Here’s the ‘Hellboy’ Workout That Got David Harbor Absolutely Ripped

This brutal workout will get you in “Hellboy” shape.

Hellboy Promo
YouTube/Roadshow Films

Anyone who has seen David Harbour in Stranger Things knows that he went through a huge dramatic body transformation to star in Hellboy

Just look at him in the movie’s latest Red Band trailer: 

How did the 41-year-old actor chisel a musclebound antihero out of the pudgy body of his cigarette-smoking, beer-swilling character from the Netflix series? Men’s Health spoke with Harbour’s trainer, David Saladino, to find out. 

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You may remember that Saladino is the same celebrity exercise expert who got Ryan Reynolds in superhero shape for Deadpool 2. 

Given that Hellboy’s otherworldly muscles were achieved with the help of prosthetic enhancements, it wasn’t necessary for Harbour to actually attain the physique of a roided-out body builder from Hades over the nine-week program. 

Good thing, because he’s admittedly not one for the gym. 

“From about the time I was 26 years old, to about now, I haven’t really been training at the gym seriously at all,” Harbour wrote on Saladino’s blog at the start of training.

Instead, Saladino designed workouts that were focused on building Harbour’s functional strength. 

“I wanted to mainly focus on power and strength,” he told Men’s Health, “so when I’m doing these movements and doing this role that you believe it, that this guy, when he hits you, hits you like a truck.”

“He had to feel like he was able to kick some ass, and walk on the set and feel like Hellboy,” he added.  

Per Men’s Health, here’s the workout regimen that got Harbour in Hellboy shape: 

Warm Up

You’ll start with 2 rounds of a warm up routine, followed by a full circuit of carries.

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Forward Bound

1 set of 3 to 5 jumps

Bear Crawl

1 set of 5 crawls on each arm


Medicine Ball Slam

1 set of 5 reps

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Lateral Bound

1 set of 3 to 5 jumps on each side


Lateral Bear Crawl

1 set of 5 crawls in each direction


Pivoting Medicine Ball Slam

1 set of 3 to 5 slams per side

Suit Up Circuit

This circuit is all carries, so you’ll need a set of kettlebells or dumbbells. The first few rounds are composed of overhead moves, so be careful with the weight—but once your arm position is lower, you can really get heavy. Walk for 25 yards for each position, and switch arms for each that has you holding the weights in offset positions.

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Double Overhead Carry

Single Overhead Carry

Overhead Rack Carry

Overhead Down Carry

Double Rack Carry

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Single Rack Carry

Rack Down Carry

Double Farmer’s Walk

Single Suitcase Carry

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