Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man Workout Routine And Diet

Paul Rudd is an American actor that is best known for his portrayal of Scott Lang known commonly by his alias Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Franchise. Rudd was known for his relatable personality for the majority of his career. However, he switched things up for the MCU movies and transformed his physique into one that suits a superhero. Rudd’s transformation becomes all the more special when you take into account the fact that he achieved the ‘superhero’ physique well into his 40s with no prior background of the process. This is his concise biography, diet, workout routine and statistics.

Statistics

Paul Rudd Biography

Paul Rudd was born in 1969 to English-Jewish parents. He majored in theatre at the University of Kansas and also studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also spent some studying at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford. Paul made his acting debut in 1991 with a Super Nintendo commercial and became a popular name with the 1995 comedy movie Clueless. Over the years, Paul starred in many romantic, comedy and drama films as well as sitcoms. For the most part, Paul Rudd was stereotyped into a likeable, funny and relatable face. However, his moment to shine arrived in 2015 when the New Jersey native was chosen to play the Marvel Superhero Ant-Man.

Paul Rudd spent nearly 25 years in the industry before he got the role. While he was, and still is, one of the most unlikeliest actors to play a superhero character, no one can deny that he did full justice to the role. And by justice we mean performance as well as physical transformation.

Paul Rudd built himself from the ground up to get the necessary body composition required to look like a superhero with extraordinary powers. So let’s see how the Ant-Man star nailed the opportunity with a perfect game plan.

Paul Rudd Workout Routine

Motivation to train

Paul Rudd has been active in the industry for close to three decades now. For the majority of his acting career, the Hollywood star was carrying the image of a decent and relatable gentleman. He could be a funny guy, a caring partner or a buddy to hang out with. But if you visualized a muscular, lean and immensely strong superhero, Paul Rudd’s personality would not flash in front of your eyes. However, that changed when he graced the silver screen as Ant-Man. When Paul Rudd showed off his ripped physique in Ant-Man, the miraculous transformation caught everyone off-guard.

But the journey from an average Joe to a superhero was not easy and Paul had to reinvent himself to transform into Ant-Man.

“I was one of those people who always wanted the results, but never wanted to put in the work,” Paul Rudd told Men’s Journal in a 2019 interview.

The actor now had the incentive and all the motivation necessary to adapt an arduous training routine to fit perfectly in the role. He took help from personal trainers like Brendan Johnston and Richard Louis to start his transformation journey. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that fitting into the role of Ant-Man has been one of the main driving forces for Paul Rudd to adapt a serious training routine and diet.

Fitness Goals

Unlike the next generation actors like Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd was never known for his musculature and did not have a background of hard training. Therefore he had to start with a clean slate and build himself from bottom up.

Ant-Man is a superhero with an advanced suit that shrinks the wearer to tiny size while increasing his strength, agility, speed and toughness. Therefore, the goal of Paul Rudd’s training was not to get big and imposing but to be more athletic, flexible and fast. After all, Ant-Man has to run, jump, fight, out maneuver enemies in the blink of an eye. Aesthetically, the then-45-year-old actor had to trim down the fat, build fuller shoulders, chest and legs.

Training Routine

Paul Rudd started every single day with fasted cardio to speed up the fat burning process before consuming food. Typically, Rudd did 40 minutes of gym cardio that includes treadmill, rowing machine, bike or stepper. The cardio session was followed by breakfast and strength training. On some days, Rudd would do another round of cardio.

Paul Rudd’s strength training was a combination of functional and weight training. It included compound free weight, machine and bodyweight movements that help improve functional strength for superhero tasks line running, jumping, flipping and also the elements of combat. He would stick to the routine irrespective of the busy schedule and unavoidable commitments.

Paul Rudd’s functional training routine

Monday: Strength 

• Barbell back squat – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Barbell Romanian deadlift – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell bench press – 2 sets of 12 reps
• Wide-grip pull-up – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Jumping push-ups – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Leg raises – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Plank – 3 reps (Holding as long as possible for each rep)

Tuesday: Endurance

• Barbell Shoulder Press – 4 sets of 15 reps
• Rope Pull – 4 sets of 15 reps
• Split Squat – 2 sets of 12 reps per leg
• TRX Bicep Curls – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Triceps Dips – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Calf Raises – 3 sets of 15 reps per leg
• Sit-Ups – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Leg Raises – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Farmer’s Walk – 3 walks of 1 minute stretch

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Explosiveness

• Overhead Clean and Press – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Box Jumps – 4 sets of 10 reps
• Walking Lunges – 3 walks of 1 minute stretch
• Jumping Push-ups – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bent-over Barbell Row –  3 sets of 8 reps 
• Side Planks – 3 reps for each side (Holding as long as possible for each rep)

Friday: Speed and Agility

• Timed Sprints – 5 sets of maximum output 
• Weighted Lunges (front, side, and reverse) – 3 sets of 15 reps each
• Calf Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Chin-Ups – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Ab Crunches – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Leg Raises – 3 sets of 20 reps

Saturday: Free mix

• Push-Ups – 5 sets of 20 reps
• Squats – 5 sets of 20 reps
• Pull-Ups – 5 sets of 10 reps
• Walking Lunges – 3 sets of 1 minute each leg
• Triceps Dips – 5 sets of 10 reps
• Timed Sprints – 5 sets of maximum output 
• Ab Crunches – 3 sets of 20 reps

Sunday: Rest

Paul Rudd’s weight training routine

Paul Rudd followed the functional training session with weight training. On some days, he would postpone weight training in the evening. While it may seem too much for a busy individual to do within a day, remember – This is Paul Rudd’s training routine that helped him get ready for the role of Ant-Man. It is not the type of training he does as his routine lifestyle.

