Last updated on February 22nd, 2021 at 10:41 am

So, have you guys watched Riverdale yet?

I can only hope the answer is yes…

I recently wrote the Grant Gustin and Katrina Law workout routines and in the Gustin article I wrote just how many CW studs and stunners we have researched here thus far.

**Hint: it was a lot!**

Well, we can add KJ Apa to the list, and I’m not mad about it at all!

Riverdale was amazing, and I’m so stoked that the CW decided to go this route with a show. As you all know I’m pretty obsessed with more than a handful of their shows, so this just adds another to the list in that regard as well.

KJ Apa Stats:

Height: 5’11

Weight: (approximate) 161 lbs

Age: 20 years old

I love that I had requests for Apa’s workout routine directly after I wrote the article “How Many Days a Week do you [Really] Have to Workout?“, because his body-type is a good example to follow-up with.

Now, I’m not saying his workout routine and training is going to be one hundred percent on point with my example, but I will say that his physique is a good example of what I want to portray.

The point is: KJ is 5’11 and roughly 160 lbs.  His body type is one that is attainable on a minimal workout routine.  [Think Nightwing Path aka Minimalist Path in The Academy]  For example, I weigh 180-185 lbs at 5’6 range, and it took me a pretty decent amount of time to gain the muscle. BUT, we already know that we need to cut body-fat in order to show the six pack abs that we already have (and leanness).

But, let’s not get carried away, right?

KJ is around the same height as studs like Brad Pitt, Charlie Hunnam, and other CW stars like Stephen Amell and Tyler Hoechlin (Yeah…Green Arrow and Superman!)

He struts a lean body shorter than dudes like Dwayne Johnson, Batista, Jason Momoa and Ben Affleck, but is taller than those of Zac Efron, Kit Harington and Tom Holland.

By the way, mentioning Tom Holland reminds me that KJ Apa is now the youngest star we’ve researched at SHJ!

BOOM. Congrats Mr. Apa.

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KJ Apa Diet and Nutrition

There’s just something about CW Stars and GIFs, right?

Melissa Benoist and Tyler Hoechlin had a ton for Supergirl and Superman…

Also, did you manage to catch the main picture I used for this article?

It’s Apa chugging down some Froot Loops cereal – which I felt was fitting and fun.

I normally don’t write that many nutritional guidelines based around Froot Loops, but being that we’re already talking about them – I figure we can sweeten things up a bit.

I mentioned the Minimalist Bonus Path (aka Nightwing) within The Academy, and that also has its own nutritional guidelines attached to it as well.  Those utilize calorie counting (and macro counting) which we’ve also covered on the site and can find in our Nutritional Pillars.

Unlike our other Nutritional Classes in The Academy (Viking, Samurai, Monk, Hunter Gatherer), the minimalist style revolves around counting your calories to allow different types of “cheat meals” more frequently (as long as you’re able to fit them into your diet).  I prefer using the 80/20 Method, and cyclical ketosis, which we use in the other classes – but it’s all about preference and sustainability.

Oh, and speaking about Fruit Loops again for a second…

We see a lot of celebs opt for a sustainable approach like this.

That’s why our Academy Nutrition Classes (Monks, Minimalists, SuperHumans, Vikings, Spartans, Hunter Gatherers, Greek Gods, Samurais, & Eat Fat, Lose Fat) revolve around helping you find the specific diet that is right FOR YOU.

Of course, there are a lot of reasons to HAVE the strict guidelines.

We’ve seen a lot of celebs opt for specific restrictions.

For example: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart incorporate 80/20 dieting with big weekly cheat meals, Hugh Jackman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hopper, and Terry Crews utilize intermittent fasting(something I use daily as well), Mustafa Shakir and Madelaine Petsch are vegans, Brandon Routh and Frank Grillo opt for paleo, and tons of others utilize their own variations as well.

And, that’s just to name a few celebs from each, by the way.

You can check out our Nutrition Pillars for more information and articles on all of the above and more.

Curious what the Top Diets Among Celebrities actually are? Check it out.

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KJ Apa Workout Routine Research

KJ Apa is pretty awesome and was nice enough to share a glimpse of his training session right on Instagram for us.  So, being that this is based around workout routine research for him – I think it only makes sense to start there:

I used to share some Instagram posts from KJ Apa and his trainer Alex Fine, but they’re taken up and down so quick that you’ll just have to take my word for it.

We actually recently just built a routine for Mark Consuelos utilized Fine’s techniques as well if you’d like to head over there and check it out.

Fine has worked with a bunch of the Riverdale cast including Apa, Consuelos, Charles Melton, Cole Sprouse and more!

This one is something he tells us could be as quick as 10-15 minutes (which is similar to our 10 Minutes or Less section in The Workout Database).

The workout is as follows: 

Dumb bell swing / burpees
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps

Eg. 1 DB swing 1 burpee, 2 DB swing 2 burpees and so on and so on to 10 then back down again.

