3 Awesome Superhero Physique Workouts!

In this article we’re going to base workouts off of a few of Marvel’s most popular superheroes. Each workout will take less than an hour to fully complete, and will incorporate functional calisthenic training as well as compound lifts. Functional training and compound lifts both allow individual body parts to work together as one unit, as opposed to isolation training (which trains only one specific body part), so read on, get your superhuman body with our 3 Awesome Superhero Physique Workouts!

1. Erik Killmonger workout for: power, athleticism & hypertrophy
Killmonger’s (Michael B. Jordan’s) body is the perfect build for overall athleticism it has a great balance of size, muscularity and mobility. This is essential for him as a martial artist, since he needs size to overpower his opponents, mobility to move around quickly, and muscle to produce power in his strikes. Do this workout three times a week with as well as cardio on the off days to see quite literally drastic results!

Plyometric pushups: 4-8 sets, 5-12 reps
Standing dumbbell shoulder press: Explosively, at 60% of your one rep max (ORM), x 9 reps
Plank: One minute
Bulgarian split squats: Using same weights used for shoulder press, x 9 reps
Rest: 1-3 minutes max, depending on your conditioning

On the last set, try to push a little bit past failure. This is to increase tension time on the muscle, as well as increasing muscle-tearing which leads to hypertrophy (growth). If the workout becomes too easy, increase the weight of the dumbbells and/or the amount of sets you’re doing. Results will occur rapidly.

2. Flash Workout for: speed, explosiveness and endurance
The Flash is known for his superhuman speed, reflexes, and wit. While working out can’t directly make you wittier, you can certainly increase your speed and reaction time. No, you probably won’t be able to create tornadoes by running in a circle, but you will be able to dust your friends in a 100m dash, outlast them in sports, and consume a ton of carbs (you’re going to need them!) without getting fat. Do these circuits 2-3 times a week. Run 3-4 miles (or equivalent) on your off days.

Endurance circuit: 4-5 sets
Plank: One minute
Depth Jumps: x 10
Bear Crawlsx 10 (1-2 count)
Rest: 1-3 minutes
Explosiveness: 3 sets deadlift or squat (60% of your one rep max, explosively) x 7-9 reps
Rest: 2-4 minutes
Sprints: 7-15, sprint for 15 seconds, rest for 45 seconds

3. Batman Workout for: functional strength/martial arts & endurance
Bruce Wayne is a genius millionaire who also just happens to be one of the most badass heroes the world has ever seen. He doesn’t have any supernatural abilities, but what makes him so inspirational is his success as a hero in spite of that! You (may) not be a millionaire (yet) but that doesn’t mean you can’t get that million-dollar body! This training regime focuses once again on functional strength (mostly in the upper body), endurance, and Batman’s most important tool, martial arts skill! Due to this training being calisthenics-based, you can do it 4-5 times a week with the exception of Tabata intervals. Only perform those 2-3 times a week.

Strength: x 3-5 sets of 20 basic push-ups
Strict-form pull-ups: x 5-10
Squat-jumps: x 10-12
Plank: One minute
(On the last set, do everything to failure)

Cardio conditioning:
A. Run: 3 miles for time
B. Rope skipping: 6 x 3-minute rounds of with 30 second rest between each round
C. Tabata intervals: 20 seconds HIIT with 10 seconds rest, x 4-8 sets

Martial arts:
Choose one (or more) of these martial arts. Practice diligently; judo, kickboxing, boxing, Krav Maga, knife fighting (Escrima).

You can choose any one of these routines, or you can implement all three (and rotate them) into your training programme. Either way, you’ll undoubtedly develop a super(hero) physique, send us your transformation pics and we’ll feature them. Which superhero would you most like to look like? Let us know in the comments below, join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! (Check out our other fitness articles to quickly help you get YOUR Fit ON!)

Bryan Richardson

Inspired by his early life adversities and the desire to help others, Bryan who currently serves in the US Forces aspires to become a Light Heavyweight boxing champion and start a gym that specialises in conscious human development. Bryan likes researching useful info and insights that can be applied to his and others' lives. When he's not feeding his insatiable appetite for knowledge, he's found either in the boxing ring, on the dance floor, or busy downing some Ben & Jerry's "Phish Food"!

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