Ryan Reynolds’s Trainer Shares His Deadpool & Wolverine Training Plan

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THE BIGGEST MOVIE of the summer, Deadpool & Wolverine, depends on consistency even as it introduces a chaotic new element into a well-established universe. Star Ryan Reynolds’s physical preparation reflected that dynamic—which is only appropriate, since Deadpool, the perpetually smirking, fourth-wall busting comic book antihero poised to finally enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, revels in layers of metatextual humor. Reynolds, now 47, trained for his third appearance as Deadpool/Wade Wilson with Don Saladino, the New York-based strength coach (and MH Fitness Advisory Board member) he’s worked with for 15 years. But this time around, the pair encountered hurdles they’d never faced before during the process, which led to an experience that challenged Reynolds to evolve into a stronger hero than ever before.

Last year’s writers and actors strikes delayed the filming of Deadpool & Wolverine, which in turn extended the time that Reynolds needed to be ready for the physically demanding role. To hear Saladino tell it, the process was simple—but not easy. “It was a very stressful time for everyone, but I think it was one of those things where suddenly you just were thrown into this pit and you just had to deal with it,” Saladino says. “You just kind of had to fight for yourself, so no one was complaining.” The trainer is quick to note that as the star and producer of the film, Reynolds was also concerned about how the delays would affect the crew members, which compounded that stress.

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Add to the complications with the shooting schedule that this was Reynolds’s third outing as Deadpool since 2016 and his first in the MCU. The highly-controlled, arguably declining entertainment juggernaut was the squeaky clean world of squares the Deadpool series initially skewered with its graphic R-rated violence and dirty humor. But the franchise is now kicking off a fresh chapter with the character—so the stakes grew even higher. Saladino had a plan, though, even if the pair was forced to train on Zoom rather than in person. It centered on building on what they had done in the past. “Every movie, we implemented new things, and we had a little bit of a different mindset,” he says. “What really became interesting with this project is that that word ‘resiliency’ was something I feel like he embraced a lot more. He’s now 47 and he’s definitely thinking a little bit differently than he was when I met him, when he was 32 or 33.”

I’ve trained with Saladino before (including in the run-up to Deadpool 2), so I had an idea about what I could expect when I traveled out to The Barn, the gym he runs out of his house on Long Island. The plan was to take on one of the back day workouts the trainer designed for Reynolds in his Deadpool program, and we mostly stuck to that script. But Saladino made sure that we addressed my own needs, too—I was stiff from running more than I’m used to, as I was training for a race—so we focused intentionally on warming up and priming my muscles for movement with foam rolling and activation exercises.

That’s how he trains Reynolds, too: Smart choices are emphasized over mindless effort. “Even looking back on what we did for the first Deadpool—or before that, because I’ve been training him all this time—I’m really proud of the approach that we took,” the trainer says. “Did things evolve? Yes. Was it ever that far off? The answer is no.” Saladino has Reynolds focus on his warmups and emphasizes tempo and interval work on a motorless treadmill, sled drags, banded falling starts, med ball throwing, and jumping, which are all important for muscle elasticity (the ability of your muscles to return to their original length after being stretched, which is important for healthy movement). The trainer also says that unlike previous projects, he pushed Reynolds to do high-rep sets to prime his muscular endurance before taking on heavy loads.

When Saladino and Reynolds were able to train together in person (in London, where the film was shooting), they squeezed sessions into Reynolds’s packed-out schedule, often working out at 4:30 in the morning. Because Reynolds also produced the film, he had no slow days on set, even when he was sick. “That’s what really becomes challenging working with these actors: it’s not like everyone thinks, [that] it’s all cushy,” Saladino says. “If he wakes up with a terrible sore throat, he’s puking, or whatever—it’s not like, ‘Oh, I can’t come in today.’ What are you fucking kidding me? There’s a hundred people down on set right now.”

Saladino is most proud, then, that he and Reynolds have developed enough rapport over their decade-and-a-half working together that the star is comfortable taking a day off. “This is a guy that ‘going easy’ doesn’t exist in his vocabulary,” Saladino says. “So when someone like that is thinking about taking a day off and recovering, I’m patting myself on my back, because we’ve taught him to understand that [recovery is] really important.”

Barbell Row
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You’ll build back strength while also honing stability, thanks to the bent-over stance.

How to Do It:

1. Approach the bar as you would for a deadlift. Push your butt back and hinge at the hips to bend over and grasp the bar with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, using an underhand grip.
2. Keep your head in a neutral position and squeeze your shoulders, abs, and glutes to create tension. Stand up to raise the weight off the floor, then push your butt back and hinge at the hips.
3. Move at the elbow and shoulder to row the bar up. “Pull to [your] bellybutton,” says Saladino.
4. Control the weight back down to the starting position, maintaining your posture.

SETS AND REPS: 4 sets of 60 seconds

Conclusion
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The journey to physically prepare for Deadpool & Wolverine is about consistency, smart choices, and learning to adapt to unexpected challenges. Through his training, Reynolds has developed resilience and a stronger physical foundation than ever before.

FAQs
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Q: What kind of training program did Ryan Reynolds follow for Deadpool & Wolverine?
A: The program emphasized tempo and interval work, with an emphasis on muscle elasticity and muscular endurance.

Q: How did the training process evolve for Reynolds?
A: The pair had to adapt to unexpected challenges, such as delayed filming schedules, but still prioritized smart choices and consistency in their training.

Q: What is Don Saladino’s approach to training actors?
A: Saladino emphasizes the importance of smart choices and adaptability in training, as well as focusing on muscular endurance and recovery.

Q: How long has Don Saladino been working with Ryan Reynolds?
A: The pair have been working together for 15 years, having first collaborated on the first Deadpool film.