With the premiere of Wonder Woman this week and so many other superhero films right around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite superhero inspired workouts that I’ve programmed recently. Inspired by, well, one of my favorite superheroes - Thor.
Chris Hemsworth’s superhero physique made it’s debut in the 2011 MCU film “Thor”. It sparked admiration and envy alike. With some even saying that he was juicing. Now, before I get into the workout and all, I want to say something about that. I’m no fan of being concerned with whether or not people are juicing, that’s their business. While I obviously don’t do it, I’m not completely against it. But the problem comes when people claim that anyone with a decent transformation or better physique than the next guy (usually better than the critic’s) is accused of being on drugs. And it’s especially annoying when people use pictures that are five or even ten years apart to justify their accusations that are based on envy. With that being said, the transformation pics of Hemsworth usually feature his before picture as a shot from his Aussie TV show “Home and Away”. This is a show he was on from 2004-2007. So there’s at least four years between his role as Kim Hyde and his role as Thor Odinson. A better comparison would be that of him in Ca$h, which only predates his superhero debut by one year. While he wasn’t as yoked as we was in Thor, he was pretty close. And that has to do with one thing, lifestyle change. Like Jason Momoa and Henry Cavill, many guys are genetically predisposed to responding well to some hardcore, effective training. Just like other guys will respond to perceivably more unorthodox approaches. You can’t make the next guy’s gains for him and vice versa, so keep that in mind.
The Workout
Now on to the workout. This is a four day PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) split. A training method that I am a huge fan of. And in keeping with the theme of Ragnarok (essentially the Norse mythological apocalypse), I’ve decided to up the ante. In these workouts, you’ll almost exclusively be using rings. I know some of you may have never used rings before so I want to emphasize that proper form is a must. Rings are a great way to build strength when done correctly. So don’t cheat yourself. If you don’t have access to rings, then one of the more versatile suspension training systems will surely suffice. The exercise selection was meticulous. I have one of those suspension trainers that has both the strap/loop and ring handles. But in spite of that, I know that many suspension trainers don’t have the proper way of being set up to do exercises such as ring dips or muscle ups. But on the flip side, pretty much any adjustable ring set up will allow you to do what a suspension trainer does. Like looping your feet through the handles for leg and core movements. So before you decide to wing it, please keep in mind that there are substitute exercises included. But the most important thing when it comes to your suspension trainer is that it is sturdy and adjustable enough for you to progress to different angles and heights so that you can progress with your strength. Now, if you don’t exactly know the point of PHUL - it’s pretty much a powerbuilding split intended to maximize both strength and hypertrophy. You have two consecutive days on, one off, and another two on. As you can probably already tell it is split up into separate days for strength and hypertrophy. Allowing you to give your all toward each goal independent of the other. In weightlifting, where it originated, this would look like using power days to focus on and improve your main lifts - such as the bench press, overhead press, deadlift, etc. And using the hypertrophy days to focus solely on just that. You get the best of both worlds - performance as well as aesthetics. This variation relies on rings and suspension training for the performance aspect. Ring and suspension training can be both especially brutal, as well as especially rewarding. Famous for demanding that you use more stabilizer muscles, it can be intimidating to get into. But once you do, you might wonder why you didn’t start sooner. It’s one of the most fun, challenging, and effective ways to build that functional strength many people seek out. And provided your nutrition is on point, you will grow when using rings. You won’t become a gymnast overnight, but you may well look like one. Suspension training is a bit of a mixed bag. While you may not be able to do everything you can do on the rings, many movements do translate. Almost without modification. Now, in my experience, suspension training can help you build muscle. Especially if you’ve never done it before. The problem many people have is, once again, just a matter of knowledge. Like most bodyweight methods, people may shy away from it because of it’s lack of easily spelled out linear progression. But with literally dozens of different angles/heights and hundreds of movements to progress through, all it takes is a bit of learning to see that this is a non issue. To sum it up, many people just flat out don’t train correctly with suspension training when they finally do give it a try. Again, with proper training and nutrition, you’ll see how valuable it is. I mean, tactical athletes don’t swear by it for nothing, right? All right, now that we’ve got the particulars out of the way let’s take a look at the workouts. Remember that nothing is set in stone, there are substitutes for the movements that are primarily ring-oriented. Upper Power
Lower Power
Upper Hypertrophy
Lower Hypertrophy
In Conclusion
So there you have it, a Ragnarok inspired workout designed to get you as strong and yoked as Odinson himself. Keep in mind that you can substitute exercises if you find yourself ill equipped to execute what’s provided. If you choose to substitute on your own, be sure that you are putting careful thought into the purpose of each movement. Also remember that you should know your suspension trainer before you begin. Make sure your rings are adjustable enough to pull off the more suspension trainer-oriented movements. And vice versa. Also be sure to have a good level of body awareness, especially with movements that require your lower body on the suspension trainer, as well as those movements that require more balance. Depending on your periodization, as well as how much you may have already progressed with suspension training and rings, you can run this program anywhere up to 12 weeks. I even know some guys that run it for months and months on end, modifying variables like exercise selection as they go along. If you have any questions or just want chime in, comment below. Feel free to share with your comic book nerd and gym nerd friends alike. And for more superhero workouts and physical culture articles, browse through the site and subscribe to stay up to date. Stay Prymal! Further Reading Suspension Training PHUL
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Shredded ShamanLifelong athlete and martial artist. I'm on a mission to bring back the good old days of Physical Culture and make this fit lifestyle a lot more enjoyable. Archives
October 2022
CategoriesAll Bodyweight Calisthenics Cardio Celeb Workouts Dumbbells HIIT Martial Arts Metabolic Conditioning Powerbuilding Resistance Bands Shredding Superheroes Suspension Training Weighted Calisthenics Workouts |