Robert Downey Jr Workout and Diet

Entertainer
Born: 1965

Robert Downey Jr. grew up in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. His father is an actor and filmmaker and his mother Elsie Ann was an actress. Downey Jr. began acting in his father’s films when he was 5 years old. He pursued roles in theater at first, and was hired by Saturday Night Live in 1985 but was not well-received and cut from the show within a year. Downey Jr.’s big break came with Tuff Turf and then as the lead in The Pick-Up Artist. He was nominated for an Oscar for playing the lead in Chaplin, and appeared in many other films throughout the 1990s. Drug charges plagued him for years and eventually was sentenced to a California substance abuse treatment facility and prison. Upon release, he was picked up by the tv show Ally McBeal, and was nominated for an Emmy and won a Golden Globe for his role on the show. His substance abuse problems continued, but he fought to hang onto his career and was cast as the lead in Iron Man which enjoyed global success. The character of Tony Stark appeared in other Marvel films including Spiderman and The Avengers. Downey Jr. has also sung on several soundtracks, including Chaplin and Too Much Sun. He has been married to producer Susan Downey since 2005 and they run the Team Downey production company. He has millions of followers on social media. Downey Jr. is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs between 150-170 lbs. depending on his acting roles.

Known For:

Robert Downey Jr.’s Diet

Summary

Prior to getting tapped for the first Iron Man, Downey Jr. had dropped down to 150 lbs. to play the role of Sherlock Holmes. He. packed on 20+ lbs. of muscle prepping for Iron Man. He ate every 3 hours for a total of about 5,000 calories a day. His macros were counted and split at 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates. After decades of abusing drugs and his body, Downey Jr. committed to a plant-based diet in early 2020, primarily over concerns about the environment.

Estimated Macros

  • Medium Carbs 40% 40%
  • Medium Protein 30% 30%
  • Medium Fat 30% 30%

Diet Details

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Eat Up

Downey Jr.’s Iron Man diet included eating a lot: 5,000 calories a day. He bulked up by 25 lbs. and really developed a physique worthy of his superhero character.

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Count Your Macros

Downey Jr.’s trainer kept a close watch on his intake, and split his macro nutrients fairly evenly among protein, fat and carbs.

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Back Where He Started

Right after getting jacked for Iron Man, Downey Jr. went and lost all the weight to play Sherlock Holmes again.

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Going Green

In January 2020, Downey Jr. announced his decision to change his diet to a strictly plant-based one with the intention of reducing his carbon footprint.

What to Eat

R

Leafy Greens

R

Broccoli

R

All Vegetables

R

Legumes

R

Whole Grains

R

Bread

R

Nuts

R

Plant-based Protein

R

Fruit

R

Water

R

Coffee

R

Green Tea

R

Chicken (previously)

R

Meat (previously)

R

Eggs (previously)

R

Animal Products (previously)

What to Avoid

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Processed Foods

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Refined Sugar

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Alcohol

Q

Junk Food

Q

Fast Food

Q

Chemical Additives

Q

Artificial Ingredients

Q

Animal Products

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Downey Jr. on His New Diet

‘I’m going plant-based!’

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Downey Jr. on His Decision To Give Up Meat

‘I have this quiet sense of crisis, I’m a one-man carbon footprint nightmare colossus.’

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Downey Jr.’s Trainer on His Physique

Downey Jr.’s Trainer on His Physique

Robert Downey Jr.’s Workout Routine

Weekly Routine

Train Like the Master

Downey Jr. has been training in Wing Chun since 2003. The martial art was made famous by the martial arts icon, Bruce Lee.

Making Gains

Downey Jr. isn’t naturally a big guy. He’s also not young. But he didn’t let either of those things stand in the way of truly embodying his character of Iron Man’s Tony Stark.

Pro Help

Downey Jr. worked with trainer Brad Bose to get ripped without getting too huge. By the end of his training, he’d doubled his bench press and nearly tripled his shoulder press.

Be a Beast

Downey Jr. takes prep for his roles seriously, and that includes being genuinely strong. He hit the gym a minimum of 4 days a week for 40-90 minutes at a time to get ripped for Iron Man.

Cut the Cardio

Downey Jr.’s regular exercise plan was suspended while he prepared for Iron Man. He used a machine called Jacobs Ladder that works the entire body at the same time, with a target heart rate of 65% max. Other special machines he used were the Pineapple and the Vortex.

