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Peggy Carter looking at Steve Rogers’ bare chest

Chris Evans’ Captain America Workout & Diet Plan


If you want Captain America’s body, you need Chris Evans’ workout and diet plan. When preparing for the role, the actor loaded up on lean protein and other healthy foods before crunching calories at the gym. It’s a method that allowed him to put on serious muscle when duty called, which was quite often leading up to “Avengers: Endgame.” Helping along the way was world-class personal trainer Simon Waterson, who always takes a calculated approach toward fitness.

So do you have what it takes to develop your own Captain America body? If so, prepare to tackle every muscle group on a regimental basis, while throwing in plenty of plyometric exercises and even some acrobatics. Put it all together and you get the Chris Evans Captain America workout, which kicked into extra high gear right around “The Winter Soldier.” Let’s take a closer look.

Medium shot of Chris Evans with his arms crossed
Who is Chris Evans | Image: Mario Sorrenti

Who is Chris Evans?

Height: 6 foot
Weight: approximately 170-180 pounds
Age: 39 years old
Occupation: actor, director, producer

Boston-born Chris Evans grew up in a neighbouring suburb and demonstrated a love of acting from a young age. After scoring some minor gigs in the late 1990s, he made his big-screen debut in the 2000 family drama, “The Newcomers.” That led to a role in the 2001 parody “Not Another Teen Movie” and then the 2004 comedy-heist flick “The Perfect Score.” The following year, he played Johnny Storm aka Human Torch in “The Fantastic Four.”

Jump ahead to 2010 and Evans is being courted by Marvel Studios for the role of Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Initially reluctant to accept, he eventually took the job and changed the course of his career in the process. In various capacities, Captain America has appeared in nine MCU films to date. Thanks to the Chris Evans workout and diet plan, the character always rocks a chiselled physique.

In addition to his most iconic role, Evans recently starred in hit films such as “Knives Out.” He’s also a producer, director, and a founding member of the political website and app A Starting Point. Suffice it to say, the man keeps busy and that’s before we even get to his Captain America workout and diet plan!

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Shirtless Steve Rogers coming out of the Vita-Ray Chamber in the movie Captain America: The First Avenger
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ | Image: Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures

Chris Evans Diet and Nutrition Plan

If his non-superhero roles are anything to go by, the Captain America body doesn’t come naturally to Chris Evans. That’s not to say the man isn’t handsome or even muscular, but that he tends to sport a much leaner figure. It’s then no surprise that preparing for the role involves serious caloric intake. This represents a challenge for Evans, who’s confessed in interviews that he doesn’t enjoy the non-stop or heavy eating.

To quote personal trainer Simon Waterson: “The biggest challenge for Chris was eating enough to put on muscle but avoid storing any excess energy as fat…We relied on low-carb protein shakes in between meals and snacks such as fruit and nuts,” he said in an interview with Philstar Global.

In his effort to build lean muscle mass, the actor consumed lean proteins, fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and supplements. This was not one of those famous diets where someone chows down on cheeseburgers and pizza for the mere sake of adding bulk to his waistline. Instead, the Chris Evans diet targeted healthy and effective eating choices as it dialled up the intake. The effort paid off, with Evans increasing his weight from 77kg to 82kg, whilst reducing his body fat percentage from 12.5 per cent to just 8 per cent.

You can see the results of the Chris Evans diet and workout as early as the first Captain America film, though it really starts to pay off by the time we get to “The Winter Soldier.” Between his burly upper chest and arms and washboard abs, Captain America is rocking a palpably low BMI.

In an interview with Men’s Fitness, Waterson provided a window into the average Chris Evans meal plan. It looks something like this.

  • Breakfast – Bowl of porridge with dark berries and walnuts
  • Morning snack – Whey-based protein shake and 5g branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)
  • Pre-workout snack – Apple and almonds
  • Post-workout snack – Whey-based protein shake and 5g branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)
  • Lunch – Chicken salad with brown basmati rice
  • Afternoon snack – Protein shake
  • Dinner – Lean protein (i.e. fish, chicken, or beef) with veggies
  • Before bedtime – Protein shake (primarily casein)

When prepping for “The Winter Soldier,” Evans went big on supplements and protein shakes. In one interview, he said the following, “Supplement-wise I used a bit of glutamine, whey protein shakes, branched-chain amino acids, then 500mg supplements of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids every single meal to make sure that my joints were functioning well—I needed it because the working out was so intensive, especially with things like the gymnastics,” Evans told BodyBuilding.com.

