Alexander Ludwig has been a viking warrior since 2014, and he more than looks the part. Ludwig plays Björn Ironside on History Channel’s Vikings, fully embodying a character who has grown from a teenager eager to prove himself to his ambitious father to a renowned fighter and leader over his five season run. Björn becomes the intense, consistent center of the show in its final cycle (Vikings‘ last episode airs next week, on January 30), with Ludwig providing a reliably strong presence.
But when the 27-year-old actor was cast in Bad Boys for Life, he was tasked with building an even bigger body for his work. To play Dorn, a member of the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence franchise’s new generation of shoot-from-the-hip Miami police (alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Riverdale‘s Charles Melton), Ludwig had to gain a ton of muscle. Fast.
“I had to put on about 25 pounds in under two months,” he told the Men’s Health crew when we visited the actor in L.A. to run through his fitness routine. Ludwig wanted to be as big as possible to make his character, who he calls a “muscle-bound tech nerd,” a more comedic presence. The actor worked with trainer Jorgen de Mey to bulk up and lean out, focusing mostly on the aesthetic benefits of that much muscle mass.
But Ludwig isn’t just a meathead. He also has to keep his cardio in top condition to sustain berserker mode for his Vikings fight sequences, or risk “puking my guts out,” which he admits has happened before during the long, intense shoots.
The actor led us through a sampling of his exercise routine—a dash of Bad Boys brawn here, some Vikings conditioning there—that gives him the balance to fulfill the needs of both of the roles. This is smart—and Ludwig’s outlook about his training is even smarter.
“One thing I’ve found is that moderation is actually key, and consistency,” Ludwig says. “Back in the day I used to just try to kill myself with these workouts, but now I’m trying to just get to the gym every single day, and maybe one or to days off on the weekends.” And even though his 8-Minute Ab routine might look hokey from the outset, it’s also something that he’s found that works for him, that he’s comfortable committing to for the long run.
Just remember, Ludwig doesn’t do the following exercises for a standalone routine, so don’t follow this plan to the letter. Integrate these moves in your own workouts as appropriate using the same thoughtful outlook, emphasizing moderation and consistency, and you’ll likely see results, too.
Alexander Ludwig’s Vikings to Bad Boys Training Plan
Daily Work (from Bad Boys for Life)
Low-Speed Incline Treadmill Walk – 15-degree incline, 2 to 3 mph for 30 to 45 minutes
Conditioning (from Vikings)
Weighted Burpee – 4 sets of 15 reps
Shoulder Sequence
Single-Arm Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 15 reps per arm
8-Minute Abs
Crunch – 45 seconds
Oblique Crunches – 45 seconds per side
Tortoise Shell (Toe Touches) – 45 seconds
Yoga Crane (Reverse Crunch) – 45 seconds
Crouching Baby Pose (Side Crunch) – 45 seconds per side
Push the Baby (Push Through) – 45 seconds
Leg Pushes – 45 seconds
Modified Bicycle Crunch – 45 seconds
Curl Up – 45 seconds
Want more celebrity workout routines? Check out all of our Train Like videos.
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