Aaron Reed’s Workout Routine and Diet Plan

Aaron Reed is a renowned pro-bodybuilder and an ex-WWE wrestler. His name currently tops the list of the tallest bodybuilders who have won a Men’s Physique competition.

His gigantic and perfectly developed physique also landed him a role in Ryan Reynolds’ movie named Free Guy where Ryan’s face was morphed onto the face of Aaron to make his character look extremely huge and muscular.

So let’s get to know how this muscle monster keeps him in great shape throughout the year.

Aaron Reed’s Workout Principles

Aaron got started with lifting when he was just 12 years old. His body responded pretty well and very soon he was able to acquire a muscular physique. Getting motivated by the results he further made lifting his lifestyle.

Aaron stands tall at a towering 6 feet 7 inches. He weighs around 295-310 lbs. His workout plan primarily focuses on building up and maintaining his muscle mass through weight training. It also incorporates some form of cardio which keeps his body lean and athletic giving it an aesthetic appearance.

Aaron Reed’s Workout Routine

Aaron’s monstrously muscular physique has been a result of his training sessions. When Aaron decided to build a muscular physique, he took inspiration from bodybuilding legends such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane who not only sported muscular bodies but were immensely aesthetic as well.

As a novice lifter, Aaron used to train 6 days a week hitting two muscle groups every single day with great intensity and volume. Relying on such a super intense training approach as a beginner was counterproductive to him. But fortunately, he realized his mistake quite soon and restructured his exercise routine which fetched him greater gains.

At present, Aaron usually relies on a workout split that makes him train six days a week. Each of his training sessions extends to about 1-2 hours. He claims that during his training hours he ensures to give his one hundred percent and thus doesn’t find the need to train for longer hours.

Now let’s have a detailed overview of Aaron Reed’s workout routine:-

Monday- Conditioning and Functional Training

AM Workout

• Explosive conditioning sprints- 100 yards dash, 8 times

PM Workout

• Hang cleans- 3 sets of AMRAP
• Upright rows- 3 sets of 5 reps
• Barbell shrugs- 5 sets of 5 reps
• Serratus hanger- 2 sets of 10 reps
• Calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Leg raises- 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Russian twists- 2 sets of 25 reps
• Posing- 45 minutes

Tuesday- Chest, abs, and calves

• Push Ups- 4 sets of AMRAP
• Barbell bench press- 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Parallel bar dips- 4 sets of AMRAP
• Cable crossovers- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell flys- 4 sets of 12 reps
• Sit-ups- 2 sets of 25 reps
• Leg raises- 2 sets of 25 reps
• Standing calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Seated calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Wednesday- Back, hamstrings, serratus, and calves

• Deadlifts- 4 sets of 5 reps
• Pull-ups- 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• T-bar rows- 4 sets of 6-8 reps
• Dumbbell rows- 3 sets of 5 reps
• Cable rows- 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Lat pulldowns- 3 sets of 10 reps
• V-bar lat pulldowns- 3 sets of 12 reps
• Straight-arm pulldowns- 2 sets of AMRAP
• Standing one leg calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Seated calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Thursday- Rest/Posing

Friday- Arms, abs, and calves

AM Workout

• Explosive conditioning sprints- 100 yards dash, 8 times

PM Workout

• Skull crushers- 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• One-arm overhead cable extensions- 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Tricep pushdowns- 2 sets of 12 reps
• Alternating dumbbell curls- 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Preacher curls- 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Concentration curls- 2 sets of AMRAP
• Standing one leg calf raises- 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Burnout donkey calf raises- 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Saturday- Quadriceps, and calves

• Leg extensions- 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Barbell squats- 5 sets of 8-15 reps
• Leg press- 4 sets of 25 reps
• Hack squats- 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• One-leg squat- 2 sets of 12-15 reps
• Seated calf raises- 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Sunday- Shoulders, neck and abs

• Dumbbell overhead press- 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Lateral raises- 4 sets of 20 reps
• Bent-over flys- 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Reverse pec deck flys- 3 sets of 12 reps
• Sit-ups- 3 sets of 20-25 reps
• Leg raises- 3 sets of 20-25 reps

Rep selection

Aaron chooses to hit each of his muscle groups with a different rep range. For instance, he usually prefers to hit his arms in the 6-8 rep range, his back in the 8-12 rep range, his shoulders in the 12+ rep range, and his legs in the 15-20 rep range. Talking about his chest training routine, he performs pyramid sets for optimal muscle activation.