We’ll take this one right from Mr. Apa and utilize it as an add-on for our workout routine later on.

Thank you, again, KJ Apa!

KJ Apa Workout Routine Research Update

Since the original post was published KJ Apa and his trainer Alex Fine have posted a lot more content for us.

Another great post with Fine’s style of training is one of my favorite bodyweight workouts with the Mark Consuelos’ Workout and Diet article.

But, lucky for us, we like to do second variations of workout routines here at SHJ being that we know celebrities are constantly updating and adapting with their routines.

Some of the extra research that gets put into these celebrities (and articles are updated on a daily basis) may end up inside The Academy’s Exclusive Celebrity Packets, but most of it gets funneled back into the articles like we’ll be doing here.

The new research includes:

1. What KJ and Fine refer to as a “Swole Saturday” workout.

2. KJ’s favorite Chest and Ab Workout

So, while we do obviously have the main workout routine (which is a full schedule/plan below), we’ll also be having both of these new sources shared in a secondary routine; although they can be added in and subbed for certain workouts within the first.

Both of these new routines are coming straight from Men’s Health with Apa and his trainer Alex Fine.

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KJ Apa Workout Routine

Training Volume:

3-6 Days Per Week

Explanation:

As we discussed in our recent article: training volume revolves around your goal and how fast you want to accomplish it.  I’ll program 3 days that you have to include (Days 1, 3, and 5), but you should also utilize 10 Minute or Less workouts from the database, MMA and/or Parkour (Highly Suggested!), and/or the one that Apa shared with us himself!

Weight Increase Explanation:

When I give a rep count of “10,8,5,3,3” for example, you should be going up in weight each time.

You should also increase weight each time on rep counts of 3×10 or 12, for example, but that can be a much more insignificant increase than the above example.

Want To Upgrade This Workout?

The Superhero Academy now comes with an Upgrade Your Workout Tool that allows Academy members to turn any SHJ workout into a 4-8 week fully planned regime detailing exact weights to lift and including reverse & tradition pyramid training, straight sets, super sets, progressive overload and more.

Video Link:
SHJ YouTube Workout Guide

Brandon Trained Like Apa for a Week:
SHJ YouTube Workout Guide

KJ Apa Workout Day One: Chest and Triceps

Warm Up:

Stretch

800m jog

Cardio for increased fat/weight loss:

20 Minutes HIIT Cardio on treadmill – see next day for further HIIT instruction (if your goal is cutting)

Workout:

Bench Press

5×10,8,5,3,1

Tricep Cable Pushdowns

3×10

Dips

3xFailure

Incline Dumbbell Bench

3×12

Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks

3×10

Incline Cable Flys

3×12

Chest Front Raises (similar to decline cable flys but with dumbbells)

3×10

KJ Apa Workout Day Two: MMA, Cardio and/or Quickie

MMA/Parkour:

All heroes should know how to defend themselves.

Just ask MMA Coach Derek in The Academy.

Use today to train in mixed martial arts. We have shadowboxing and multiple full MMA programs from Coach.

Also check out programs on the site from Coach Derek here: Moon Knight, Deathstroke, Daredevil.

Plus, check out the Parkour Workout (Nightrunner) designed by Academy member Felix!

Cardio Options:

20 minutes of HIIT on Treadmill or Bike

Treadmill: 

1 min on: sprint 6-9mph

1 min off: walk 2.5-3.3 mph

Bike:

1 min on: keep rpms above 100 with level 7-10

1 min off: keep rpms steady 50+ with level 3-5

Workout Quickie:

Choose a workout from the 10 Minute or Less section in The Workout Database

OR

Utilize KJ Apa’s quick routine which we saw earlier in the article:

Dumbbell swing / burpees
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps

Ex. 1 DB swing 1 burpee, 2 DB swing 2 burpees and so on and so on to 10 then back down again.

KJ Apa Workout Day Three: Back and Biceps

Warm Up:

Stretch

800m jog

Cardio for increased fat/weight loss:

20 Minutes HIIT Cardio on treadmill – see next day for further HIIT instruction (if your goal is cutting)

Workout:

Deadlifts

5×10,8,5,3,3

Dumbbell Bicep Curls

3×12

Cable Rows

3×15

Preacher Curls

3×12

Wide Grip Pull Ups

3xFailure

Lateral Cable Pulldowns

3×12

Hammer Curls

3×10

KJ Apa Workout Day Four: MMA, Cardio and/or Quickie

MMA/Parkour:

All heroes should know how to defend themselves.

Just ask MMA Coach Derek in The Academy.

Use today to train in mixed martial arts. We have shadowboxing and multiple full MMA programs from Coach.

Also check out programs on the site from Coach Derek here: Moon Knight, Deathstroke, Daredevil.

Plus, check out the Parkour Workout (Nightrunner) designed by Academy member Felix!

