Deadpool 2 is one of the most anticipated movies of the year thanks to its quick-witted humour, inability to take itself seriously and of course Ryan Reynolds (beloved by everybody).

Read more: Ryan Reynolds’ 7.5 rules for being totally awesome like Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds is one of the funniest men in Hollywood, but he is also one of the fittest. So what was his secret to getting superhero muscle ahead of Deadpool?

Work towards long-term fitness, says Don Saladino, Reynolds’s trainer. These are his four ways to armour-plate your body:

1. Find focus

“This is a mindset issue,” says Saladino, “but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if Ryan’s benching 125kg. What matters is that he can perform with optimal energy, recovery and resiliency. That’s why we train.”

2. Prep first

“We go for an hour,” says Saladino, “but we always start with five minutes of foam-rolling and then 10 to 12 minutes of movement prep where we attack any areas of his body that are tight and need to move better.”

Read more: These are the 50 fittest action heroes and the rules they use to maintain movie muscle

3. Do variations

“One thing that worked for Deadpool was incorporating heavy training. Instead of doing 8 and 10 reps, we’re starting with 4s, 3s, and 2s, progressing from 75% of max to 85%, then 95%.”

Read more: Take on superheros with this abs and arm routine

4. Train for function

Reynolds does jumping, throwing and carrying in every session. “People underuse carries,” says Saladino. “Double farmer walks, single-arm carries and up-down carries really help stabilise the core and shoulders.

Read more: Ryan Reynolds’ trainer shares the secret to losing weight

^{This article was originally published on www.menshealth.com}

^{Image credit: iStock}

Mike Zimmerman