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The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
I tried Alan Ritchson's three-move workout for ‘hypertrophy and longevity' – and it was fun yet effective
Alan Ritchson receives daily questions about his workout routine. His role as Reacher, the muscle-bound (and t-shirt-averse) former military man, probably has something to do with this. I, on the other hand, don't receive daily questions about my fitness routine. I'm a fitness writer, so I like to think I'm in decent nick, but unlike Ritchson I don't need to stand side-on to fit through a standard doorframe. So how does one build this kind of hulking physique? To help us answer this question, the 42-year-old actor recently started sharing examples of the time-savvy home gym sessions he uses to pack on mass. Given his latest offering only involved one piece of equipment and a few minutes of hard graft, I figured it would be rude not to give it a try. Here's how it went. How to do Alan Ritchson's workout for 'hypertrophy and longevity' Complete the sequence below for four rounds without any breaks between exercises: EZ bar biceps curl x15 EZ bar standing overhead triceps extension x15 EZ bar upright row x10 Rest 60-120 seconds 'Low(-ish) weight plus higher volume equals hypertrophy [or muscle growth] and longevity,' Ritchson writes, later adding, 'This works for me.' He then finished the session with some leg-focussed exercises, followed by core work. Previous workout videos on Instagram suggest the selectorised leg press machine is a regular feature in his exercise routine. What happened when I tried Alan Ritchson's workout Luckily, strength training has been a regular fixture in my life for the last 12 years, and a quick glance at Ritchson's chosen trio of exercises left me looking forward to the session. Why? Because on paper it's a fun way to pump up your mirror muscles without taxing the nervous system too aggressively – compare how you feel after a challenging set of curls, as opposed to a set of heavy squats, and you'll find the latter is far more likely to knock you for six. I loaded up a lighter weight than Ritchson – because, unlike him, my biceps aren't the size of bowling balls – then hit his workout as instructed. The biceps curls and triceps extensions lived up to their reputation as tried and tested muscle-builders for the arms. They represent an antagonistic pairing too, meaning they target opposing muscle groups – as the name suggests, the biceps curl primarily recruits the biceps on the front of the upper arm, and the triceps extension hits the triceps on the reverse. For this reason, Ritchson's protocol allows you to work your biceps to near failure, then toss the bar overhead to do the same to the triceps without any rest in between, making for a more streamlined workout. The father-of-three previously revealed his gym sessions tend to top out at 30 minutes, so efficiency is clearly a priority. By the end of these first two exercises, my arms were suitably fried. For the last few reps of each, my tempo had slowed and the EZ bar felt considerably heavier than it had at the start – a solid sign that there is enough mechanical tension present to provide the stimulus needed for muscle growth. Then I switched to the upright row. While it did toast my anterior delts (the muscles on the front of the shoulder) fairly effectively, this isn't a favourite exercise of mine due to its slightly unnatural feel. Many fellow lifters I've spoken to have also ditched it due to discomfort and potential shoulder impingements. However, in a social media-led world where science-based lifting is king, it's worth noting Ritchson's parting words: 'this works for me.' Everybody is different, every body is different, and if you find something that feels good while delivering results then there is no need to change tact just because a talking head on Instagram said you should. Alternatively, if it doesn't float your boat, you can always swap it out for an exercise which targets similar muscles like a front raise. Would I do Alan Ritchson's workout again? Yes, but not on a regular basis, purely because it doesn't align with my current fitness goals. I love movement in all its forms, so my main aim in the gym is to be able to say 'yes' to any physical challenge going, whether that's running in a 10K race, taking part in a CrossFit competition, learning a new gymnastic skill or climbing a mountain. For that reason, my strength training efforts tend to revolve around compound lifts and various accessory exercises to develop a combination of strength, power and muscle. This is supplemented by conditioning work, from running to mixed-modal circuits. Ritchson's workout, on the other hand, is dead set on building you a bigger set of arms and shoulders. The target number of reps fall comfortably within the five to 30 range – regularly touted as the zone responsible for muscle growth. He also hits each set hard, maintaining strict form and performing reps until he is forced to slow down by fatigue. This is a solid sign that he is creating adequate mechanical tension, which is the primary driver of hypertrophy. However, by avoiding heavy loads and instead hitting a higher number of reps with a lighter weight, he can craft a workout that is slightly gentler on his joints, marrying up to his goal of 'hypertrophy and longevity'. How does Alan Ritchson build muscle? Ahead of the first series of Reacher, released in 2022, Ritchson built a gym in his house to ensure he never missed a workout, then proceeded to pack on 30lb of muscle in just eight months. 