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Ryan Phillippe’s total-body workout to burn fat and build lean muscle

Even in his 40s, the ultra-ripped 'Shooter' star has sculpted an enviable physique. Here's the "prison-style" workout routine he uses, courtesy of his trainer Happy Hill.

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Ryan Philippe
The Riker Brothers
Ryan Philippe
The Riker Brothers

Ryan Phillippe and his his longtime personal trainer, Happy Hill, refer to the actor’s training regimen as a “prison-style workout” for both its simplicity and reliance on basic equipment: barbells, dumbbells, and bodyweight moves.

Phillippe’s “Happy Hour Grind,” a five-times-weekly, 90-minute workout—which encompasses old-school calisthenics, free weights, and a half-hour warmup of sprints on a treadmill or an elliptical—tests both his muscular endurance and trains his entire body.

Phillippe doesn’t just grind through the motions, though—he has the training know-how to adapt on the fly and to turn his surroundings into a gym, whether that means tearing through dips or incline pushups on a rock, or using a boardwalk railing to work on his abdominals. Wherever the 42-year-old Shooter star trains, maintaining his lean, muscular physique requires consistency and a clean diet. “You get half the results for twice the work [as you get older],” Phillippe says. “We’re all going to age, but if you don’t want it to be as devastating as it can be, take care of yourself. Eat right and get to the gym. I’ve never gotten lazy about that.”

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How to do it

Perform each circuit three times before moving on to the next. Between circuits jump rope for two to three minutes, alternating between single jumps and double unders. Rest as needed between rounds. Pressed for time? Focus on one circuit for as many rounds as possible.

For more from Ryan Phillippe—plus the latest in looking great and eating right—pick up the June 2017 issue of Men’s Fitness on newsstands now.

Routine

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Circuit 1

Abs (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 1 of 21

Hanging Leg Raise

Equipment
Pullup Bar
Sets
1
Reps
25
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 2 of 21

Swiss Ball Crunch

Equipment
Swiss Ball
Sets
--
Reps
25
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 3 of 21

Bicycle Crunch

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
50
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 4 of 21

Oblique Crunch

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
10 (each side)
Rest
As needed.

Circuit 2

Chest and legs (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 5 of 21

High Box Jump

Equipment
Box
Sets
--
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 6 of 21

Barbell Clean and Press to Rollout to Pushup

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 7 of 21

Bench Press

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 8 of 21

Decline Pushup

Equipment
Bench
Sets
--
Reps
15
Rest
As needed.

Circuit 3

Back and biceps (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 9 of 21

Wide-Grip Pullup

Equipment
Pullup Bar
Sets
--
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 10 of 21

Pullover/Triceps Extension

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
--
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 11 of 21

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
1
Reps
10 (per side)
Rest
As needed.

Circuit 4

Legs (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 12 of 21

Smith Machine Squat

Equipment
Smith Machine
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 13 of 21

Hamstring Curl

Equipment
Swiss Ball
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 14 of 21

Farmer’s Walk

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
As needed.

Circuit 5

Lats and traps (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 15 of 21

Chinup

Equipment
Pullup Bar
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 16 of 21

T-Bar Row

Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 17 of 21

Lat Pulldown

Equipment
Cable Machine
Sets
1
Reps
10 (per arm)
Rest
As needed.

Circuit 6

Chest and arms (do 3 rounds)

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 18 of 21

Shoulder Press

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 19 of 21

Biceps Curl

Equipment
Elastic Band
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 20 of 21

Dip

Equipment
Dip Station
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 21 of 21

Skull Crusher to Close-grip Bench Press

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
As needed.
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