Ryan Reynolds got naked a lot in Deadpool. Like, a lot.
With production underway on the sequel in Vancouver, the 40-year-old actor needs to be in fighting form. Meet Don Saladino, the man responsible for whipping Reynolds' butt into shape—literally. On Thursday, Saladino shared a video of his client demonstrating "one of his favorite ab exercises" in preparation for 20th Century Fox's Deadpool 2 (debuting June 1, 2018).
Reynolds isn't the only actor in Hollywood shaping up to play a superhero. In fact, a quick glance at DC Entertainment and Marvel Studios' slates proves everyone who's anyone has booked a role in one of their films—including legends like Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman.
Here, E! News looks at how five actors get into superhero shape:
1. Chris Hemsworth
As Thor, Hemsworth needs the body of a God—and that's where Luke Zocchi comes into play. "We probably start about three months prior to shooting. So that's when we do our hard work. Basically, when we're shooting, it's just about maintaining it," he told KIIS 101.1's Matt and Meshel in the Morning earlier this year. Hemsworth trains once or twice a day and focuses on "old-school body building" and little cardio—and they never train for "over an hour at a time."
Hemsworth "never skips leg day," and for Thor: Ragnarok (out Nov. 3), the actor was focused on his upper body. "We did the fitting for Thor 3 we saw the costume and it was just sleeves," Zocchi said. "He's like, 'All right. We're doing arms and shoulders now—that's all I wanna do.'" Hemsworth shared a workout video three months ago, calling Zocchi the "world's best trainer."
2. Tom Holland
Last summer, Holland sparred on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming with stuntman Holland Diaz. The British actor (and former gymnast) is big into boxing, which builds muscle, burns fat, improves cardiovascular health sharpens hand-eye coordination. The web-slinging hero is quick on his feet, making Holland—who's been boxing for years—the perfect person to play the part.
The star regularly shares glimpses of his boxing workouts on Instagram (as he did here in 2016).
3. Jason Momoa
As Aquaman (who first appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), the actor has a commanding presence. Trainer Eric Laciste oversees his 30-minute, high-rep sessions. "You put on a lot of weight very quickly," Momoa told Men's Health U.K., "and you also burn a lot of fat."
To get ripped, Momoa chooses three of of five following exercises: cable crosses, incline bench presses, pull-ups, shoulder presses and squats. Each workout takes about 30 minutes, and the actor will try to use a weight around two thirds of the maximum load he can lift in a single rep.
Recently, while shooting Aquaman (out Dec. 21, 2018), Momoa has also gotten into rock climbing. As he recently explained in an Instagram caption, "I can't help it. I LOVE CLIMBING."
4. Ryan Reynolds
The actor demonstrated a "reverse crunch with a lift" in Saladino's Instagram video, which works the abdominals and core. "Try three sets of 10-15 reps. Discontinue the lift portion when it becomes too difficult to perform," Saladino advised. To copy Reynolds, "lie on the floor or a decline bench. Make sure to keep your lower back flat. Pull your legs towards your torso and then drive your legs to the ceiling...Stay under perfect control. Try not to use any momentum."
While Reynolds goes hard with Saladino, he's the first to admit he's not a gym rat. "I think there's a misconception that I spend 365 days a year in a gym," he told E! News in 2015. "That is patently false. My wife [Blake Lively] will tell you that. She can tell you that that isn't the case."
5. Sebastian Stan
In addition to Reynolds, Stan is also one of Saladino's clients. In a recent Instagram video, the actor demonstrated a "chest workout that develops strength and definition." Stan is currently bulking up to reprise his role as the Winter Soldier in Avengers: Infinity War (out May 4, 2018).
(The full "Soldier Program" video is available in an the Fitner app.)
For this movie, the focus is on building "muscle density and strength." As Saladino said at the beginning of the video, "This is the program that's going to get Sebastian to kick Thanos' butt."
And it's not just the men who are logging hours in the gym.
As Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot told E! News last month, "I was prepping for this one five, six months before we started to shoot this movie. Probably every day I worked out for six hours. I did two hours of gym—doing a lot of weights and making my body bigger."
Gadot also ate more than usual to both build muscle mass and keep her energy up. "It was fun at the beginning—they cook for you and everything is super delicious," she said. "But after a few weeks, you're so over the food. It becomes a task. 'Ahh, chicken again? Eggs? Ugh!' But it's a good problem to have."