Cardio Options:

20 minutes of HIIT on Treadmill or Bike

Treadmill: 

1 min on: sprint 6-9mph

1 min off: walk 2.5-3.3 mph

Bike:

1 min on: keep rpms above 100 with level 7-10

1 min off: keep rpms steady 50+ with level 3-5

Workout Quickie:

Choose a workout from the 10 Minute or Less section in The Workout Database

OR

Utilize KJ Apa’s quick routine which we saw earlier in the article:

Dumbbell swing / burpees
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps

Ex. 1 DB swing 1 burpee, 2 DB swing 2 burpees and so on and so on to 10 then back down again.

KJ Apa Workout Day Five: Shoulders and Legs

Warm Up:

Stretch

800m jog

Cardio for increased fat/weight loss:

20 Minutes HIIT Cardio on treadmill – see next day for further HIIT instruction (if your goal is cutting)

Workout:

Back Squats

5×10,8,5,3,3

Arnold Presses

3×10

Leg Press

3×12

Military Press (standing)

5×10,8,5,3,3

Hamstring Curls

3×10

Shrugs (dumbbells or barbell)

3×20

Calf Raises

3×15

KJ Apa Workout Day Six: MMA, Cardio and/or Quickie

MMA/Parkour:

All heroes should know how to defend themselves.

Just ask MMA Coach Derek in The Academy.

Use today to train in mixed martial arts. We have shadowboxing and multiple full MMA programs from Coach.

Also check out programs on the site from Coach Derek here: Moon Knight, Deathstroke, Daredevil.

Plus, check out the Parkour Workout (Nightrunner) designed by Academy member Felix!

Cardio Options:

20 minutes of HIIT on Treadmill or Bike

Treadmill: 

1 min on: sprint 6-9mph

1 min off: walk 2.5-3.3 mph

Bike:

1 min on: keep rpms above 100 with level 7-10

1 min off: keep rpms steady 50+ with level 3-5

Workout Quickie:

Choose a workout from the 10 Minute or Less section in The Workout Database

OR

Utilize KJ Apa’s quick routine which we saw earlier in the article:

Dumbbell swing / burpees
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 reps

Ex. 1 DB swing 1 burpee, 2 DB swing 2 burpees and so on and so on to 10 then back down again.

KJ Apa Workout Routine Version Two

Training Volume:

3-6 Days Per Week

Explanation:

Both of these workouts are straight from KJ Apa and his trainer Alex Fine; sourced from Men’s Health. These workouts can be added in the workout above, subbed for other sections within that workout, or even just used as separate workouts within other regimes.

Want To Upgrade This Workout?

The Superhero Academy now comes with an Upgrade Your Workout Tool that allows Academy members to turn any SHJ workout into a 4-8 week fully planned regime detailing exact weights to lift and including reverse & tradition pyramid training, straight sets, super sets, progressive overload and more.

KJ Apa Workout: Saturday Swole Workout

Warm Up:

Sprint Intervals

Repeat 4-8 times

-Sprint .25 miles

-10-12 mph

-Walk for .1 mile

-Walking Rest at 4 MPH and 3% Incline

Shoulder Warmup

10 Reps Each:

Lateral Raises

Front Raises

Arnold Press

Half-Fulls

Military Press

Cuban Press

Shoulder Circles

Superset A

Max Chinups

Max Pylo Push Ups

2 Rounds Total

Superset B

Underhand Chinup Hold (30 Seconds)

Max Dips

Overhead Dead Hang (1 Minute)

2 Rounds Total

Superset C

Banded Tricep Extension (30 Seconds)

Banded Bicep Curl (30 Seconds)

Kettlebell Shrug (30 Seconds)

2 Rounds Total

Superset D

100 Reps of 135 lb. Bench Press

For Time (You Can Rack The Weight But Don’t Remove Your Hands)

Core Finisher

3 Rounds: 1 Minute, 45 seconds, 30 seconds; Max Reps Each

Band Pullthrough with Single-Leg Suitcase

Banded Deadbug with Around-The-World

Plank Position Banded Single Arm Pullthrough

KJ Apa Workout: His Favorite Chest and Ab Workout

Giant Set:

10 Wide Grip Bench

10 Close Grip Bench

10 Push Up Flyes

10 Weighted Ring Dips

Conditioning Circuit

Complete 2 Rounds

Half a Mile Run

Row 500 Meters

Slideboard Skaters 100 Reps

Core Workout

Mini Circuit

Ab Rollouts Middle -7 reps

Ab Rollouts Left Leg Out – 7 reps

Ab Rollouts Right Leg Out – 7 reps

Mini Circuit

Hanging Crunch With Kick Out

Russian Twists on Bar (Hanging)

Straight Leg Hanging Raises

Mini Circuit

Complete Both with Resistance Ball

In and Outs – 20 reps

Knees to Elbows – 20 reps

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