KJ Apa’s Workout & Diet Plan

KJ Apa's workout

K.J. Apa is from New Zealand – he is an actor and a producer. His father is of Samoan descent and his mother is Kiwi.

As a little boy, he used to play his guitar on the street corners.

Now that he is grown up, he still liked to play guitar with others when on location.

In fact, he puts music even before acting.

He writes songs, too, and when he was 14, he recorded his own guitar album. He left NZ to pursue his dreams in America.

He received Hollywood status fame when he portrayed Archie Andrews in the drama series, ‘Riverdale’.

After that, he went on to star in A Dog’s Purpose. He also starred in I Still Believe.

He and his girlfriend welcomed their little son into the world on 23rd September 2021.

Current Stats

  • Weight: 68 kg/149 pounds
  • Birthday: 17 June 1997
  • Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
  • Accolades/accomplishments:
    • 2017 Breakthrough Performance Award in Riverdale

Workout Principles of K.J. Apa

KJ trained very hard to be a superhero in Riverdale. He had an excellent personal trainer as well, Alex Fine, to help him get fit and bulkier for his roles.

K.J.’s workout routine consisted of high reps workouts that focused on his shoulders and chest.

He also combined high-intensity interval training into his workout schedule, as well as boxing. These are the workout principles of K.J.:

  • Equipment: KJ likes to concentrate on weight exercises and bodyweight exercises, preferring to use the least amount of equipment.
  • Routine: Muscle training, cardio, core, and weight lifting are part of his workout routine.
  • Frequency: KJ visits the gym at least 3 to 6 days a week. He will also do two 90-minute sessions per day regularly. He does a rigorous workout to be in excellent shape to perform his roles.

His Training Methods

KJ, in order to play the modern-day Archie in Riverdale, had to train like a real superhero to add more muscle to the series and to himself!

Men’s Health visited the team of K.J. and Fine to see how their training went down and what all went into their workouts.

Fine explained that it was “pretty brutal.”

He went on to tell Men’s Health that “KJ has to be in outrageous shape pretty much year-round for all the roles that he’s doing, so…”

Fine also said that the main thing he wanted to improve in KJ was his chest and shoulders.

That would mean switching between close grip and wide-grip bench presses.

These would tone various parts of K.J.’s arms and chest. KJ would also do fly push-ups with a push-up fly machine and weighted ring dips.

Apa’s Workout Routine

If you want KJ’s ripped chest and his strong triceps, this is what his workout routine looks like:

Monday

  • ‘Warm-up – (stretch plus 800m jog)’
  • ‘Cardio -20 min HIIT’
  • ‘Bench press – 5 sets of 10, 8, 5, 3, 1 reps’
  • ‘Triceps cable pushdown – 3 sets of 10 reps’
  • ‘Weighted Ring Dips – 4 sets of 10 reps’
  • ‘Incline Dumbbell bench presses – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Dumbbell triceps kickbacks – 3 sets of 10 reps’
  • ‘Incline cable fly’s – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Chest front raises – 3 sets of 10 reps’

Tuesday

This includes Mixed Martial Arts of his choice. Then he will also focus on cardio workouts. These can either be HIIT, bike, or treadmill. He includes weight training which will include dumbbell swings or burpees.

Wednesday

This workout routine will focus on building strength and lean muscle tissue, particularly in the upper body:

  • ‘Warm-up – (stretch + 800m jog)’
  • ‘Cardio – 20 min HIIT’
  • ‘Deadlift – 5 sets of 10, 8, 5, 3, 3 reps’
  • ‘Dumbbell biceps curl – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Cable row – 3 sets of 15 reps’
  • ‘Preacher curls – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Wide-grip pull-ups – 3 sets to failure’
  • ‘Lateral cable pulldown – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Hammer curl – 3 sets of 10 reps’

Thursday

Thursday is the same as Tuesday for KJ.

He will focus on increasing strength through Mixed Martial Arts, improving posture, strengthening heart and muscles, and building body mass.

