean mass, add in an additional ~250-500 calories to that number and aim to eat that many calories from whole food sources each day.
If you need to lose some fat and that is your goal with this workout program, simply subtract ~250-500 calories from that number and aim to eat that many calories from whole food sources each day.
And lastly, if you’re trying to build muscle and lose fat, sleep is the key to doing so. Ensure you are getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep (the more the better) each night to promote muscle recovery and growth.
Be sure to check out the man who inspired this workout program in Avengers: Infinity War in theaters on April 26th.
And if you have any questions regarding this Chris Evans inspired workout program (or have a superhero/villain inspired workout request), please feel free to leave us a comment in the comments section below!