Overview
- In late July 2026 Ritchson renewed public comments that he began testosterone replacement therapy after season 1 when bloodwork showed his testosterone had fallen to very low levels and his doctor recommended treatment.
- He gained about 30 pounds for the show by training roughly two hours a day, a rapid bulk that left him injured, required an AC joint repair, and contributed to severe hormone depletion.
- Ritchson has repeatedly said he did not use testosterone or steroids to bulk for season 1 and that he began clinical TRT about one month after filming wrapped to restore depleted hormone levels.
- He credits TRT with making it easier to keep his size while cutting daily workouts to roughly 30 minutes, and he describes his regimen as a medically supervised, low clinical dose rather than high-dose steroid use.
- Ritchson’s openness is shifting public talk about male hormone therapy and highlights how production pressure to maintain an on-screen physique can push actors toward medical maintenance strategies and long-term durability plans.