“The branched-chain amino acids were basically there to fill the chain of repair of protein. The glutamine was used to stop me going catabolic or burning muscle tissue as energy, and was also good for my immune system.

“I think the protein shakes during the day would be normal whey-based shakes containing around 30g protein. But then before going to bed I would gulp down a protein shake that was primarily casein, for slow-release protein overnight.”

Captain America using his enhanced strength to hold onto a helicopter to prevent it from taking off
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ | Image: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Chris Evans Workout Routine

When maximising the potential of his body, Chris Evans underwent a rigorous training regimen. Strength-building was key and trainer Simon Waterson implemented high-weight/low-rep sets of popular compound lifts. That included squats, deadlifts, incline bench presses, weighted dips, and chin-ups.

Evans also performed a number of bodyweight moves, plyometrics such as squat-to-box jumps, and gymnastics. Not only did this “fire up his fast-twitch muscle fibres” (according to Waterson) and improve flexibility, but it kept the actor’s heart rate high and optimal throughout each workout.

Waterson went on to say, “Chris had done some weight training before, but as with a lot of guys it had been focused exercise on the vanity muscles of the chest, arms and abs…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.”

Waterson also employed high-intensity leg exercises and to Evans’ chagrin. “But then who loves training legs?” the trainer said, “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.”

Should you want a Captain America body of your own, you’ll have to demonstrate similar levels of tact and dedication. Here’s a plan inspired by the Captain America workout, which will invariably yield results. To be clear, this is not the actual Chris Evans workout, rather an approximation based on research.

As you’ll soon discover, the Captain America workout consists of five training days and targets different muscle groups. When performing high-weight/low rep exercises, rest for 2-3 minutes between each set. For higher reps, take 60-90 seconds of rest between each set. During the two recovery days, you can still perform mobility exercises like stretching and yoga and even light gymnastics (if you really want to go the distance). We’ve based this plan on a Chris Evans-inspired workout from Muscle and Strength.

Day One: Lower Body

  • Squats – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Deadlifts – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Jump squats – 2 sets of 12 reps
  • Box jumps – 2 sets of 10 reps
  • Lying leg curls – 2 sets of 12 reps
  • Standing machine calf raises – 2 sets of 15 reps

Day Two: Upper Body

  • Military press – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Incline dumbbell press – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Pull-ups – 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Z press – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Push-ups – 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Inverted rows – 3 sets of 12 reps

Day Three: Rest and Recover

  • Yoga or light cardio
  • Balance beam exercises
  • Ribbon twirling

Day Four: Lower Body

  • Trap bar deadlifts – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Front squats – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Leg press – 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Seated leg curls – 2 sets of 15 reps
  • Jumping lunges – 2 sets of 15 reps per leg
  • Seated calf raises – 2 sets of 15 reps

Day Five: Upper Body

  • Bent over rows – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Incline bench press – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Kneeling shoulder press – 3 sets of 5 reps
  • One-arm dumbbell row – 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Dips – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Chin-ups – 3 sets of 15 reps

Day Six: Rest and Recover

  • Yoga or light cardio
  • Balance beam exercises
  • Ribbon twirling

Day Seven: Arms and Abs

  • Planks – 3 sets at 30 seconds per set
  • Sit-ups – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Bicycle crunches – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Lying floor leg raises – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Weighted crunches – 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Dumbbell curls – 2 sets of 10 reps
  • Overhead dumbbell extensions – 2 sets of 10 reps
  • Barbell curls – 2 sets of 10 reps
  • Skullcrushers – 2 sets of 10 reps

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General FAQ

How much does Chris Evans weigh?

Actor Chris Evans is 6 feet tall and reportedly weighs between 170 and 180 pounds. It's said that he puts on an extra 20 to 30 pounds when playing the role of Captain America.

How long did it take Chris Evans to get in shape for Captain America?

Chris Evans undergoes brutal training regimens when preparing for the role of Captain America. Each one reportedly takes about three months.

How did Chris Evans bulk up for Captain America?

When preparing for the role of Captain America, actor Chris Evans loads up on lean proteins, healthy foods, and supplements. He then turns the excess calories into muscle by way of a brutal training regimen, which includes high-weight/low rep lifting exercises, plyometrics, and even acrobatics.