Alan Ritchson's Secrets To Packing on Muscle for 'Reacher'

If you ever find yourself cornered in a dark alley, who would you want to make a well-timed entrance to save your day? Jack Reacher, of course. The totally buff, former U.S. Army military policeman definitely makes his presence known and effortlessly works his sleeve-busting magic on-screen. (Just be sure to call him "Reacher," and leave it at that!) We learned the workout secrets actor Alan Ritchson follows for packing on serious muscle to play this impressive role on Amazon Prime's hit series.

Reacher Season 3 debuted in February 2025, and fans naturally can't get enough of all-things, well, Reacher. The 42-year-old actor sat down with Thomas DeLauer, nutrition coach to professional athletes, to discuss the workout routine and diet that helped Ritchson build size and definition for his role.

How Alan Ritchson Fuels Up for His Role as Reacher

Reacher makes his day-to-day tasks look easy on-screen, but according to Ritchson, "It's hard doing what I do on Reacher." How does the actor stay in the best shape for the role? First off, he stopped eating a 12-pack box of cookies in a day!

What does this 6'3, 240-pound, guy-you-don't-want-to-mess-with-on-screen eat? Yogurt and a protein drink usually get the job done for breakfast. Ritchson favors "disciplined mornings," which means working out in a fasted state before heading to set.

The actor shared that "protein was never in short supply." This includes items like protein supplements, smoothies, and shakes prepared with plenty of greens and macronutrients.

His goal is to maintain and continue to pack on lean muscle, consuming a minimum of 240 grams of protein per day. This makes protein consumption a "full-time job," Ritchson added.

All this being said, when it comes to his diet on-set, the actor tries to adhere to his healthy rotation as best he can. It's essential for him to make modifications based on what's available wherever he is shooting.

As a rule, however, he stays away from alcohol, never deviates from his morning discipline, and eats plenty of fruit to regulate his sweet tooth and overall mood.

High-Volume Workouts Are Ritchson's Secret Weapon

Ritchson called his fitness "a lifestyle," noting, "I've always been consistent since I started working out when I was 17."

He's also a firm believer in introducing muscle confusion into his body to achieve the best possible results.

"What my body needs right now is high, high-volume, sort of cardiovascular-based, plyometrics," he said. (Think pushups, dips, sit-ups, and pull-ups.) "It's something that I've relied on for so long, and I get a lot of strength out of that, but I also get a lot of definition."

In more recent years, he's placed more of an emphasis on weights over cardio.

Ritchson's routine these days looks a little something like this:

• Core training warm-up, consisting of 250 reps, which he considers a "decent" amount to start his workout. (Think leg lifts, crunches, and medicine ball exercises.)
• Intense cardio for 20 to 30 minutes. Ritchson is a fan of sprints and long runs on the Woodway treadmill, which feels like running uphill the entire time. "That's a tough run right there," Ritchson shared.
• Stair climber for 20 minutes, when he's able to. He enjoys this piece of equipment, as it doesn't place as much strain on your knees as running does.
• Weight training. He doesn't consider himself a powerlifter, and lifts weights more for volume, typically completing four sets of 25 reps. "If I can get 100 of some version of strain that I've introduced… that's enough strain to really force adaptations," Ritchson said. "I know that if I can get myself to that point, I've really given it my all."

Ritchson's on to something good. "Strength is not the goal for me; it's more aesthetics," he pointed out. "I feel good, I look good." And that he does!