Last updated on February 21st, 2021 at 10:26 am

Alexander Ludwig is pretty ripped…

I’m sure I don’t have to point that out, but I’m just making sure…yah know?

The Hunger Games star (I’d like to see him and Jennifer Lawrence duke it out now!) followed up with Lone Survivor in 2013, and then proceeded to rock the screen of Vikings from 2014 onward. Playing Ragnar’s son, Bjorn Lothbrok, aka Bjorn Ironside, Ludwig proved worthy of such an amazing role.

Update: Now Ludwig even recently appeared in Bad Boys for Life with Will Smith, Vanessa Hudgens, and Charles Melton!

Alexander Ludwig Stats:

Height: 6’2

Weight: (approximate) 194 lbs.

Age: 24 years old

Ludwig stands a bit taller than many of the celebs we see, but still shorter than dudes like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, and of course Batista!

He’s roughly the same height range as guys like Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and Ray Fisher.

But, still taller than Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Jason Statham, — and much taller than Mark Wahlberg, Kit Harington, and Zac Efron!

But, these comparisons, as always, are just for fun and have no bearing on whether or not you’re able to utilize this routine to achieve your goals.  The answer to that question: you are.

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Alexander Ludwig Diet and Nutrition

In order to stay as lean as Alexander Ludwig portrays it’s going to be vital we have a good nutritional support system.

If we’re being honest though, Ludwig tells M&F that he normally just watches his caloric intake when he is focusing on staying lean (as opposed to other roles when he has had to bulk):

M&F: Do you stick to a specific diet even when you’re not filming?

AL: It’s not really about what I eat. It’s more about how much I eat. I’ll basically eat 6 meals a day—3 meals and 3 snacks and just try to be consistent with how many calories I’m taking in for the day. I try to stay under 2000 calories. Key word being TRY. It’s hard when you love food!

We can take a look at calorie counting, but I suggest bringing our focus to all of our Nutritional Pillars and trying to combine them to become a badass Viking.

The ideal situation is that we find something that is sustainable for us, but it might take some testing.

It’s this same testing that brought me to find my own pillars, and then also customize them for everyone through the work with the SHJ Army.

So, sustainability is definitely something we’re accustomed to here.

P.S. – While bulking for Lone Survivor Ludwig also mentions “eating like a caveman”, which you’ll see in a quote in the workout routine research.  This would be our paleo diet guidelines within the nutrition pillars.

I know…it’s kind of weird he didn’t use the nordic diet seeing as how he turned out to be a Viking…

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Alexander Ludwig Workout Routine Research

One thing is to be set straight here:  Ludwig has had to both bulk up and cut down for some roles.  In Hunger Games and Lone Survivor he was bulking, but in Vikings he has had to learn to tone while cutting down the fat.  So, for this routine we’re going to be utilizing his current regime, which is closest to the one he utilizes for Vikings.

But, we’ll still be taking a look at some past quotes to prove what I’m talking about…

Here’s one from M&F regarding his Lone Survivor training:

How did you train before filming Lone Survivor?

I wanted to make this real for my character and I wanted to look like a Navy SEAL so I put on about 30 pounds of muscle, going from 195lbs to 225. I did a lot of heavy lifting and ate like a caveman: steak, vegetables, and lots of protein. I incorporated my own personal ab routine. While lying flat on the floor, do 30 reps of medicine ball V ups. Then, without rest, do 30 Russian twists, left and right is one rep. Keeping your legs up, lie on your back, and do 30 crunches with the med ball on your chest. Repeat the circuits 3 times with a 30 second break in between circuits. I do that everyday.

And another from a Q&A in a future interview with M&F regarding Vikings training:

What was your training like during filming?

It’s a physical role and I did a lot of fight training with trainers who worked on Troy and other movies. During filming, if I am not on set, I am going to fight training learning how to yield an axe, sword and shield and it’s exhausting. When you’re in those fight scenes, it’s no joke. It’s real. You’re whacking and smacking it out. It’s vicious and I love it. At this point, I was so big it was more about me losing weight. When I first got there, I would row for 2000 meters before starting a weightlifting routine. One training circuit I did is did chin-ups, leg exercises, and dumbbell burpees where I would put 60-pound dumbbells on each side of me and do a burpee with them, which is really good for your core.

And, being that they’re on a freakin’ role, we’ll follow it up with yet another interview regarding his training for Vikings.  This one is more-or-less what I was discussing when we first started the research:

M&F: Has your workout changed from when you first began training for Vikings?

AL: In the past, I had to bulk up for the films like The Hunger Games, Lone Survivor, and of course for Vikings I do a lot of fight training, weightlifting and at one point I got so big! Then I had to take it off and now I’m much more about building lean muscle. I feel more comfortable with less weight on.

He continues this with some great information here:

M&F: What’s your training like now to stay lean?

AL: Here’s a basic cardio routine I created with some modifications:

1. I sprint 3 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15-second breaks in between.
2. I jog at half that speed for 20 minutes
3. I finish off by sprinting again: 4 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15 second breaks in between.

We’ll definitely be using that one, Alexander!

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Alexander Ludwig Workout Routine

Training Volume:

6 Days a Week

Explanation:

3 Days of Heavy Lifting and 3 Days of Ludwig’s Cardio/Ab Routine

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Alexander Ludgwig Workout Day One: Back and Biceps

Warm Up:

800m jog

Workout:

Deadlift

5×10, 8, 5, 3, 1

Weighted Pull Ups

3xFailure

Preacher Curls

5×10

Barbell Rows

3×10

Dumbbell Curls

3×10

Lateral Pull Down

3×10

Alexander Ludgwig Workout Day Two: Ludwig Cardio and Abs

Cardio:

1. I sprint 3 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15-second breaks in between.
2. I jog at half that speed for 20 minutes
3. I finish off by sprinting again: 4 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15 second breaks in between.

Abs:

While lying flat on the floor, do 30 reps of medicine ball V ups. Then, without rest, do 30 Russian twists, left and right is one rep. Keeping your legs up, lie on your back, and do 30 crunches with the med ball on your chest. Repeat the circuits 3 times with a 30 second break in between circuits.

Alexander Ludgwig Workout Day Three: Chest and Triceps

Warm Up:

800m jog

Workout:

Bench Press

5×10,8,5,3,1

Weighted Dips

3xFailure

Skull Crushers

3×10

Incline Dumbbell Press

3×10

Overhead Tricep Extension DB

3×10

Chest Flys DB

3×10

Alexander Ludgwig Workout Day Four: Ludwig Cardio and Abs

Cardio:

1. I sprint 3 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15-second breaks in between.
2. I jog at half that speed for 20 minutes
3. I finish off by sprinting again: 4 times at highest treadmill speed for 45 seconds with 15 second breaks in between.

Abs:

While lying flat on the floor, do 30 reps of medicine ball V ups. Then, without rest, do 30 Russian twists, left and right is one rep. Keeping your legs up, lie on your back, and do 30 crunches with the med ball on your chest. Repeat the circuits 3 times with a 30 second break in between circuits.

Alexander Ludgwig Workout Day Five: Legs and Shoulders

Warm Up:

800m jog

Workout:

Military Press

5×10,8,5,3,1

Back Squat

5×10,8,5,3,1

Arnold Press

3×10

Leg Press

3×10

Shrugs DB

3×15

Weighted Lunges

3×10

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