We all want to be in as good of shape as our favorite superheroes. Lately, it seems like we are constantly waiting to watch the next superhero movie, so all we see are our heroes being advertised on television. It may seem impossible for an average Joe to get as fit as their favorite superhero, but it is not impossible at all. If you are willing to follow the right workout and diet plan, you will look like a superhero too. Below is a list of exercises to help you get into superhero shape.
These exercises will help the following areas:
Chest and shoulders so you can look like The Hulk.
Of course, Bruce Banner didn’t have to hit the gym to become The Hulk, but you will feel like you can throw tanks across the city after these workouts.
Forearms to look like Wolverine.
Of course, Logan had the best forearms of all the superheroes, they held part of his razor sharp claws. Or at least anatomically with how long the claws are, his forearms should have housed part of the blade. You can get forearms as buff as Wolverine’s by doing these exercises.
Speed to be fast like The Flash.
To be fair, The Flash breaks the speed barrier so you will never be that fast, but you can be the fastest of your buddies after doing these workouts regularly. You do not even have to wear spandex to be the fastest of your friends.
Agility like Spider-Man’s.
Peter Parker relies on his quick reflexes to beat his enemies, and you can have reflexes almost as fast as his after doing these agility exercises. These exercises will help you to find explosive speed while you change direction, whether you are in the gym or on a field.
Chest: Gymnastic Flyers
You will need to set up a barbell high on a power rack. You need to loop straps around the barbell and let them hang a little wider than shoulder width apart. You will need to keep your body tense and as straight as possible. Lower your torso by widening out your arms. Only go as far as it is comfortable and then bring your arms out in front of you. Do as many reps as possible to help work your chest.
Shoulders: Press
You will take a barbell and hold it overhand at shoulder width. Your back will need to be flat as you lower it to knee level. After, you need to straighten up, shrug, and bring your weight to the balls of your feet. After, you need to flip your wrists bring the weight over your head. Bring it back down to the starting position. Remember that this is only one rep and you should do six or more of these.
Forearms: Plate Curl
You will need to small plates pressed together with the smooth sides out. You will grip them together with your fingers. You will curl these plates and that will be one rep. You should do eight to twelve reps without rest between sets.
Forearms: Bar Curl
Grab a bar shoulder width apart, underhanded. Then all you have to do is curl. You should do eight to twelve reps, only resting for a small amount of time between sets. These forearm exercises should be done after every normal workout.
Forearms: Hammer Curl with a Twist
You will need two dumbbells for this exercise. You will curl them with your palms to your sides. Once your forearms are parallel to the floor, you will rotate your wrists in. After, you will rotate them until they are facing the ceiling. Rotate them so that they are facing in again and lower your arms back down to your sides. You should do eight to twelve reps.
Speed: The Skip
Your left foot should be driving down so that it is straight under your hips, your right foot will be going up with your knee. Once your right foot is past your left knee, you should be driving down your right leg so that your left leg can come up. You are just doing some intense skipping in this exercise, but it will help with your speed.
Speed: Pistol Squat
You will stand on one leg and bring your other leg up in front of you. Keep your back as straight as possible when doing this. Squat down as low as you can with the one leg. Then stand back up. If you want to add extra to this, hold dumbbells out in front of you while you are squatting. You should do 10 reps on each leg.
Speed: Hill Sprints
You will need a hill for this exercise. You will feel resistance as you sprint up it. Remember that it should not feel like you are climbing a mountain, you should just feel some resistance. Sprint up this incline and then walk back down. That is considered one set. You should do eight sets to increase your speed.
Agility: Box Jump
You will need a sturdy box or an aerobics step. This should be high enough to be a challenge, but not enough of a challenge that you may hurt yourself. You will need to bend your hips and knees to gather momentum. Jump up onto the box and hold yourself there for a second. Then jump back off the box. You will do six sets of three reps. You will have a rest time of 60 seconds between sets.
Agility: Slalom Jump Rope
Keep your feet together while holding a jump rope and pretend that there is a line underneath your feet. Begin jumping rope with your feet still together and jumping back and forth over your imaginary line. You should do this as quickly as possible. You will do this for 30 seconds at a time. You should do about six sets. You will rest about a minute between sets.