Whether you're a fan of Bradley Cooper in American Sniper, The Hangover, or The A-Team, one thing is clear, and that's the fact that he has always paid a lot of attention to his appearance and fitness levels.
He's been voted Sexiest Man Alive, and a lot of that achievement is down to having built up some quite impressive muscle mass over the years.
While his level of bulking has changed a lot between movies, we were most interested to find out what he did for American Sniper.
Here's what our research into the Bradley Cooper workout routine has revealed.
Quick Summary
- The best of Bradley Cooper's workouts are Hammer curls, lateral raises, weighted dips, decline bench presses, leg curls, leg extensions, and seated cable rows.
- Unsalted nuts, oatmeal, steak, fish fillet, large portions of green vegetables, mixed fruit salad, and chicken breast are some meals Bradley Cooper consumes.
- Bradley Copper takes whey protein, and pre-workouts.
Bradley Cooper Stats
- Born: January 5, 1975
- Height: 6'1"
- Weight: 183 lbs
While Bradley has always had an athletic and slim appearance, he bulked up the most for his role as Navy Seal Chris Kyle in American Sniper.
And he did this with personal trainer Jason Walsh, who put him through some tough workout routines.
“This is what I believe to be true. You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. And if you do, if you stay positive, then you have a shot at a silver lining.”
- Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper's Workout Routine
Bradley Cooper workout routine, designed by celebrity trainer Jason Walsh, includes exercises such as cable chest flys and decline cable chest flys to target his chest muscles. Cooper also incorporates light full-body workouts and ensures adequate rest to support his training.
These are highly intense workouts that combine weight training and a few body weight exercises in a varied workout regime.
He also makes sure he stays on top of his BMI with a regular complete fat-burning routine.
Let's take a closer look at Bradley Cooper's workout routine.
Monday: Biceps And Shoulders
One thing that stood out when Bradley Cooper shot American Sniper is that his character Chris Kyle had big arms and shoulders.
- EZ bar preacher curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Hammer Curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Weighted chin-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Standing Lat Pulldowns (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Barbell shrugs (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Lateral raises (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Tuesday: Chest And Triceps
Following on from Monday's arm and shoulder workouts, today it's time to bulk up your chest and triceps.
- Cable chest flys (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Military press (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Muscle-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Weighted dips (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Triceps rope pull-downs (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Incline bench press (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Decline bench press (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Wednesday: Lower Body
Bradley Cooper also had to work hard on his legs to avoid that lollipop effect where you have huge arms and chest with skinny legs.
- Bulgarian split squats (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Leg press (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Leg curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Calf raises (3 sets of 25 reps)
- Leg extensions (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Glute bridge (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Thursday: Light Full Body Cardio
Because of the intense bulking routine, his diet would end up adding quite a bit of excess fat [1].
This is perfectly normal, and to stay on top of this, Bradley Cooper would have some intense cardio days where he got into fat-burning mode.
Aim for a mix of treadmill, elliptical, and a rowing machine to work all parts of your body.
Friday: Back And Core
This is another tough workout before heading into the weekend.
- Weighted pull-ups (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Romanian deadlifts (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Reverse cable flys (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Seated cable rows (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- Leg raises (3 sets to failure)
- V-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Bicycle Kicks (3 sets to failure)
Saturday/Sunday: Recovery Days
You'll feel like staying on the couch all day, but I suggest going for a couple of walks each day.
This would be a very light full-body loosening routine to keep your muscle moving and avoid stiffening up too much.
Bradley Cooper's Workout Principles
Bradley Cooper's workout routine consists of a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups. He incorporates weighted chin-ups, cable hammer curls, and bench press for his chest and triceps. Cooper also includes leg press, straight leg deadlift, and cable shoulder flys in his lower body routine. To ensure overall muscle development, he includes exercises like cable lat pulldowns, pull-ups, close grip bench press, tricep cable pushdown, and overhead tricep extension. Additionally, he follows a light full-body routine to maintain overall fitness and balance.
The Bradley Cooper workout predominantly focuses on compound exercises, which involve multiple joints and muscle groups. These types of workouts add strain to more muscles at the same time, which has the added benefit of burning off more calories and excess fat [2].
One interesting thing I found out is that he wears his late father's wedding ring as a reminder of how much he was part of his life [3]. But as he gained muscle mass for different roles, his hands got bigger as well, and the ring became too tight.
It shows how dedicated he was to strength training and the effect it had on literally every body part.
Bradley Cooper's Diet
This is obviously not a standard workout routine, and at his peak bulking phase, Bradley was constantly eating to keep up with the energy demands.
- Breakfast: A large bowl of oatmeal with seeds and nuts; a mixed fruit salad with berries
- Snack: Energy bars; a protein shake
- Lunch: 2 chicken breasts; a large portion of green vegetables
- Snack: Protein shake; a cup of unsalted nuts
- Dinner: 8-ounce steak and 6 ounces fresh fish filet; a mixed leafy green salad
Bradley Cooper's Supplements
In order to stick with Bradley Cooper's workout routine, you'll also need to add a few supplements to your training days.
Whey Protein
Whey protein shakes are favored by athletes for workout recovery times because of the amino acid profile. This will help with muscle protein synthesis, which speeds up the recovery process [4].
Pre-Workout
Another thing you would need to consider when training five days a week is a boost in strength and endurance through a pre-workout supplement [5]. Even a small increase in each session can add up over the weeks and months.
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Are You Going To Try Bradley Cooper's Workout Routine?
Bradley Cooper, known for his dedication to fitness, follows a structured workout routine that includes specific exercises for his chest muscles. With his tall stature and collaboration with Warner Bros, Cooper also incorporates a back and biceps routine to maintain a balanced physique.
The great thing about Bradley Cooper's workout routine is that you don't need the support of a Hollywood fitness coach and personal chef like a top American actor would have.
Yes, those might make the planning a bit easier, but they don't make the work less straining.
And even if your goal isn't bagging movie roles, you'll be surprised how much of a difference the extra pounds of muscle will make on your appearance and self-confidence.
References:
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/gain_mass_no_fat.htm
- https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5811/5-benefits-of-compound-exercises/
- https://2paragraphs.com/2015/12/bradley-cooper-wears-wedding-ring/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5667622
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