Did you binge watch The Americans like I did?
We’ve already seen Keri Russell’s Workout at SHJ, so it’s about time we had Matthew Rhys’ Workout and Diet as well.
Now Rhys is starring in an HBO Series: Perry Mason and he’s back in action.
He’s also been in roles like The Report, Infinity Train, The Owl House, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Post and more; but The Americans is likely what everyone is here for.
Who wouldn’t want to train like to transform into a KGB spy?
Trick question; everyone wants to workout like a badass.
Matthew Rhys Stats:
Height: 5’11
Weight: (approximate) 165 lbs.
Age: 45 years old
Matthew Rhys falls around the range of men we’ve been seeing more often as of late.
Prior to Brendan Fraser we had both Scott Eastwood and Michael C. Hall who stood in around the same.
The average height falls in the range of 6’1-6’3 with celebs like Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Adam Driver, Stephen Amell, Clive Standen and so many more.
Guys around 5’10-6’0 are dudes like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Jason Statham, but the ACTUAL shorter range is filled with guys like Mark Wahlberg, Zac Efron, Kit Harington, Tom Holland and more.
Even taller than them are guys like The Mountain, Joe Manganiello, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Winston Duke, Alexander Skarsgard and a few others.
But, don’t worry either way.
We write these routines to be utilized by any shape and size.
Take The SHJ Program Quiz and find the perfect program for YOU.
Matthew Rhys Diet and Nutrition
In an interview with Wales Online Matthew Rhys basically admits to not being on much of a diet.
Actually, his “diet” involves a lot of junk food.
Wales Online starts by sharing:
“I’m off to Top Gun for fish and chips – I can’t wait,” he smiles, name-checking his favourite takeaway in Whitchurch.
Despite being based in LA for the past seven years, Rhys hasn’t lost touch with his roots and he’s certainly not adopted any Hollywood fitness fads – well, at least not when he doesn’t have to get into shape for work projects.
As he readily admits: “I’m a junk food junkie.”
That being said, Rhys did follow a diet when preparing to become a KGB spy.
He tells Wales Online:
“It was miserable,” he laughs, recalling the diet he was put on as he prepared to film his action scenes as Philip Jennings.
“I had to eat porridge and sweet potato and no carbs in the evenings. I stuck to it for about two-and-a-half days. Every food that’s bad for you was calling out my name.”
So if you’d like to swap to something more in-line with Rhys’ KGB diet, now you know you’ll need porridge and sweet potato quite often, and cut carbs in the evenings.
That being said…he said it lasted all of two and a half days before he quit, so I’m not so sure that’s what got him into the slim shape that allowed him to show off some of the moves we see on the show.
Probably had more to do with a more-or-less equal daily caloric intake (even though his diet changed daily, he was eating roughly the same calories overall) paired with a new workout regime to prepare him for the role (which we’ll see more of below).
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.
Take The Free Workout Placement Quiz and find the best free workout for you.
Matthew Rhys Workout Routine Research
Like co-star and wife Keri Russell, Rhys used a lot of mixed martial arts to prepare to become a KGB spy for The Americans.
He tells Wales Online:
“I did a lot of martial arts training. For a month I was doing kick-boxing, jiujitsu and (Israeli self-defence discipline) Krav Maga. But I was sparring a bit with the kick boxing and took some knocks to my knees.”
And luckily for us, Russell actually shared a portion of her routine that we used for her article, so I’ll be sharing that for Rhys’ workout as well!
Before we move on to some life advice that Rhys shares with Men’s Health, he does give one last story to Wales Online that’s worth the share:
“I was staying with a horseman and there were six boys helping out on the farm who wanted to wrestle me. I thought that after all the jiujitsu training I would be fine.
“I lost the first match but won the second so incurred the wrath of one of the other boys who picked me up like a sack of potatoes. Now there’s a separation between my collar bone and my shoulder bone,” he says, rubbing his injured shoulder blade.
“I’m going to have to change my ways when it comes to exercise.”
Matthew Rhys talks with Men Health about the role, life, and more; but a great snippet from his interview starts with:
MH: Then what are the things that really matter, not just for actors but for average guys, too?
Rhys: At the end of the day, it’s the work that matters. Do good work. Do your bit the best you can. And be nice to people.
He also finishes off the interview with a bit about his training style, confirming what he shared with Wales Online and moving us closer towards having the perfect training to match:
MH: Phillip Jennings, your Americans character, is intensely physical. How do you stay in shape for the job?
Rhys: They put us through a pretty intensive martial arts program—jujitsu and Muay Thai and Krav Maga. That’ll definitely keep you in shape. There’s a great gym in Brooklyn, A Train, and I’m in there a couple times a week as I can, but it’s hard with the production hours we keep. I do my best to keep up with it all.
MH: Your character is a pretty lethal guy. How about Matthew Rhys?
Rhys: [Laughs] Matthew has a very lethal stunt double, an incredibly accomplished martial artist who makes him look lethal. Everyone should have a stunt double. I can’t recommend it more highly. I’m only lethal in the way that I can kill a scene quite easily.
Which means you either need to get yourself a stunt double for everyday life, or you need to start your training!
Thankfully we don’t online have what Keri Russell shared from her mixed martial arts training with The Americans, we also have a handful of other mixed martial arts articles as well.
Get ready.
Check out all The SHJ Programs and start unleashing your inner SuperHuman.
Matthew Rhys Workout Routine
Training Volume:
3-5 days per week
Explanation:
When preparing for The Americans Matthew Rhys was put through some pretty intense training, especially when taking into account that he wasn’t training much prior. That being said, he was also on a time restraint. For that reason I’m going to be sharing the workout we saw Russell share as well as other MMA training options for you to take advantage of; but you can pick the best training protocol for you from the list. (Russell said that she used the programming she shared about 3 days a week for a month or so.)
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.
Matthew Rhys Workout: Sample Schedule
Monday: MMA Training
Tuesday: Parkour and/or Endurance Work
Wednesday: MMA Training
Thursday: Parkour and/or Endurance Work
Friday: MMA Training
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day
Matthew Rhys Workout: Training for The Americans
Below are movements that Keri Russell utilized with her trainer and were shared by Zeisler (her trainer) and Shape.com.
I will also be sharing a handful of other training options that you can take advantage of to replicate all the different style of training Rhys had to endure!
1. Self-Defense Burpee
2. Push Kick Jumping Jack
3. Cross-Over Heel Kick
4. Plank Elbow Twist
Matthew Rhys Workout: Mixed Martial Arts Training Resources
Here are a handful of other mixed martial arts workout routines that you can utilize in place of (or with) the above training protocol.
Choose the best for you and get started!
- Deathstroke Workout Routine
- Daredevil Workout Routine
- Moon Knight Workout Routine
- Sagat Workout Routine
- Anna Diop Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Frank Grillo Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Ryan Potter Workout Routine and Diet Plan
Matthew Rhys Workout: Parkour and Endurance Training Options
On top of mixed martial arts training you can also include an array of other training styles; but parkour and endurance work really well if you’re looking to get into KGB spy shape.
Here’s another section of great resources we have available for you to take advantage of.
Parkour Training Resources:
- The Nightrunner Parkour Workout Routine
- The Assassin’s Creed Parkour Workout Routine
- The Robbie Amell Parkour Workout Routine
Endurance Resources:
- Constance Wu Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Ewan McGregor Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Kid Flash Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Grant Gustin Workout Routine and Diet Plan
Speed Training Resources:
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