10/23/2021 0 Comments The Battinson Functional Hypertrophy Workout - A Functional Mass Program for The Batman Physique
There were a lot of nonbelievers when Robert Pattinson was cast as the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves' adaptation of Batman Year One. I, for one, was a believer. I did, however, have some concerns when it came to the physicality this role demanded. But after teaser upon teaser. And trailer upon trailer, most recently the trailer which announced the official date via DC Fandome, those concerns have been assuaged. Robert Pattinson has truly been able to transform himself into Battinson. Much the way that Affleck was able to bring a signature physicality to the Snyderverse Batman that earned the name Batfleck, as it was markedly reminiscent of the Arkham video game franchise. In this article I will breakdown what it takes to pull off a transformation worthy of a spot on the BatFamily roster.
Intro
The more our anticipation for The Batman 2022 grows, the more I find myself excited for reasons that have less and less to do with my love of comics and film. These roles are perfect examples of why I find using movie and comic book characters to be one of the best options for creating functional fitness program templates. In contemporary cinema it has become more and more common for actors to not just resort to bodybuilding and aesthetics oriented training to portray the heroic, and in some cases villainous, characters they’ve been given. No, these days many actors are training to exude the attributes and physical characteristics of these characters. It’s also not uncommon to see them training with former operators, law enforcements, and specialists from various backgrounds. In fact, an entire industry and career field has been generated around it. Veterans of various backgrounds can now find themselves being paid handsomely to give movie stars a taste of what it’s like to live with tactical and extreme discipline. If I was writing this article a decade ago, I’d have to base everything in this template on Robert Pattinson’s stunt double. And in some ways I have. But the entire premise of this article is to provide a template for a program that will build some functional mass and allow for conditioning and skill progression, as well. This is based on similar programs I have provided for a wide array of clients who were prospective/budding tactical athletes. As well as some who were already seasoned. We have no real idea what Battinson’s preparation for this role looks like. We’ll probably see it in the extras upon home release. But I do know what it takes to take someone with little to no training history, of Pattinson’s stature, and help them reach similar performance goals. You may find a “workout” for Battinson created by someone as informed on comics as I am (Nerd Level: Omega). You may find one created by someone as informed on strength and conditioning as I am (equally unlikely). But you definitely won’t find one that satisfies both of these criteria. With all the references to comics and movies that will undoubtedly lace this article - this program template is no nonsense. Much like a barely 30 year old Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham to deliver vengeance. This is the Batman from the “Year One” arc. This is after he’s trained with the literal best of the best in every field he’s gained mastery in. Too many specialists to mention. The most pivotal and focal of which being the League of Shadows, under the tutelage of R’as Al’ Ghul. Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after over two decades of training - since witnessing his parents’ murder - to mette out justice to the city that made him what he is in the deepest and most multi-dimensional of ways.
Overview
This will be markedly different from the articles and templates before my hiatus for quite a few reasons. Not only a change in writing style, but a change in approach. As I am no longer sugarcoating and am very “matter of fact” about how Hollywood trainers get paid an exorbitant amount of money to do what they do and so you will never have the slightest insight into how they are training these celebrities. I’ve already gone over this in a previous article. So, long story short, we’re throwing out most if not all of these little red herrings we get from these cookiecutter publications. For all intents and purposes, we’re taking a more “grounded” approach. Not necessarily grounded in realism or what have you. But grounded in physical culture, strength and conditioning, and everything else that is the antithesis of “the bullshit” For this template I decided to go with the sort of programming used for tactical athletes. Say what you want about terminology and buzzwords, but when I say “tactical athlete” you get a pretty specific idea of the sort of athlete being trained and what the training entails. Specifically, I am talking about your law enforcement types. Most people conjure images of military and paramilitary types when they hear the phrase “tactical athlete”, but after looking back on some of my favorite Batman arcs - including the Arkham franchise and upcoming Gotham Knights - I settled on law enforcement for a few reasons. First, Batman literally patrols Gotham City and stops/solves crimes to defend it. When he engages with criminals he uses his skills as the best martial artist in the DC Universe in combination with billion dollar tech to subdue hostiles and thwart crimes. He knows the entire city like the back of his hand. Not only did he grow up there, but he’s learned how to patrol it and sweep in various manners using tactics from different professions. More often than not, Bats is non-lethal in combat which requires arguably more cunning and calculation. The Bats we’re seeing in March of next year is essentially the Batman from the “Year One” arc. So he doesn’t really have the resolve to be non-lethal in every situation and he clearly isn’t holding back in any of the trailers. Another reason I chose the law enforcement approach is because of the similarities to Corrections. Correctional officers are one of the few law enforcement professions where adding some functional mass is genuinely recommended. This is because of the intimidation factor. Correctional officers are caged in with convicts or, in jails, prospective convicts, for longer than your average shift. Some of these people are here for laughable offenses but, all flaws considered with contemporary justice systems, a lot of these people are hardened criminals. At the very least they are