Reacher star Alan Ritchson has explained the truth behind his huge, muscular body as he takes the starring role in the third season of the Amazon drama, adapted from Lee Child’s hugely popular books. Ritchson stars as ex-military MP Jack Reacher, who is travelling around America to see the country on his own terms and just seems to keep finding trouble.
Ritchson says there is one supplement he has had to take to keep the muscular body needed to play the physically huge character – and he says all men over 40 need to know about it.
Ritchson told Men’s Health UKhe managed to achieve the look he needed for season one through natural bodybuilding – but it was such a stress on his body – when combined with playing the role – that he needed additional help for the next two seasons.
Ritchcon, now 41, had to put on 30lbs of muscle in eight months to play Reacher in season one. He built a gym at home to achieve the result – but says the effort was brutal. He told Men’s Health: “I ravaged my body. I mean, I had a broken AC (acromioclavicular) joint in my shoulder, [which] I had to have repaired. There was a huge imbalance in hormones in my body. I was falling apart. So while I made it happen, it’s probably true that it shouldn’t happen that fast, that way.”
He said that by the end of season one, there was ‘no testosterone’ in his body due to the stress and fatigue. He said: “Getting on testosterone was huge for me.”
He added: “I’m a big advocate of it, especially for people in their forties or above. [Men aren’t] aware that it’s out there, but it could be really life-changing. It could be a mood stabiliser for people… It can do a lot more than just help you be buff, but it certainly helped in my journey.”
Ritchson said: “‘It definitely helps with muscle growth. If you take a little bit and then you work your ass off in the gym like you normally would, you’re going to see huge results.”
Testosterone is a prescription-only medication in the UK. To obtain it legally, you must go through a healthcare provider. If you have low testosterone, a GP or endocrinologist can assess you through blood tests.
If diagnosed, you may be prescribed testosterone as a daily gel, weekly or monthly injections or as patches or implants. Nutritionists say you can naturally boost testosterone with avocados, nuts, olive oil, fatty fish, eggs, lean meats, beans, whey protein, oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, dark leafy greens and whole grains.