Stephen Amell’s Workout & Diet Plan – His Training Equipment, Muscle Training, Exercise & Fitness

Stephen Amell is a Canadian-born actor.

Now he lives in the Los Angeles Laurel Canyon with his wife and daughter.

But several years ago, it was his task to bring the superhero, Oliver Queen to the small screen in the series, Arrow.

During that time, he went from almost obscurity to becoming a household name.

But he is also well known for his stunning physique which he keeps in peak condition.

One way he made money in his early days in Hollywood was to be a spinning instructor.

His big passion was wrestling though, which he grew to love when very young. He loved to watch Hulk Hogan wresting.

But Oliver Queen, in his efforts to save Star City, was a master archer. So Stephen, too, managed to become quite the archer, which took his interest and made him very skilled at it.

Even though he has always looked totally shredded in Arrow, he says “I’m less worried about the way that I look, versus the way that I feel.”

But everything seems to be working very well for him in the looks, diet, and fitness sectors. He was able to use his wrestling talents in Heels.

And to feature in Heels, he had to look shredded. Of course, he never let his fans down!

Stephen Amell Workout & Diet

Current Stats

  • Weight: 185 pounds/83 kg.
  • Birthday: 9 May 1981
  • Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Awards and Accomplishments
CinemaCon, USA
  • 2016 – Winner – Male Star of Tomorrow
  • 2007 – Winner – Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series in ReGenesis
IGN Summer Movie Awards
  • 2014 – Winner – Best TV Hero in Arrow
  • 2013 – Winner – Best TV Hero in Arrow
  • 2019 – Teen Choice Awards – Choice TV Actor: Action in Arrow

Workout Principles of Stephen Amell

Stephen Amell is a man who takes his super-heroism in the movies seriously – as well as his workouts. Lots of actors get their super-hero bodies jacked up in the weight room.

But Stephen has spent five years on Arrow.

In that time, he has learned how to back-flip, box-vault, do salmon-ladder-scaling, the parkour workout, bodyweight exercises, and weights to get ripped.

He had to have a chiseled body for his part in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

For Arrow, well, there were plenty of punches to be thrown and Stephen had to be healthy and fit for that too.

When Stephen is in LA, he attends the Tempest FreeRunning Academy

He does workouts there.

He loves doing freerunning because he has to challenge himself physically and mentally which he believes is a great way to workout.

When he can’t get to the gym, Stephen does have an on-the-go workout of push-ups, chin-ups, handstands, handstand push-ups, and some treadmills.

Stephen has also always wanted to take on the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course for a long time and he has achieved that as well.

Stephen Amell’s Training Methods

Stephen Amell’s workouts usually are all about bodyweight exercises, and of course parkour. He does all his own stunts on the show.

He also likes to mix things up a lot when he trains. He says you shouldn’t get complacent with the same exercise over and over.

He likes to vary his workout because after all, he does them 3-4 times a week.

1) He incorporates weights

Stephen does not care a lot for weights; he chooses to use his body for resistance.

2) He does Parkour

Stephen does a lot of parkour training.

He uses this training because of the stunts he does, and he finds it’s a great way of exercising.

If you don’t know how to do parkour, rather get graining in it, because you can run the risk of injury.

Otherwise, it can be a pretty enjoyable activity.

3) He had a personal trainer for Arrow

Stephen says to those who want to get shredded like he is; people who are serious about building a lean and mean physique, that you pick and choose what you like to implement into your training methods.

Because no one is perfect – you just have to find what works for you.

But he didn’t get his physique in such a peak condition by doing it alone, for Arrow.

He had the help of a personal trainer, Thomas Taylor, who is a martial artist and conditioning coach.

Stephen and he have spent long workout sessions in Thomas’s T3 Athletic gym in Vancouver, where Arrow was filmed.

4) Diet is a top priority

Training is imperative for success, but Stephen is first a believer in the diet as his number one priority.

Try and eat 5-6 meals a day, but make sure that you eat good clean energy.

You need to eat based on your goals and how many calories you burn in a day; that’s how many calories you should be eating.

Stephen Amell’s Workout Routine

Do these exercises on Monday/Wednesday/Friday OR Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.

Then on the in-between days, do mixed martial arts such as kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, archery, parkour, and/or running.