institutionalized. So CO’s are in a constant limbo of fight-or-flight just like those they are charged with keeping in line. Because of this they need every advantage they can get. Other than that, the only other real reason I went with this approach was due to the similarities in goals between Battinson and various types of tactical athletes who would need to acquire some good old functional mass while, at the same time, not sacrificing proficiency and progress in combat skills and conditioning. As well as any other skills that may be an occupational necessity. There’s a lot of ways to approach this. But only a few that truly make sense and get the job done. I know that I usually relate training history and goals to my own personal experiences where I can. But there would be a lot to relate here and this is not already pretty extensive. But I can relate that, while my hearing loss and vertigo prevent me from being a tactical athlete, it will never stop me from practicing martial arts and performing stunts. And I have found that there's a lot of overlap between the programming for combat sports, adventure sports, and tactical athletes. But more importantly, my older brother is a seasoned police officer. So I can assure you this template and the anecdotes and science it draws from are very close to me. Now with all of that being said, this template was programmed to put on mass. Relatively quickly. Think of it this way, it was programmed for those tactical athletes that find themselves at least 8 weeks out and needing to put on some functional mass. But it’s also designed in the vein of preparing someone like Robert Pattinson for donning the cape and cowl in a convincing and physically imposing manner. You’ve got your functional hypertrophy, your assistance/supplementary work, and your conditioning. Oh, and I also included a sandbag version of this template since the only thing we know about Battinson’s training for sure is that he incorporated sandbags into his program. I was able to ensure both of these areas of performance and functionality are met because of the overlap between my training needs and those of the aforementioned demographic. As I’ve mentioned in other posts and on my socials, my own training is that of a stunt performer. Once I got used to the vertigo and balance issues that accompanied my hearing loss, I began training for peak performance again. It’s been a few years since that pivotal moment and over a year of seriously progressing my tricking and stunts. I’m not just drawing on my own personal experience here when it comes to programming for the functional fitness being a stunt performer requires. Because it was professional stuntmen who convinced me to get back on the proverbial horse, it’s their experiences and tenure that have shaped my approach to training. Taking their experiences and filtering it through strength and conditioning and physical culture has allowed me to put my training, programming and periodization on autopilot. I’m not sure how many of his own stunts Battinson performed. A lot of folks seem to think Pattinson is a method actor but he’s dished out some respectful criticisms on the practice in the past. I do, however, think that Pattinson is the type to want to do as many of his own stunts as his Hollywood contracts and physical capabilities will allow. We have seen his stunt double on set and he seems slightly more built than Pattinson, himself. But it seems like his stunt double was more so there to do the truly high octane stunts and especially the vehicular sequences the film needed to sell. With all of that being said, I think that Pattinson did a decent amount of stunts for this film. Especially since the lead actor is always needed for the money shots to really bring it all home. His decision of utilizing sandbags in his training also leads me to believe he wanted some functional athleticism to bring the right physicality to this role. This leads me to believe that his approach would’ve been very similar to that of a stunt person or action star who needed to get some size on for an upcoming role. Who knows? Maybe heading up Matt Reeves’ Batman franchise is Pattinson’s own origin story as a bona fide action star. As long as we get a great Batman franchise out of it I’m all in.
The Program
The Who Robert Pattinson stands it at about 6’1” and 165lbs, at 35 years old - barely in the prime of his life. Of course, that weight stat is only from the last time anyone checked. And that was honestly probably around Twilight. Or “Good Time” at the latest. Realistically, he should be aiming to add at least 20-30lbs to pull off this intimidating stature. And again, realistically, this will not be pure muscle mass. I can’t imagine anyone believing that’s possible in 2021. And I surely don’t see the people frequenting this website believing that. In an upcoming article on functional mass I will expound on how a healthy body fat percentage is almost certainly never a single digit reading. And how fat is functional mass. Do not fall for the sensationalism of these fitness publications telling you a celebrity slapped on double digit amounts of pure lean mass in a year or less. That’s simply to sell subscriptions and keep “elite” trainers’ wallets overflowing. So when you see me say it would be ideal for him to add at least 20lbs to his frame, this is one of the many things you need to consider before sitting in disbelief. The reason I went with that number is twofold. The first is purely eyeballing. Looking at what I’ve seen from every frame of every trailer and sneak peak, he’s nowhere near as scrawny as he used to be. The other reason? Comparing him to those of similar stature. Most notably Ryan Reynolds. Especially in Deadpool. Reynolds stands in at about the same height, maybe an inch taller. He floats between around 175-190lbs. Though, I think the lower end of that spectrum is from a much much earlier time in his career. Other action stars with similar stature are Chris Evans (6ft x 190-200lbs for Captain America), Brad Pitt (5’11” - 6ft x 180lbs for his role as Achilles), and Stephen Amell (6’1” x 182lbs for his role as Green Arrow). A notable mention is Matthew McConnaughey, who always seems to maintain a balance between a reasonably aesthetic physique without going to unhealthy extremes. But his action movies are usually just dramas with action tropes integral to the narrative. All of the aforementioned actors have made similar transformations, with the exception of Amell. I’m not sure what his base was before donning the hood and quiver but if I remember