Last updated on February 14th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Update Notes: We have now seen multiple different Chris Evans workout routines here at SHJ – ranging from our full weekly Captain America workout to two other body-part routines he utilized while training for the role (shoulders and legs).
We also even have a full meal plan that has been shared from his Captain America bulk being that nutrition was such a huge part of his transformation.
Evans was quoted talking about being very skinny and cutting cardio and focusing on eating more food while training to tack on mass.
None of the changes and adaptions to his workout and overall nutrition are uncommon among celebrities I have researched within our Workout Database.
I have now researched over 300 celebrities, athletes and the world’s top performers and even wrote my book Superhuman Secrets on my research, with dozens and dozens of case studies – and I can tell you that the top performers are constantly adapting – but they’re also aware that fitness does NOT have to suck.
You can use these links to jump to specific research and workouts throughout the article – and this article will continue to be updated as more information comes out about Chris Evans’ and his training.
Table of Contents
Chris Evans Stats:
Height: 6 ft.
Weight: (approximate) 180-192
Age: 40 years old
Alright, I have a confession to make.
Technically speaking Chris Evans is off the average height range among male celebs by an inch, but I still include him in the line-up anyway….
That average height falls in the range of 6’1-6’3 with celebs like Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Chris Hemsworth, (Evans would be right here. I mean, c’mon it wouldn’t be fair to keep him away from the other Chris stars) 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.
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Chris Evans Diet and Nutrition Plan
Men’s Fitness and Evans’ trainer Simon Waterson give us a ton of information about his diet and nutrition.
Waterson actually says:
‘The biggest challenge for Chris was eating enough to put on muscle but avoid storing any excess energy as fat,’ says Waterson. ‘We relied on low-carb protein shakes in between meals and snacks such as fruit and nuts.
So, as we know, bulking up takes a surplus of calories, but too much will result in added fat storage/gain.
Evans wanted to fall right in that sweet spot for lean muscle gains.
And Men’s Fitness gives us some example foods for his diet, stating:
Breakfast
Bowl of porridge with dark berries and walnuts
Morning snack
Protein shake and 5g BCAA
Pre-workout snack
Apple with almonds
Post-workout snack
Protein shake and 5g BCAA
20min later
Chicken salad with brown basmati rice
Afternoon snack
Protein shake
Dinner
Lean protein, such as fish, chicken or beef, with vegetables. No starchy carbs.
Chris Evans seemed to have quite the schedule, but the meals seem not only nutritious, but also tasty.
We see a lot of celebs opt for a sustainable approach, and some for some added restrictions.
That’s why our Academy Nutrition Classes (Monks, Minimalists, SuperHumans, Vikings, Spartans, Hunter Gatherers, Greek Gods, Samurais) 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.
Like I said, we’ve also 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 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.
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Chris Evans Workout Routine Research
I know Evans was already pretty jacked for his role in “Captain America: The First Avenger”, but when you have ripped up guys like our Marvel casting next to you on set, it has to be pretty motivating to keep your physique in tact!
Getting a bit more specific with Evans’ training and physique, we’ll continue to take into account some things from the Captain America interview with Men’s Fitness.
Some more of the conversation with Waterson:
To help Evans add lean muscle mass quickly, Waterson gave the actor a training regime based on high-weight/low-rep sets of the classic compound lifts, specifically squats, deadlifts, incline bench presses and weighted dips and chin-ups.
‘He also did a lot of bodyweight moves and included some plyometrics to fire up his fast-twitch muscle fibres, such as squat-to-box-jumps,’ says Waterson. ‘The aim was to keep his heart rate high throughout the workouts.
The interview followed with:
Adding serious muscle while cutting fat is one thing, but doing so while managing not to injure a Hollywood leading man put additional pressure on Waterson to deliver the ideal leading-man physique.
‘Chris had done some weight training before, but as with a lot of guys it had been focused on the vanity muscles of the chest, arms and abs,’ says Waterson. ‘These guys are always amazed when I point out that they have muscles on the backs of their bodies too. But Chris was great to train. He understood the importance of a balanced physique. I had to work him hard but at a sensible pace – I couldn’t afford to have him sidelined for four weeks with an injury.’
Training smart AND efficiently…I like it! And here’s my favorite part of the interview:
The transformation didn’t come easy – Evans especially hated leg training. ‘But then who loves training legs?’ says Waterson. ‘Because if you are doing it properly it is the most painful session there is. Legs never hurt just for a day afterwards – it always lasts into the week. But your legs and glutes are the biggest and strongest muscles in your body so you must train them hard to get bigger and leaner everywhere else. So many men ignore legs because they want big arms, but pushing your lower body to the limit will transform your upper body faster than anything else thanks to a big growth-hormone response.’
