Chris Evans Workout Routine & Diet Plan in Captain America

Isaac Robertson
Published by Isaac Robertson | Co-Founder & Chief Editor
Last updated: December 7, 2023
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There are two things we are going to dissect as we look into  Captain America's marvelous physique, namely his diet and his workout routines. This will set up the platform for what you should do to attain a marvelous physique like his within a reasonable time.

Everyone notices Chris Evans in every movie he features into. However, most people don't know the determination he put into attaining such a perfect body. It all starts with eating the right kinds of foods. Remember, your body needs enough nutrients to attain the desired body shape.

Let's get into it and understand how Captain America attained his toned muscles.

Quick Summary

  • Chris Evans has a personal trainer who guides him on the correct way of doing cardio and strength, among other workouts.
  • Captain America eats a balanced diet that contains the nutrients the body needs to build up more muscles.
  • Chris Evans includes supplements in his diet while working out, which increase muscle size, strength, and stamina.
  • Captain America emphasizes that consistency in the gym is the only key to attain toned muscles.

How Did Chris Evans Achieve His Physique For Captain America?

I’ve listened to loads of interviews with Chris Evans in the past few years, mainly because I’m a secret Marvel fan (and want to become a superhero like his Steve Rogers character).

One thing has stood out to me a lot in all the answers he gives and it’s about how he managed to get his body, especially his chest, so ripped.

Chris Evans sometimes jokes that you can do it while eating pizza and watching exercise videos on YouTube, but the reality is very different.

Basically, it all comes down to a clear plan for your meals and exercise each day, and then religiously putting in the hard work to look like one of America's finest superheroes, Captain America.

Here’s why I believe the Chris Evans Captain America workout routine is so effective in obtaining the perfect physique.

 

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A post shared by Chris Evans (@chrisevans)

1. Workout With A Trainer

There are two things that a personal trainer will be able to provide. First of all, they will be able to show you the correct technique for all the different workout and cardio exercise to maintain your weight.

Some simple mistakes can result in Chris Evans workout becoming ineffective and even causing damage to your body. More importantly, though, a coach will help to keep you motivated, especially when you have significant goals that you've achieved, for example, broader chest. (1)

For Captain America, this means teaming up with Simon Waterson, but even if you cannot afford such a coach and their training, finding a gym with several trainers on standby will work just fine to get the physique that you want.

2. Lift Heavier Than Everyone Else

Greg Plitt once said that there’s no excuse not to be the hardest working person in the room -- and that’s exactly what Simon Waterson made sure Chris Evans was doing.

Not only did he use high-intensity interval training, but he piled on the weights and reduced the repetitions during his Captain America workout and cardio sessions so that he'll achieve the physique that he has now.

This was different. I’d walk out and I’d be like, ‘I need to vomit. I hate this trainer. I hate this movie. I want to go to sleep for a week.
- Chris Evans

If you want to become a lot leaner and muscular as well, then add on those weights during the Captain America workout and cardio. It’s the only thing that will maximize growth.

3. Become The Low Cardio Guy

Technically, all warm-up routines are a form of cardio, but what I mean here is that Chris Evans didn’t waste entire days on doing just a lot of cardio.

In order to build muscle to the extent he did, and in the short space of time as well, Chris Evans Captain America had to use all available energy to focus on a Captain America workout and training that was all about lifting, pushing and pulling as much weight as possible, without focusing too much on cardio.

4. Do Gymnastics And Plyometrics

Plyometrics and gymnastics are excellent ways to keep your heart rate up when you’re doing low-rep, high-weight workout during trainings.

I also did some plyometrics, stuff like squat-to-box-jumps. The aim was to keep my heart rate high throughout the workouts, and that helped with my general wellbeing and especially during filming when I had long days and was running around or doing fight scenes.
- Chris Evans

5. Bulk Up With The Correct Portions Of Food

Close up shot of healthy bulk food

You might think that the correct portion is nice and small snacks multiple times a day, with some healthy salads thrown in, then think again.

While that may be the best approach if you’re carrying a few extra pounds, when it comes to creating a ripped physique, it’s all about lean protein; and lot’s of it.

For multiple sessions in the gym a day, you could be looking at several chicken breasts for every single meal, starting first thing in the morning.