Workout A – Chest/Triceps/Abs
  • 4 Sets of 4-6 reps : ‘Incline Dumbbell-Presses’
  • 3 Sets of 8-10 reps : Flat Dumbbell-Presses
  • 2 Sets of 8-10 reps : Weighted Bar Dips
  • 4 Sets of 10-12 reps : Overhead Triceps Extensions
  • 5 sets of 10-12 reps : Side Lateral Raises
  • 5 Sets of 10-12 reps : Weighted Cable Crunches
Workout B – Legs/Calves
  • 5 Sets of 5 reps : Deadlifts
  • 3 Sets of 4-6 reps per leg : Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats
  • 3 sets of 8-10 reps : ‘Leg-presses’
  • 2 Sets of 8 reps per leg : Dumbbell Lunges
  • 6 Sets of 10-15 reps : Calf Raises
Workout C – Back/Biceps/Abs
  • 5 Sets of 4-6 reps : Weighted Pull-Ups
  • 4 Sets of 6-8 reps : Bent-Over Barbell Rows or Cable Rows
  • 3 sets of 8-10 reps : ‘Barbell-curls’
  • 3 Sets of 8-10 reps of each arm – Alternating Hammer Curls
  • 3-5 Sets of 10-12 reps – Weighted Cable Crunches
Day seven
  • Rest

Stephen Amell’s Diet

Stephen has learned that eating foods that contain salt and sugar aren’t going to bring the results needed for the Arrow series and other roles.

That means he focuses on quality food so that he isn’t always hungry.

If you eat good, whole foods, you don’t get into situations where you eat a meal, and then 20 minutes later you are hungry again, he says.

Stephen had to eat huge amounts of protein to help start the muscle-building process.

He says “You need adequate protein to gain muscle. Using 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good daily minimum to shoot.”

He makes sure that he burns off the calories if he eats more calories.

He does eat carbohydrates because of the healthy fats to provide energy for his intensive training sessions.

These are foods Stephen has excluded from his diet

  • Processed sugar
  • Gluten
  • Dairy
  • Beer (contains gluten)

Some good places to get your protein intake

  • Organic meat
  • Poultry
  • Fish
  • Beans
  • Eggs
  • Whey protein powder

20% of his calories come from fat

Dietary fat helps boost your testosterone levels and helps to keep you satisfied. Fat also prevents your hormones from getting out of balance. Fat is available from these sources:

  • Coconut Oil
  • Avocado
  • Steak

Fuel up with small healthy snacks

If Stephen gets hungry on set, he opts for small, healthy snacks instead of a full meal. Healthy snacks give him the energy he needs without adding weight.

Stephen Amell’s Supplements and Recommendations

  • Protein
  • Probiotics
  • Ashwagandha
  • Creatine supplement
  • Collagen
  • Omega-3

Recommendations of Stephen Amell

1) Stay lean – in superhero shape

When the Arrow team saw how Stephen could hold himself to an intense fitness standard they just knew he was the right guy for his role in Arrow.

And Stephen says, “I feel like as the show has gone on, and we have gotten to shoot more seasons, I have only gotten stronger and more adept at training. That means I can always be trying new things out in the gym, and we can try be trying new things out in Arrow.”

2) Create a complete sense of fitness

Lots of actors get in shape for a certain movie they will be in, but Arrow went into more seasons which meant Stephen had to work hard to keep pushing his abilities and physique.

When we get to the gym, it’s a lot of different circuits,” he says.  “It’s very much about shocking your body and shocking your muscles. You want to keep them guessing and really put them to the test. Each day we try different things, but it is a lot of circuits.”

3) Apply resistance to your training

Stephen single-handedly popularized the pull-up “salmon ladder” and now it’s a major feature on CrossFit and other ninja competitions. “I enjoy doing body resistance stuff,” he explains.

“I do a lot of chin-ups and pull-ups, incorporating different grips.”

4) Eat the ultimate hero foods

Stephen says he tries to stay away from gluten, dairy, and processed sugars. It gives him the opportunity to add more lean proteins, veggies, and complex carbs. “There is a satisfaction to improving and working towards a specific goal.”

“Martial arts are a vehicle for developing your human potential” Stephen Amell