Captain America hates leg day!?
Okay, that’s question one.
Question two is: did anyone notice Waterson mentioned “big growth hormone response”…AKA…Super-Soldier-Serum!?
Maybe. Either way, I’m trying it.
Let’s do this.
UPDATE: In an article with Men’s Health Waterson also shares some additional information about Evans’ Captain America training and even shares a full shoulder workout for us.
In this update I’ll be sharing some details from that interview and also including the full shoulder workout as it’s own section below (scroll passed the full workout if you want the shoulder workout).
Here’s a piece of the interview with Waterson:
“We would take two muscle groups, whether it was chest and back or biceps and triceps and we would just destroy those muscles, literally, for about two hours. Then we’d cool down with core and abs.”
And the reason I share this is because this is more in line with our original week worth of Chris Evans Captain America training that you’ll see below, but the shoulder workout is a great workout to throw into some training as well.
Another thing MH quotes was Evans’ discussing the fact that he definitely acknowledged the need to bulk:
“If I do cardio I’ll disappear,” he said. “I just needed to gain size.”
So keep that in mind while going through this routine.
Evans also noted:
“Chest is exhausting. Triceps always hurt. But I love shoulder exercises,”
Which is part of the reason we’ll be tacking on an extra shoulder workout (mainly a handful of exercises you can add to your full shoulder routine, actually).
On top of that, I’ll also be including a Chris Evans’ Captain America leg workout!
This is one that Waterson actually specifically shared that I’ll be including separately just because it has been shared separately and warrants a standalone section. So keep scrolling if you also want the leg workout.
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The Chris “Captain America” Evans Workout Routine
Evans transformed his physique tremendously by putting on lean mass (and shaving his chest…). Let’s take a look at what his Captain America routine has to offer while taking into account everything his trainer told us. This means we’re going for a “balanced physique” while knowing the importance of leg day!
Straight from Waterman’s mouth:
“Perform one warm-up set for each exercise, then do three sets of six to eight reps at your eight-rep max.”
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Chris Evans Workout: Sample Workout Routine Schedule
Monday: Leg Day
Tuesday: Back Day
Wednesday: Chest Day
Thursday: Arm Day
Friday: Shoulders/Trap Day
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: Rest Day
Chris Evans Workout: Leg Day
Back Squats
Lunges
Leg Press
Calf Raise
Seated Hamstring Curls
Squat to Box Jumps
Cardio:
If you’re using this routine for weight-loss and fat-loss you can add in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 15-20 minutes.
If you’re going to be using this for mass gain, but still want to increase some excess fat; you can do a low intensity incline walk for 10-15 minutes.
Cardio may be listed, but does not have to be done on all training days.
Chris Evans Workout: Back Day
Deadlifts
Barbell Rows
Lat Pulldowns
Cable Rows
1-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Wide Grip Pull-Ups (Can be Weighted like Evans)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Chest Day
Incline Bench Press (Can sub for Dumbbells)
Dumbbell Bench Press
Cable Flys
Incline Cable Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Dips (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Arm Day
Preacher Curls
Skull Crushers
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Hammer Curls
Tricep Overhead Extension
Chin Ups (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Workout: Shoulders/Trap Day
Military Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Shrugs
Barbell Strict Press
Barbell Shrugs
Front Dumbbell Raises
Shoulder Width Push-Ups (Can be weighted)
Cardio: Refer to Leg Day
Chris Evans Captain America Shoulder Workout
Training Volume:
One Day of Training
(To Be Repeated and Varied w/ Other Training)
Training Notes:
This is not the full shoulder routine. These are some of Evans’ favorite movements. Tack these onto your shoulder day to get an Evans-like shoulder pump.
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 & traditional pyramid training, straight sets, super sets, progressive overload and more.
Chris Evans’ Shoulder Workout
This workout is shared by Men’s Health and Chris Evans.
Chris Evans’ Captain America Shoulder Workout:
Lateral Raises
3×15
Front Raises
3×15
Military Press
3×15
Reverse Shoulder Flys
3×15
Chris Evans Captain America Leg Workout
Training Volume:
One Day of Training
(To Be Repeated and Varied w/ Other Training)
Training Notes:
This is not the full shoulder routine. These are some of Evans’ favorite movements. Tack these onto your shoulder day to get an Evans-like shoulder pump.
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 & traditional pyramid training, straight sets, super sets, progressive overload and more.
Chris Evans’ Leg Workout
This workout is shared by Men’s Health and Waterson (Evans’ Trainer).
Chris Evans’ Captain America Leg Workout:
Barbell Back Squats
3×15
Barbell Lunges
3×6-8
Leg Press
3×6-8
Calf Raises
3×6-8
Hamstring Curls
3×6-8
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