Paul Rudd’s weight training routine included:

Monday: Chest and Back

• Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Row – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Fly – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown – 3 sets of 10 reps

Tuesday: Back

• Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Close-Grip Lat Pulldown – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Back Extensions – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Barbell Shrugs – 3 sets of 12 reps

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Shoulders/Abs

• Barbell Clean and Press – 5 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 5 sets of 8 reps
• Barbell Upright Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Barbell Push and Press – 3 sets of 6 reps
• Seated Alternating Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls – 5 sets of 8 reps
• Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions – 5 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Palm-Up Wrist Curls – 5 sets of 8 reps
• Sit-Ups – 5 sets of 25 reps

Friday: Legs

• Leg Extensions – 4 sets of 20 reps
• Leg Press – 4 sets of 20 reps
• Walking Lunges – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Romanian Deadlifts – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Hack Squats – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Weighted Standing Calf Raises – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Weighted Seated Calf Raises –  3 sets of 20 reps

Saturday: Arms/Abs

• Seated Alternating Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Tricep Rope Pushdowns – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Barbell Curls – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Plank Leg Lifts – 3 sets of 50 reps
• Seated Tricep Press – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Barbell Pullovers – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Swiss Ball Leg Curl – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Swiss Ball Crunches – 3 sets of 15 reps

Sunday: Rest

Stretching and dynamic warm-up routine

Now, as mentioned before Paul Rudd was already in his mid-40s when he accepted the challenge to transform his physique for the role of Ant-Man. Losing time to recover from injuries could have severe consequences on the timeline. One of the most effective ways to stay injury-free, especially as you grow older, is to have a good warm-up and stretching routine. It is arguably the most effective way to reduce susceptibility to training related injuries. Additionally, it is essential to have stretching exercises in the routine to get flexibility and a good range of motion to perform the superhero tasks in the movie.

Paul Rudd’s stretching routine

Hip Circles

• Stand while holding a wall / pole or a similar object for support
• Lift the leg that is away from the support slightly, without bending the knee
• Rotate the lifted leg in small circles first clockwise and then anti-clockwise
• Do 20 circles per leg

Arm Circles

• Stand straight with your legs at shoulder width apart
• Spread your arms out at shoulder height draw circles with your arms
• Perform 20 circles clockwise and 20 circles anti-clockwise

Leg Pendulum

• Stand while holding a wall / pole or a similar object for support
• Lift the leg that is away from the support slightly, without bending the knee
• Swing the leg back and forth five to ten times
• Repeat the process with the other leg

Jog To Quad Stretch

• Jog in place for a few seconds
• Stop and reach behind to hold the toe of one leg while balancing on the other leg
• Press the foot of the lifted leg against the glutes for a few seconds  to feel the stretch in quadricep.
• Repeat the process a 5 to 10 times with alternate legs

Spinal Rotations

• Stand straight with your legs at shoulder width apart
• Hold the arms out to the side at shoulder height
• Slowly rotate the upper body from left to right but keep the torso still
• Repeat 5-10 times

Paul Rudd Diet

No amount of training can yield visible results if it is not backed by equally disciplined dietary habits. Even the most scientifically designed training plan is bound to fail if the things are not in order in the kitchen. Paul Rudd had to let go of many ‘fun foods’ and drinks for one full year to fit into his dream role. Famed celebrity nutritionist Carlton Colker was Rudd’s guide in this regard. Interestingly, it was Colker that introduced him to fitness trainer Richard Louis.

The goal of Paul Rudd’s diet was to reduce dependence on carbohydrates and make his body more fat adaptive. Therefore Paul Rudd’s diet had to have a perfect balance on macronutrients. At the same time, the diet had to be sustainable and not too restrictive to ensure that the actor could stick to it without fatigue.

While speaking about Paul Rudd’s diet plan for Ant-Man, Louis once said in a Men’s Journal interview:

“This was about making a lifestyle for Paul, so we didn’t want to do anything too extreme with his diet. The focus was on cutting down on bad carbs, while adding plenty of protein and good fats.”

Paul Rudd’s diet included regular whole foods that are found in most American households. Eggs and lean meats provided protein while nuts served as a good source of healthy fats. The 48-year-old actor had good portions of vegetables for vitamins and fiber. He alternated between rice and sweet potato for carbohydrates on most days. Additionally, he took assistance from dietary supplements to meet the daily nutritional requirement.

Paul Rudd’s full day of eating

Breakfast

• 3 eggs
• Oatmeal
• Coffee

Snacks

• Protein shake
• Handful of almonds

Lunch

• Salad
• 6oz protein
• 4oz sweet potato or rice (incorporating the carb source every other day)

Snacks

• Protein shakes
• Handful of walnuts

Dinner

• 8oz. of protein
• Vegetables (No limit)

Supplements

• Whey Protein
• Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
• Multivitamins
• Creatine Monohydrate

Paul Rudd Personal Life

Paul Rudd is blessed with what eludes many Hollywood celebrities – a stable family life. Rudd has been married to Julie Yaeger since 2003. The couple has a son Jack Sullivan (Born 2006) and a daughter Darby (Born 2010). Together they live in Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York.

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