Aaron at times changes his rep ranges to give his muscles the kind of shock that facilitates growth.

Training guidance

In order to gain the most out of his workout program, Aaron has always given due importance to exercising under a qualified and experienced trainer. Doing so has always kept him on track and has also saved him from numerous training-related injuries.

He had once claimed that under the supervision of his trainer Gus Handke he was able to bench 115 lbs and deadlift 300 lbs within just two weeks of starting his very first training program when he was just 12 years old.

Posing practice

Aaron has been a pro bodybuilder. And hence he is pretty familiar with the art of posing. At times Aaron likes to fit in a day dedicated to posing in his weekly workout routine.

Posing practice not only prepares him well to display his muscularity on stage but also enables him to work on his mind-muscle connection.

Don’t miss:

5 Day Workout Routine
Joey Swoll’s Workout and Diet
3 Day Full Body Workout Routine
Nyle Nayga’s Workout and Diet Plan

Aaron Reed’s Diet Plan

To feed his monstrously developed physique, Aaron has to follow a diet plan that can fetch his body all the nutrients that it requires for recovery and growth.

You might be surprised to know that Aaron eats the same food items throughout the year. Owing to this reason, there are extremely minute or sometimes no fluctuations in his bodyweight no matter whether he is in the off-season or on-season.

Aaron Reed’s diet plan has higher amounts of proteins and carbs and a lesser amount of fats. Talking about his protein intake, Aaron consumes around 350-400 grams of protein daily to retain muscle strength and promote recovery.

Aaron doesn’t shy away from consuming carbs as well. By consuming adequate amounts of carbs his body stays energetic and lets him go through his intense training sessions without getting enervated.

Now let’s throw some light on the food items that are included in Aaron Reed’s meal plan:-

Meal 1- Breakfast

• Fresh fruits
• Egg white omelet

Meal 2- Lunch

• Brown rice
• Grilled chicken

Meal 3- Dinner

• Grilled veggies
• Grass-fed beef

Timing the meals

Being a dedicated athlete, Aaron always ensures to time his meals. By doing so he is well-assured of the fact that he is fueling his body properly and this keeps him in an anabolic state.

Sugar cravings

Instead of consuming unhealthy and sugary food items to satiate his sugar cravings, Aaron prefers to eat fruits. Fruits have adequate amounts of sucrose that not only counter his sugar cravings but also fetch his body numerous essential vitamins and minerals.

Aaron Reed’s Supplements

Apart from relying on numerous whole food items, Aaron also incorporates a few supplements into his diet plan.

Aaron Reed’s supplements stack includes the following:-

• Mass gainer
• BCAAs
• Casein protein

To fetch his gigantic body with additional calories that support muscle building, Aaron prefers relying on a mass gainer. He uses BCAAs as his intra-workout supplement to counter muscle damage.

He also takes a casein protein shake before bedtime to keep his body in an anabolic state during sleep.

Don’t miss:

4 Day Push Pull Workout Routine
Eugene Teo’s Workout Routine and Diet
7 Day Workout Plan
Kenny KO’s Workout and Diet Plan

Wrapping Up

Aaron was diagnosed with leukemia as a child. But it couldn’t stop him from carving a niche for himself in the bodybuilding and fitness community. And that’s something we all must learn from him.

If we too set our minds towards attaining something and work sincerely for it just like Aaron, no goal is going to be unachievable. And as Aaron himself says,

“Always believe in yourself. Everyone is capable of something great, yet sadly, most people will never know because they were either lazy, weak, or scared. At some point, I have been all three. Don’t hold yourself back.”