Working out sucked, eating sucked more. You get to a point where you just can’t even look at another piece of chicken. You’re just so bloated, but you just have to keep consuming protein, so that was tricky.
- Chris Evans

Be sure to check out this video if you want to see more ...

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Chris Evans’ Sample Weekly Workout Routine

Below, we’ll show you what the Captain America workout looked like for Chris Evans to become Steve Rogers. It’s brutal and would actually put a lot of people into a sweat just reading the posts that are circulating on social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Now, one word of caution. This is not a workout to pick up if your fitness levels are really low. If you sweat while eating your dinner, can’t walk a flight of stairs, or simply when you just browse your Facebook and Twitter timelines, then first start with some basic fitness to maintain your body weight goal, whether you want to lose or gain some mass. Bulking up is not just about training your biceps and triceps; you have to plan out your exercises to avoid looking like a lollipop.

What stood out for me with this Captain America workout is that there is a serious focus on compound lifts and plenty of exercises that took advantage of bodyweight.

Compound workout targets muscle groups, for example, the ones near the leg, as opposed to isolated exercises that focus on only one or two muscles.

The result of this compound workout is that growth hormone levels will naturally be maximized, that could help you achieve the bodyweight that you want. And the anabolic effect of that is faster and bigger muscle gains.

An example of such a workout would be deadlifts and squats, which target your legs and core muscles at the same time.

Here’s what Chris’ training looked like on a weekly basis:

MONDAY

BACK DAY

  • Weighted chin-ups and or pull-ups: 4 sets with 4-6 reps
  • One-arm kettlebell row: 2 sets with 4-6 reps
  • Wide grip seated cable row: 3 sets with 6-8 reps
  • Wide grip lat pulldown: 3 sets with 8-10 reps
  • Overhead cable crunches: 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
TUESDAY

CHEST WORKOUTS

  • Incline bench press: 4 sets with 4-6 reps
  • Dumbbells or barbell bench press: 3 sets with 8 reps
  • Cable crossover: 2 sets with 10-12 reps
  • Face pulls: 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps
WEDNESDAY

REST DAY

  • Rest here is only in the sense that you’re not lifting heavy weights.
  • Stretch to loosen muscles and increase your range of motion.
  • Do some soft tissue work with massage rollers.
  • Optionally do some yoga.
  • Optionally do cardio but replaced with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
THURSDAY

LEG DAY

  • Barbell deadlift: 3 sets with 4-6 reps
  • Lunges: 2 sets with 6-8 reps per leg
  • Leg press: 3 sets with 10-12 reps
  • Calf raises (alternate seated and standing): 5 sets with 10-15 reps
  • Hyperextension leg workouts: 3 sets with 10-12 repetitions
  • Cable woodchoppers: 3 sets with 10-15 reps per side
FRIDAY

LEG DAY

  • Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets with 6-8 reps
  • Weighted pull-ups: 3 x 6-8 reps
  • Cable crossover: 3 sets with 10-12 reps
  • Side delt raises: 3 sets with 10-12 reps
  • Rear delt raises: 2 sets with 10-12 reps
  • Barbell curl: 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps
  • Overhead tricep rope extensions: 3-4 x 8-10 reps
SATURDAY

REST DAY

  • Rest here is only in the sense that you’re not lifting heavy weights.
  • Stretch to loosen muscles and increase your range of motion.
  • Do some soft tissue work with massage rollers.
  • Optionally do some yoga.
  • Doing some circuits (optional)
SUNDAY

MIX THINGS UP A BIT

  • Barbell squat: 3 sets with 4-6 reps
  • Standing military presses: 3 sets with 6-8 reps
  • Ez-bar curl: 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps
  • Front box jump: 3 sets with 6-8 reps (gradually increasing height)
  • Incline inner biceps curl: 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps
  • Kettlebell sumo high: 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps
  • Military pushups: 3 sets with 25

Instead of him doing cardio, Chris Evans replaced them with circuits.

Let me add here that Chris Evans went through this 2 to 3 times per day, so if you thought it was tough reading through it once, imagine having to do this multiple times a day.

You can also watch this video to get a glimpse of how Chris trained for his role as one of America's most beloved superheroes.

Do you wanna build muscle and look like a superhero? Then check out our full review on the Superhero X12 training program.

