Colton Ryan is currently one of two standbys for Tony winner Ben Platt (as well as for Tony nominee Mike Faist and scene-stealer Will Roland) at Broadway’s smash hit Dear Evan Hansen. The title role, in particular, is known for its physical toll, and Ryan wanted to find a way to prepare for the challenges of the roll.
“I personally wanted to get leaner to look more like the way I see Evan in my head, but I also knew that I wanted to stay strong and get stronger,” says Ryan of when he first joined the company of Dear Evan Hansen. Not to mention he wanted to prepare himself to execute the demands of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Tony-winning score. Ryan decided to train at Mark Fisher Fitness, a workout facility that caters to much of the Broadway crowd.
Read More: THE SECRETS BEHIND MARK FISHER FITNESS’ BROADWAY TRANSFORMATIONS
“They show the way to keep physically tough and mentally tougher,” he says of MFF; his workout also keeps him healthy post-show. “As Evan, the posture is so demanding that it can really take you out of alignment without proper attention. MFF makes you work smarter and with proper form,” he continues. “They bring me back from the dark side.” Here, Ryan takes us through some of the moves from the fitness regimen that ensures he can hit the all the notes and transform into Evan at a moment’s notice.
WARM-UP
1. Belly Lift Breathing
Do it at Home: Begin in all fours in a “quadruped” position. Push into ground with your hands and knees. Reach your ribcage through the ceiling. Complete a full exhale in this position while pushing through floor. Inhale while expanding back towards the ceiling.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 1 set of 5 breath cycles
Targets: Core
2. Spiderman Lunges
Do it at Home: Begin in a push-up plank. Bring one foot next to your hand on the same side. Reach your same side hand towards the ceiling and wall, rotating through your upper back.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 1 set of 5 reps on each side
Targets: Core, stretching
3. Contralateral Deadbug
Do it at Home: Lay down on your back, reaching your knees and hands towards the ceiling. Glue your lower back to the floor. Begin a quiet, calm exhale. Reach one hand and your opposite foot away from your core towards the wall. Maintain your lower back position throughout the reach. Inhale while returning to the starting position.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 1 set of 5 reps on each side
Targets: Core
WORKOUT
4. Hex Bar Deadlift
Do it at Home: Stand in the middle of the hex bar with your feet shoulder width apart, toes facing forward or slightly out. Knees are bent, butt is back, chest is over your toes, and your spine is neutral. Your hands should be in line with the middle of the handle. Keeping your spine neutral, push the floor away with your feet and legs. Push your hips forward, simultaneously raising your torso and straightening your knees to arrive in a standing position. (Keep your spine neutral!) To return, push your butt backwards, lowering your torso and bending your knees to the starting position.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 reps
Targets: Core, legs
5. Dumbbell Floor Press
Do it at Home: While sitting on the floor, place the dumbbells vertically on the top end of your thighs (in front of your knees). Roll backwards with the dumbbells while pulling them in line with your armpits. Knees are bent and feet are flat to the floor. Your shoulder blades should be “down and back” with your rib cage slightly up and open. Hands are tightly gripping the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder distance with elbows 45 degrees away from body. (Your arms and body should form the shape of an arrow.) Maintaining neutral spine, push the dumbbells up towards the ceiling. Your arms will fully extend vertically with the dumbbells directly over your shoulders (without the dumbbells touching each other) and wrists parallel with ceiling. Lower the dumbbells back down to original position while maintaining spinal/ribcage stability.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 reps
Targets: Shoulder girdle, biceps, triceps
6. Bodyweight Pull-Ups
Do it at Home: Step onto a box or bench and assume a grip on the pull-up bar outside shoulder width with palms facing away your body. Lower your body off of box until shoulders and arms are positioned overhead, maintaining neutral spine. Drive elbows towards hips. Avoid forward roll of the shoulder joint while ascending. Finish at the top of the movement with a neutral spine and the bar positioned between your collarbone and your nipples. Actively “push” the bar up to descend to the starting position. Avoid the forward roll of your shoulder joint while maintaining a neutral spine. Pause before beginning the next rep.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 8 reps
Targets: Shoulder girdle, biceps
7. Kettlebell Goblet Squats
Do it at Home: Stand tall with a neutral spine. Your feet are shoulder width apart, toes are slightly turned out. Hold the kettlebell by the horns in front of your chest, elbows pointing to the floor. Spread the floor with your feet. Keeping the kettlebell level with your chest, descend down and back into a squat position. Keep your spine neutral and your knees pointing over your toes. Push the floor away standing all the way up to the starting position.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 8 reps
Targets: Core, legs, triceps
8. Kettlebell Swings
Do it at Home: Stand approximately a foot behind the bell. With feet shoulder width apart, keeping a neutral spine, pull your hips back until you can reach the kettlebell with both hands. Try to break the handle of the kettlebell. Hands are hooks. Arms are ropes. Hike the kettlebell like a football high and back toward your groin. When the kettlebell can’t go any further back, drive hard through your feet and stand quickly into a plank then allow the arms to float with the kettlebell. When the kettlebell hits its peak, use your lats to pull it back between your legs. Throw your hips back at the last possible moment. Try to get the bell about chest level with straight arms. Avoid pulling the bell up with your arms or back. Let your hips, hamstrings, and glutes drive it while keeping your shoulders packed. When you’re done with the set, return the kettlebell to the floor by reversing the initial hike pass.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 30 seconds
Targets: Core, legs, glutes, lats
9. Battle Ropes
Do it at Home: Grasp the battle ropes and stand with your feet are shoulder width apart, keeping a neutral spine and pulling your hips back slightly into a partial hinge. Then slam the ropes as hard as your heart will let you.
Times per week: 2-3 times per week
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 30 seconds
Targets: Core, biceps, triceps, lats
