Ryan Reynolds may be approaching his fifth decade, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at him.
Since his shredded appearance in Blade: Trinity over 20 years ago, the Canadian actor has maintained Hollywood-ready conditioning for roles spanning Green Lantern to the wise-cracking Deadpool.
Behind that physique lies a smart training approach developed with coach Don Saladino since 2011—one that ditches outdated bodybuilding splits for efficient full-body sessions.
Men’s Health writer Ryan Dabbs recently put one of Reynolds’ go-to routines to the test, and the verdict might surprise you.
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The Philosophy Behind Reynolds’ Training
Reynolds and Saladino transformed the actor’s training by replacing traditional “bro splits”—where single muscle groups get demolished in isolation—with balanced full-body workouts built around fundamental movement patterns.
Instead of destroying one body part like chest or back, we spread it out over five days.
This approach prioritizes consistency over crushing intensity. Rather than leaving every session on the gym floor, Reynolds focuses on sustainable effort that keeps him training regularly without burning out.
Not every day has to be a Level 10. We sit down, I ask how he’s feeling, and we adjust.
That philosophy underpins the workout Dabbs tested—a session Reynolds used during prep for multiple film roles.
Breaking Down Reynolds’ Full-Body Session
The routine pairs compound movements into supersets, hitting every major muscle group while maintaining workout efficiency. Here’s the complete structure:
First Superset: Lower Body Pull and Upper Body Push
- A1. Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 8 reps
- A2. Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8 reps
Second Superset: Squat Pattern and Upper Body Pull
- B1. Goblet Squat: 4 sets of 10 reps
- B2. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row: 4 sets of 10 reps
Finishing Circuit: Arms and Grip
- C1. Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
- C2. Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
- C3. Farmer’s Walk: 3 sets of 50 meters
The intelligent pairing allows opposing muscle groups to recover while keeping movement continuous—maximizing efficiency without sacrificing quality.
What Makes This Workout Actually Work
Dabbs discovered the session delivers exactly what Reynolds’ training philosophy promises: challenging work that feels athletic rather than punishing.
For anyone who prefers dynamic movement over grinding through endless rest periods between heavy sets, this structure hits differently. Transitioning from quad-dominant goblet squats directly into bent-over rows creates what Dabbs describes as “a welcome shock to the system.”
The workout addresses multiple training goals simultaneously:
- Builds strength through compound movements
- Elevates heart rate for conditioning benefits
- Creates muscular pump across all major groups
- Maintains athletic feel throughout
Using predominantly compound exercises ensures comprehensive muscle recruitment. Nothing gets neglected, yet the session never drags or feels monotonous thanks to varied movement patterns.
The Sweet Spot for Load Selection
Dabbs completed most of the session with 24kg dumbbells, dropping to 16kg only for hammer curls. This weight selection proved ideal—challenging enough to require genuine effort, but manageable enough to maintain form and leave a few reps in reserve throughout.
That strategic approach prevents early burnout while keeping intensity high across all working sets.
Practical Efficiency That Actually Matters
The entire session wrapped in approximately 40 minutes. That duration sits in what many consider the sweet spot—long enough to accumulate meaningful training volume, short enough to maintain motivation and mental focus.
Sessions exceeding an hour can become mentally draining regardless of physical capability. Reynolds and Saladino clearly understand this, designing workouts that respect both physical and psychological capacity.
Minor Adjustments Worth Considering
Dabbs noted one potential modification: the close-grip bench press requires a barbell while everything else uses dumbbells. Swapping this for dumbbell skull crushers would maintain equipment consistency and potentially improve workout flow.
Otherwise, exercise transitions proved seamless. The superset structure worked perfectly with dumbbell-focused movements, eliminating time wasted switching between equipment stations.
The Farmer’s Walk Reality Check
Those finishing farmer’s walks? They’re deliberately brutal.
Dabbs admitted they left him “gasping for air” with arms burning intensely. But that’s precisely the point—ending with loaded carries builds real-world strength and mental resilience while testing grip under fatigue.
Exercise Execution Guide
Dumbbell Deadlift
Hold dumbbells at your sides with knees slightly bent. Hinge at the waist, lowering weights toward the tops of your feet while maintaining neutral spine. Extend through your waist and hips to return to standing.
Key focus: Keep the movement controlled, especially during the lowering phase. Maintain tension throughout your posterior chain.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Position yourself on a bench set to 30 degrees. Start with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Press both weights up simultaneously until arms lock out, squeezing chest at the top before lowering with control.
Key focus: The incline angle shifts emphasis to upper chest. Maintain stable shoulder positioning throughout.
Goblet Squat
Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width, holding a dumbbell vertically at chest height with both hands. Sit back into a squat while keeping the weight stationary, then drive through your feet to stand.
Key focus: The front-loaded position encourages upright torso positioning and challenges core stability.
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
Holding dumbbells with slight knee bend, hinge forward until your torso approaches parallel with the floor. With tight core and flat back, row weights to your chest. Lower under control and repeat.
Key focus: Avoid using momentum. Initiate the pull with your back muscles, not your arms.
Close-Grip Bench Press
Lie on a flat bench gripping a barbell with hands closer than shoulder-width. Lower the bar to mid-chest with control, then press explosively back to starting position.
Key focus: The narrow grip shifts emphasis toward triceps while still engaging chest. Keep elbows closer to your body than standard bench press.
Hammer Curl
Stand holding dumbbells with neutral grip (palms facing each other). Keep elbows locked at your sides and shoulders pulled back. Curl weights until thumbs near shoulders, pause briefly, then lower with control.
Key focus: Resist the temptation to involve your shoulders. This variation emphasizes the brachialis and brachioradialis alongside biceps.
Farmer’s Walk
Stand tall holding heavy dumbbells at your sides with arms extended. Brace your core, take a deep breath, and march forward rapidly without allowing weights to swing.
Key focus: Walk as quickly as possible while maintaining control. This builds grip strength, core stability, and mental toughness simultaneously.
Who Should Try Reynolds’ Approach
This workout particularly suits anyone who finds traditional bodybuilding splits monotonous or struggles with motivation during long rest periods between sets.
The continuous movement creates athletic flow while still accumulating significant training volume. You’re building muscle and strength without the tedium of extended downtime.
Ideal for lifters who:
- Prefer dynamic, varied sessions over isolated muscle work
- Want efficient workouts under 45 minutes
- Respond well to moderate weights and higher movement variety
- Value conditioning benefits alongside strength gains
- Enjoy the psychological satisfaction of constant engagement
The rep ranges (8-12) and superset structure create what strength coaches call “functional hypertrophy”—building muscle that enhances real-world performance rather than purely aesthetic development.
The Bigger Picture: Sustainable Superhero Training
What makes Reynolds’ approach genuinely smart isn’t any single exercise or set-rep scheme. It’s the sustainability of the entire philosophy.
Hollywood transformation stories often emphasize brutal intensity and extreme dedication. While Reynolds certainly works hard, his program prioritizes longevity over short-term heroics.
By spreading work across the full body, varying intensity based on daily readiness, and keeping sessions time-efficient, this approach remains manageable year-round. That consistency—not occasional extreme effort—builds the physique Reynolds maintains well into middle age.
For recreational lifters juggling training with careers and family obligations, that lesson matters more than any specific exercise selection. The best program is always the one you’ll actually stick with long-term.
Reynolds proves you don’t need punishing six-day splits or two-hour gym sessions to maintain impressive conditioning. Smart programming, consistent effort, and realistic intensity create results that last.
