How Dan Reynolds From Imagine Dragons Got Ripped
Dan Reynolds fronts one of the most successful rock bands in recent years, Imagine Dragons-but according to his personal trainer, the musician had a different role in mind when he began a dramatic fitness journey.
"Dan wanted to look like a superhero," says Brad Feinberg, the strength coach who helped Reynolds undergo a truly remarkable transformation from 2017 to 2018.
Reynolds may not go around saving people and fighting villains, but he has displayed what could be viewed as superhuman strength to overcome daunting obstacles to start 2019 in the best shape of his life. Reynolds has battled an autoimmune disease, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic disease, ulcerative colitis, and depression and come out the other side of 2018 healthier than ever.
While Feinberg says Reynolds' diet played a huge part in his transformation, the bulk of their work was done in the gym. To achieve that superhero physique the trainer tasked the musician with more than just a standard strength and conditioning routine. Reynolds performed high volume reps to promote all that muscle growth, training every day at his own request.
Three days of the training split were dedicated to what Feinberg calls "essential movements:" Squat, hinge, lunge, vertical and horizontal push and pull in the upper body, and static and dynamic movements for the core. The other days were for power and strength exercises like the clean and jerk, the snatch, kettlebell swings, and the Turkish get up.
Feinberg didn't skimp on the cardio either, making Reynolds perform a mixture of high, medium, and low intensity to decrease inflammation, enhance fat metabolism and increase his endurance for his high-energy live performances.
Dan Reynolds' Weeklong Workout Plan
Think you can handle a week of Reynolds' routine? Give it a try by following the plan below from Feinberg. Just remember, the high-volume training is a challenge, so don't be afraid to adjust the workout to fit your own capacity. The trainer adds that recovery activities were always included at the end of each workout, like mobility drills and deep breathing to help handle stress.
Monday
Warm up for 10 minutes
Strength
Front Squat
4 sets of 10 reps
Bent Over Row
4 sets of 10 reps
Plank Holds
5 rounds of 30 second holds
High Intensity Cardio
6 to 10 rounds of 1 minute on and 1 minute off structure, typically on the treadmill.
Tuesday
Warm up for 10 minutes.
Power and Strength
Clean and Jerk
6 sets of 1 rep
Kettlebell Swings
5 sets of 10 reps
Turkish Get Ups
5 sets of 1 rep per arm
Broad Jumps
5 sets of 3 reps
Low Intensity Cardio
20-plus minute run at steady pace on treadmill
Wednesday
Warm up for 10 minutes.
Strength
Hinge Movement (usually Deadlift)
4 sets of 10 reps
Overhead Strict Press
4 sets of 10 reps
Flat Bench Press
4 sets of 10 reps
Weighted Crunch or Sit Up
4 sets of 10 reps
Low Intensity Cardio
20-plus minute run at a steady pace on treadmill
Thursday
Warm up for 10 minutes
Power and Strength
Snatch
6 sets of 1 rep
Double Kettlebell Snatch
5 sets of 10 reps
Turkish Get Ups
3 sets of 3 reps per arm
Vertical Jumps
4 sets of 4 reps
Low Intensity Cardio
20-plus minute run at steady pace on treadmill
Friday
Warm up for 10 minutes
Strength
Weighted Lunge
4 sets of 10 reps
Pull Ups
4 sets of maximum reps
Cable Twists or Weighted Russian Twist
4 sets of 10 reps per side
Medium Intensity Cardio
3 to 4 rounds of 3 to 5 minute on and 1 minute off structure. Usually on treadmill.
Saturday
Warm up for 10 minutes
Power and Strength
Clean
6 sets of 1 rep
Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings
5 sets of 10 reps per arm
Turkish Get Ups
2 sets of 5 reps per arm
Box Jumps
3 sets of 5 reps
Low Intensity Cardio
20-plus minute run at steady pace on the treadmill.
Sunday
Recovery run and mobility work.
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