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Chris Evans Diet

Diet And Nutrition

People who come to me for advice are always surprised when I tell them they also need to spend some time with a dietician.

In order to achieve your fitness goals, you have to look at it as a 70-30 split.

70% of your success will come from your diet, and 30% from your work at the gym.

Chris hasn’t actually revealed exact details about every meal and the Chris Evans diet, but in an interview with the Huffington Post he said: “You get to a point where you just can’t even look at another piece of chicken.”

Nutrition is absolutely vital to make sure you have all the energy to work hard, as well as a whole lot of nutrients to repair, recover and bulk up.

So, I sat down with a close friend of mine who is a nutritionist for professional triathletes, and she gave me a sample of what she imagined Chris would have to take in during weight training. It would mean incorporating a lot of lean protein.

Breakfast (Captain’s Porridge)

  • 2 servings of oatmeal
  • Coconut or almond milk
  • ½ cup of almonds
  • 1 cup of low-fat yogurt
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup of mixed berries and fruits

 

Lunch (Chicken Pita)

  • 4 x 6-ounce skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 head of lettuce
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 4 x whole wheat pitas
  • 2 cups low-fat yogurt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of mustard
  • 2 tablespoons anchovy paste
  • 2 sliced or crushed garlic cloves

Dinner (Stir-Fried Chicken and Rice)

  • 4 x 6-ounce skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
  • 2 large red peppers
  • 1 medium yellow pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp salt and pepper

A Cocktail Of Supplements

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that they got into a shape like him without taking a ton of supplements. Between the exercise routine and your protein needs, you’ll struggle to get all the energy, macros and nutrition you need.

Simon Waterson (Chris’ personal trainer) talked in a Bodybuilding.com interview about a stack of products he generally sets up for his clients.

Here are some details:

1. Natural Testosterone Booster

Testogen

Using a natural testosterone booster like Testogen, based on our study, he was able to increase his testosterone easily and safely.

See, testosterone can help you increase strength and stamina which will lead to improved muscle size.

With this product, rest assured that everything's done safely and naturally.


2. A Mountain Of Protein Powder

Transparent Labs Whey Protein

Through protein shakes and powder added to smoothies or porridge, Chris was taking in 180 grams of protein powder per day.

A lot of this would come at night time to help provide as many branched-chain amino acids as possible to repair and build muscle tissue, so consider slow-release protein overnight.

Here are some of our favorite whey protein shake powders.


3. Fish Oil Supplement

Transparent Labs Krill Oil

These are excellent for the immune and vascular systems. As your body becomes accustomed to a regular supply of healthy fats, it is going to be far more likely to release any bad fats, especially around the heart.

This also helps you balance your body's pH levels, protects you from diseases, and boost your wellbeing with micronutrients.


4. BCAAs To Avoid Muscle Wasting

Transparent-Labs-BCAA-Glutamine

This supplement is vital in a bulking phase as it will help to avoid burning muscle tissue.

As you go through different stages of intensity and rest periods, you don’t want your body to reduce any of that hard work to achieve muscle mass.

Here are more of our favorite BCAA supplements.


5. Glutamine To Help Your Gut

Nutricost L-Glutamine Powder

There’s a bit of a debate over how important this supplement is, but in my opinion, it provides two benefits.

First of all, it helps your stomach and digestion.

Secondly, it can help with a cutting phase where you want to remove as much fat as possible. (2)


The good news is that you won’t have to take 4 different supplements in huge doses. The first three items listed are often available in high-grade products in the right amounts needed.

Related Posts:

Frequently Asked Questions

Captain America staring at the camera at the bedroom

1. How long did Chris Evans workout for Captain America?

Chris Evans went through a 3-month workout phase to prepare for Captain America. He has talked about the grueling Chris Evans training and diet routine in TV interviews, describing that he regularly wanted to just pack it all in.

2. Who trained Chris Evans for Captain America?

Simon Waterson trained Chris Evans for Captain America. Simon is a former British Royal Marine, and he has a team of fitness and diet coaches that have trained actors for many high profile movies including James Bond.

3. How much does Chris Evans weigh for Captain America?

Chris Evans weighs about 180 pounds at 6 feet tall for the Captain America movie. He reportedly put on 30 pounds of lean muscle weight and reduced his body fat to 10%, which is quite an achievement.

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