'It's a full time job to eat enough to put on 30lb,' he said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. 'I had an assistant whose only job was to bring me food. It was like a conveyor belt of smoothies and protein.' Interest in his workout routine was piqued further when he returned for series two and three even larger and leaner than before. However, Ritchson admits he 'ravaged' his body while training for the first series, leaving him with a succession of injuries and a note from a doctor that he had 'no testosterone'. So, ahead of the second series, he started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). 'I didn't even know that it was considered an anabolic steroid to some people,' he told Men's Health. 'It was just: there was a hormone that was missing for me, and I needed it.' Ritchson previously said he trained 'every day for a year' in high school, but nowadays a typical training week involves five weekly workouts taking up to 30 minutes each.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
White House says global leaders are calling Trump amid tariff negotiations
US President Donald Trump announced a new wave of reciprocal tariffs, ranging from 10% to 40%, affecting over 90 countries. The announcement was made on Thursday, 31 July, just hours before the original 1 August deadline for the new levies. The White House stated that foreign leaders are contacting Mr Trump to negotiate trade deals in response to the impending tariffs. While most of the announced tariffs will take effect on 7 August, a 35% tariff on Canada began on 1 August. Watch the video in full above.
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
I watched America's answer to Virgin Island and all my fears were confirmed
Not all virgin dating shows were created equal it would appear Virgins appear to be the hot new thing in the world of reality TV, with a flurry of shows springing up that are centred around getting people who have never had sex to do the deed. Channel 4's Virgin Island left audiences squirming in their seats initially, but it swiftly broke records (and taboos) and is now casting for a second season. The show sent 12 young adults from the UK who had never had sex to a tropical island where they practiced intimacy with trained professionals and even engaged in full-on sexual acts with designated 'sex surrogates'. At a first glance you could easily have thoughts that it was simply titillating TV at the expense of its young and vulnerable stars, but that wasn't the case. The hands-on approach the show's therapists took drew criticism yes, but it never poked fun at or exploited its cast, instead it held them. The young stars emerged from the series with a newfound confidence that showed the power of the admittedly unconventional teaching approach, and after the show aired, they rushed to its defence when critics took aim. Given how invested I became in Virgin Island, I was really intrigued when I heard about another virgin reality dating show coming to UK streaming platform Discovery+ this week, simply titled Virgins. The synopsis for the US-based show, which initially aired on TLC, reads: "Follow a group of inexperienced virgins on their quest to finally seal the deal. Experience their socially awkward moments and hilarious dating disasters as they attempt to find a relationship that will finally take them all the way." Unlike Virgin Island, which honed in on virgins all under the age of 30, Virgins follows four 'late bloomers' who range in age from 34 to 42. While I was really pleased to see a bigger age range represented on the show, my joy didn't last for long. In one scene, the camera lingers too long on one star's hairy back and belly, offering up his insecurities on a plate for audiences ready to devour. In another scene, we see 42-year-old Rhasha in a therapy session. When she reveals she is a virgin despite previously being married, her therapist looks visibly shocked rather than remaining judgement-free. The digs at Virgins' stars are subtle but insidious, and rather than challenging the beliefs of viewers it encourages them. To its credit, Virgins doesn't bill itself as a sensitive show. It's clear from the synopsis what you're going to get, and I suspect its stars knew and were prepared for what they were letting themselves in for. However, those looking for a sensitively handled show on virginity should maybe swerve this one and stream Virgin Island instead.
