THE RISE OF SUPERHERO PECS A decade after Marvel movies reignited our chest obsession, Hollywood’s leading men use new tactics to gain that action-hero look
The most iconic moment in pectoral cinematic history occurs early in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. When a shirtless Chris Evans steps out of the pod that transforms his character, Steve Rogers, into a superhero, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter taps his rippling, hairless chest. Not that this is the only time a superhero chest has drawn attention. From Evans’s Cap to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor to Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, firm, sculpted pecs are at the centre of many superhero-movie moments. Expect that again later this year when Reynolds reprises his role as Wade Wilson in Deadpool 3. ‘A well-defined, rounded chest – it’s what’s hitting you head-on,’ says Don Saladino, Reynolds’ long-time trainer and one of the industry’s most in-demand transformation specialists.
Reynolds spent much of last year working with Saladino to pack muscle on to his chest. But at age 47, he’s doing it with new tactics.
The barbell bench press is the gold standard for chest development, but very often it can lead to shoulder issues. Saladino makes several adjustments to guard against that. ‘The name of the game for Ryan is resiliency,’ the trainer says. That’s why he adds these three bench tweaks to Reynolds’ training. Try adding them to your own routine, too.