Friday

He uses these routine exercises to tone his leg and shoulder muscles:

  • ‘Warm up – stretch and 800m jog’
  • ‘Cardio – 20 min HIIT’
  • ‘Back squat – 5 sets of 10, 8, 5, 3, 3 reps’
  • ‘Arnold presses – 3 sets of 10 reps’
  • ‘Leg presses – 3 sets of 12 reps’
  • ‘Military press – 5 sets of 10, 8, 5, 3, 3 reps’
  • ‘Hamstring curls – 3 sets of 10 reps’
  • ‘Calf raise – 3 sets of 15 reps’

Saturday

KJ does Mixed Martial Arts, cardio, and some weight training. He will also do boxing for the intense prison boxing scenes that he portrays in Riverdale.

Working his abs

Many people ask how they can get abs like KJ.  You need to stick to a low-carb, low-calorie diet if you want to do that.

Because ab roll-outs, Russian twists, pull-up bar hanging crunches, and leg raises, kettle sit-ups, assault-bikes, etc. are all part of his killer-abs workout.

KJ Apa’s Diet Plan

KJ usually will eat about 3-4 meals a day. His diet consists of plenty of protein foods like eggs, chicken, and fish.

He also will have plenty of green veggies. His favorite fruit is watermelon, but he enjoys figs too. He will eat around 2500 to 3000 calories a day.

There is a saying that says “abs are made in the kitchen and the gym” and this has proven to be quite true when it comes to KJ’s abs.

It’s because he was prescribed a low-calorie, low-carb diet for Riverdale, which paid off.

KJ eats no bread and chips, pasta, or any junk foods. He likes his diet to be clean, which means he drinks a lot of water as well.

Being well-hydrated is part of his workout routines.

Even though KJ Apa nor his trainer has revealed his meal plans, from interviews, it has been hinted what we have suggested above.

He does love ‘Froot Loops’ cereal, though, for his breakfast.

If you want to get KJ’s abs and physique, then other nutrient-dense foods that you should be including in your diet are:

  • Eggs
  • Almonds
  • Greek yogurt
  • Fish
  • Tofu
  • Chicken
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Green beans
  • Carrots

K.J.’s Supplements

KJ Apa hasn’t really let on what particular supplements he takes to support his diet and his workout routine.

But we all know that he would have to keep it high in protein if he wanted to maintain his muscle tone and physique.

He probably also drinks protein smoothies.

These are a good choice for anyone who wants to transform their bodies to look something like his. He would in all likelihood be taking these supplements:

1) Protein Whey Powder

If you want to get ripped like Apa did to play his comic book character, Archie Andrews, then a low low-carb, low-calorie diet is what you would need.

A protein whey powder supplement would help you feel fuller for longer, and build muscle.

2) Greens supplement

A greens supplement is vital if you can’t really face the thought of eating a lot of green veggies.

Eating a low-carb diet means the body doesn’t hold such a lot of water. This means if you do intensive workouts, you might end up with cramps.

Electrolytes would also help immensely here.

3) Omega-3

Even if you do eat a lot of seafood, it is still a very good idea to supplement your diet with plenty of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Omega-3 supplements help to reduce inflammation in the body and give your memory a boost as well.

4) Fiber and probiotics

If you are having a high-protein diet, you need to take in plenty of probiotics and fiber in your diet as well.

It keeps your system healthy and moving.

5) Marmite

KJ loves Marmite. It is packed with plenty of B-vitamins and has a wonderful beefy flavor.

6) Multivitamin

A multivitamin is a wise choice to have because it covers any gaps there might be with nutrition.

K.J. Apa’s noteworthy recommendations

KJ certainly has an intense workout routine. Not only an intense workout routine but a strict diet too. It consists of low carbs and low calories.

You can imagine that it takes commitment to follow a workout routine like his. If you want to follow his diet plan, you will also need discipline as well.

These will all require adjustments to your normal workout routine.

Because his types of workouts require plenty of volume, you might need to start with lower weights and adjust your movements as you go along.

But if you are eager to try his workout routine and his diet plan for a few weeks, you are going to be transformed into ‘Archie’ – that will translate to being bulkier, more muscular – similar to KJ!

Just follow his transforming recommendations.

‘I like to keep my diet regularly pretty clean’KJ Apa