Make It Original

As the sequels kept coming, Downey Jr. sometimes got sick of traditional workouts. When he’d had enough of the gym, he and his trainer would do obstacle courses, use sleds, whip firehoses filled with water and sand, flip tires and hit also them with sledgehammers to keep things fresh.

Exercise Style

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A Sample Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man Routine

Lower Body
Band squat: 8-12 reps x 4 sets
Hamstring curl: 8-12 reps x 4 sets
Leg press: 8-12 reps x 4 sets
Suspension trainer lunge: 15-20/leg reps x 3 sets
Suspension trainer superman squat: 15 reps x 3 sets
Romanian deadlift: 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Sandbag squat: 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Abs circuit: Pick 4-6 exercises & perform for 2 min each x 3 rounds.

Upper Body
Weighted pull-up: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Weighted dip: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Swiss ball bench press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Low row: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Continuous tension dumbbell shoulder press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Bosu ball push-up: 15-20
Suspension trainer push-up: to failure x 3 sets
Suspension trainer row: to failure x 3 sets
Lateral/front shoulder raise: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
Kettlebell swing: 40 reps x 3 sets
Sand bag power throw: 12-15 reps x 3 sets
Abs circuit: 3 rounds

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Downey Jr. on His Physique

‘I’m not a kid. And I’m not a professional athlete.’

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Downey Jr.’s Trainer on His Iron Man Routine

‘We cut way back on cardio and really increased the weight he was lifting.’

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Downey Jr. on Playing the Role of Iron Man

‘I’m not particularly tall, strong, fast or aggressive, but I’m not faking it.’

Robert Downey Jr.’s Supplements

Besides his creatine use for Iron Man, Downey Jr. isn’t dishing on any other supplements. So, below are supplements that can benefit anyone following a similar diet.

Creatine

Creatine

Downey Jr. used creatine to help him get ripped for Iron Man. Creatine builds muscle, enhances gym performance and can also help manage blood sugar.

Get it here

Multivitamin

multivitamin

A multivitamin is a must-have, especially for the 50+ set.

Get it here

Protein Powder

protein

If you’re looking to make muscle gains and/or hang on to what you have, protein is essential, and you can find plant-based protein if that’s your preference.

See best products

Omega 3 Fish Oil

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are another great choice for many reasons. Omega-3s not only help reduce inflammation but they also help improve mood and brain function.

Get it here

Milk Thistle

milk thistle

Downey Jr. has been clean for years but he struggled with addiction for decades. Supplements that can help with side effects of withdrawal include valerian which helps with insomnia and stress, peppermint for digestive upset and depression, milk thistle to help detoxify the liver.

Get it here

Robert Downey Jr.’s Lifestyle

Like Father, Like Son

Downey Jr.’s father was a drug addict and introduced his son to drugs when he was just 6, which his father later said he regretted. Downey Jr. spend years getting arrested for drug offenses, and sometimes had trouble getting into other countries due to his criminal record.

Brat Pack Power

While not considered a core member, Downey Jr. is sometimes included in the list of 1980s coming-of-age actors. The main members are Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Ally Sheedy.

A-List Relatives & Friends

Downey Jr. is related to Barbara Walters and Harry Connick Jr. He has been friends with Moby since they were kids, and he once dated Sarah Jessica Parker.

Tied at the Top

Downey Jr. is tied with Chris Evans for the most appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Prior to shooting Iron Man, he was considered to play the lead in Batman. Downey Jr. was also considered for the lead in Top Gun, Edward Scissorhands and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

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Downey Jr. on Drug Addiction

‘It’s like I have a loaded gun in my mouth, and I like the taste of metal.’

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Downey Jr. On His Acting Skills

‘I know very little about acting. I’m just an incredibly gifted faker.’

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Downey Jr. on Motivation

‘People never change because they are under threat or under duress. Never. They change because they see something that makes their life seem valuable enough to start moving toward a life worth living.’

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Downey Jr. on Hard Times

‘Remember that just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.’

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Downey on Worry

‘Worrying is like praying for something you don’t want to happen.’

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Downey on Work Ethic

‘Nothing will serve you better than a strong work ethic. Nothing.’

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Downey Jr. on How to Handle Advice

‘Listen, smile, agree, then do whatever you were going to do anyway.’

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Downey Jr. on Mediocrity

‘Mediocrity is my biggest fear. I’m not afraid of total failure because I don’t think that will happen. I’m not afraid of success because that beats the hell out of failure. It’s being in the middle that scares me.’

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Downey Jr. on Himself

‘I don’t need an Iron Man suit. I’m already a weapon of mass seduction.’

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