If actor Stephen Amell is going to fight crime as vigilante Oliver Queen in the show Arrow, he needs to stay in peak shape.
I wanted to learn how he got his superhero physique to pull off stunts as Oliver Queen, as I have fitness clients looking for tips and tricks to get his ripped body that is second to none.
I collected a ton of data from Stephen Amell’s past interviews, studied his actual workout routine, and consulted our nutritionist about his diet.
Here is what you need to do to get cut like Green Arrow.
Arrow Workout
Stephen Amell does his own stunts and hand-to-hand combat on the show, and to do that, he trains hard to stay in top shape.
He believes in changing his weekly workouts to avoid boredom and feels that going to the gym isn’t necessary; great workouts can be done outside.
I've also found that rigorous training is key to staying in top shape. When I began incorporating elements of his workout into my routine, I noticed significant improvements in my physical capabilities, especially in strength and agility.
Here is a sample Stephen Amell workout week.
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Day 1: Strength
- Kettlebell Turkish Get Up: 3 per side (1 set)
- Lateral Box Jump: 20 (3 sets)
- Rear Foot Elevated Bulgarian Split Squat: 6 per side (3 sets)
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press: 6 per side (3 sets)
- TRX Trainer Suspension Row: to failure (3 sets)
- Standing Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 6 (3 sets)
- Single-Arm Cable Lat Pulldown: 6 per side (3 sets)
- Hanging Straight Leg Raise: to failure (3 sets)
Day 2: Active Recovery
- Mixed martial arts (MMA), parkour, or running
Day 3: Strength
- Pallof Press: 6 per side (2 sets)
- Standing Barbell Push Press (split stance): 6 per side (3 sets)
- Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift: 6 per side (3 sets)
- Standing Cable Chest Fly: 6 (3 sets)
- Bent-Over Barbell Row: 6 (3 sets)
- Handstand Pushup: to failure (3 sets)
- Medium/Wide-Grip Pull-Ups: to failure (3 sets)
- Russian Twist: to failure (3 sets)
Day 4: Active Recovery
- MMA, parkour, or running
Day 5: Strength
- Half-Kneeling Cable Wood Chop: 6 (2 sets)
- Single-Arm Kettlebell Snatch: 20 per side (3 sets)
- Barbell Back Squat: 6 (3 sets)
- Push-Ups: to failure (3 sets)
- Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: 6 (3 sets)
- Single Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 6 per side (3 sets)
- Standing Cable Low Row: 6 (3 sets)
- V-Sits: to failure (3 sets)
Day 6: Active Recovery
MMA, parkour, or running
Day 7: Active Recovery/Rest
MMA, parkour, running, OR complete rest
Stephen’s Bodyweight Training Principles
In interviews, Stephen Amell stated he prefers bodyweight exercises over lifting weights because he feels like that is what his character Oliver Queen from the hit show Arrow would do.
Arrow bodyweight workout is using your body’s resistance instead of equipment. Bodyweight circuit training is when you complete a series of exercises, rest briefly, and begin another “circuit,” starting the exercises again.
The above weekly workout routine was just a sample week; remember, he likes variety, so workouts remain fun. He could easily switch from chin-ups to muscle-ups or biceps curls to hammer curls.
He’s not a huge fan of the weight exercises look like the bench press, but he will work out at the gym, especially after a long hiatus from the show.
Adopting Stephen's Bodyweight Training Principles was a game-changer for me. I've experienced firsthand how effective bodyweight exercises can be. Shifting from traditional weightlifting to bodyweight exercises not only enhanced my strength but also improved my flexibility and balance.
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Archery
In interviews, Stephen has indicated that he did extensive archery training for several weeks before filming the pilot for Arrow.
In all my online reading for this article, it became apparent that everyone involved with the show Arrow wanted the archery to be as authentic as possible.
For the show's duration, he continued to practice archery in his free time to stay adept.
"He pushed himself a lot. I had hay bales brought in, and we set up hay bales here, an obstacle course, and cardboard cutouts of dudes, and he was running and shooting real arrows, jumping. And then he put a lot of work into it to make sure that he looked authentic as well as like a superhero.
- Patricia Gonsalves, Archery Trainer
Stephen’s Arrow Diet
As crucial as the Arrow workout is, a good diet is essential. Getting enough calories to support efforts to train hard, gain muscle, and have cardio endurance to pull off superhero stunts cannot be understated.
He doesn’t count how many calories he takes in but focuses instead on eating lean protein, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates and has eliminated processed sugar, gluten, and dairy, from his diet.
Supplements
There seem to be a few supplements that Stephen has in his lineup.
Probiotics
are an excellent supplement for anyone as they promote digestive health.
Omega-3 - To help manage anxiety and stress and give an immune system a boost, Stephen takes Omega 3 capsules.
BCAAs - Supplementing branch chained amino acids (BCAAs) aids his muscle recovery and repair.
According to the Web MD, BCAAs stimulate the building of protein in muscle and possibly reduce muscle breakdown [1].
Whey protein - Finally, he includes whey protein powder to introduce more protein into his diet, which is essential when building muscle and enhancing athletic performance.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whey protein ingestion enhances whole-body net protein balance and recovery of exercise performance during overnight (10 h) and 24 h recovery after whole-body resistance exercise in trained men [2].
FAQs
How Did Stephen Amell Get His Arrow Body?
Stephen Amell got his Arrow body by maintaining a strict bodyweight exercise routine and clean eating. He has several workout days per week with active rest days in between where he does running, parkour, or mixed martial arts.
Did Stephen Amell Learn Archery for Arrow?
Stephen Amell learned archery from Patricia Gonsalves to prepare for the show Arrow. Before filming the pilot, he took archery lessons for ten hours per week.
References:
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1005/branched-chain-amino-acids
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537849/
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