correctly he actually had to lose weight. One common thread through all of these transformations besides varying degrees of functional programming is that these guys had to put on at least 15-20lbs over the course of at least a year or two in order to pull off these roles. This is one of the reasons these guys are cast years in advance and why you don’t see them out and about until at least post production. They’re essentially sacrificing most of the normalcy of their lives and adopting an entirely different lifestyle for these multimillion dollar contracts. Luckily, you don’t have to do that to get the same result. This template is for anyone who can call on the discipline necessary to lean bulk and commit to this type of program. Lean bulking does not literally mean bulking without gaining any fat. It means bulking while mitigating that fat gain. Basically, you’re not “dirty bulking” or going overboard by thinking every calorie is a good calorie. We all know someone who is stuck in a perpetual perma bulk because they thought they were a hard gainer and decided that Ben and Jerry’s was as good a mass gainer as any. You know we don't like to make nutrition too complicated at PrymaFit. Regardless of what a celebrity is doing, you should stick to the dietary practices that allow you to hit your macros in an efficient and healthy way. Somatotypes are a point of contention and debate in the fitness community but there is some truth to it. Do not take them too literally, though. Somatypes, like most things in nature, are a spectrum and we are constantly sliding to and fro on that scale. I say all of this to say, Battinson seems to be an ectomorph. A hardgainer by any standard. When it comes to being a hard gainer, most any full body program with compound lifts will get you where you want to be. It’s nutrition that plays a key role. So no, you don’t have to be an ectomorph to get the most out of a program like this. Another constant conversation is how hard it is for taller guys (typically 5’11” and up in most circles) to gain mass aesthetically. This is something else muddied by conjecture, bro science, and misunderstanding. You may have already found that it’s actually not that difficult at all. The real problem lies in muscle insertions, muscle bellies, and proportions. If you’re looking for a meticulous bodybuilding program this isn’t the right template. However, if you want strength and hypertrophy, and room for accessory or supplementary lifts, this is for you. Lastly, we see only two photos in slight variations of Battinson training. These are the photos of him out for a run and the photos of him training with sandbags. This template provides examples of conditioning and skill work as part of the programming. So if you’re looking for something that can allow for cardio days so that you don’t sacrifice conditioning for strength and hypertrophy, you got it. There are also sandbag alternatives to every lift for the strength and hypertrophy main movers. So if you were simply wanting to follow in the footsteps of Battinson, you can do that as well. Though it seems Battinson was an untrained beginner, this template is geared toward early intermediates. The programming itself is universal. But the exercise selection for the main template was tailored to those of you who are getting into weighted/resisted calisthenics or who have at least a few months in the game. The sandbag template is simple and only needs to be tailored for your strength level. If any of this sounds like it’s up your alley, you’re in the right place. The What The template is set up as your standard fare 3-day full body split. You can run it for as little as 8 weeks and a maximum of 12. Strength and hypertrophy sessions are performed every other day, alternating between Full Body “A” and Full Body “B”. These are separated by two conditioning days where you’ll perform pretty much the same conditioning workout each time. The final two days of the week are generally for rest or active recovery. I wouldn’t recommend anything past mobility work for these days. You don’t want to impede recovery. And you also don’t want to ramp up activity to the point of being insatiable and thus, jeopardizing the entire premise of lean bulking and not exceeding the calorie surplus that is absolutely necessary. Each full body strength and hypertrophy session is made up of 4-5 movements. The first two are your main movers. And the rest are accessory movements. Don’t think of accessory movements in the conventional sense of arms, shoulders, calves, abs, etc. This is fine. But shift your thinking to see accessory movements as complementary or supplementary movements that can be conducive to your performance goals. Not just your aesthetic goals. Bringing up your arms doesn’t have to be the same old isolation movements. They can be compound movements that tend toward isolating certain body parts. And it is worth noting that not all isolation movements are created equal, as well. Let’s get a preview of what the template looks like and I’ll get into the reasoning behind it. Full Body “A”
Conditioning Session - “Recovery Run”
The Why Alright, now it’s time for a quick little run down on the reasoning behind the programming of this template. We’ll start off by breaking down the strength and hypertrophy sessions. And that’s the first thing we’ll expand on a little. These are strength and hypertrophy workouts as that is the overarching goal of this program. Because of this, I chose weighted/resisted calisthenics movements that offer the most payoff and sort of mimic the compound lifts we usually see in templates programmed for barbells or even dumbbells. We all know I go out of my way to make sure every program template on this site can be done in a home gym or garage gym. I was doing this for over five years before the world changed and I definitely won’t be straying from this model in the foreseeable future. Even though I'm focusing on the primary template in this breakdown, all of the methodology and reasoning behind the programming applies to the sandbag exercises as well. Since so much has changed, many more people are relying on resistance bands and people who would’ve never considered calisthenics a couple of years ago are in the process of making it their bread and butter moving forward. Due to this increased interest in band training, I wanted to provide some templates that show just how useful bands are. I’ve been using heavy stackable resistance bands for almost a decade now and I’ve been doing resisted calisthenics for over five years. In fact, I did resisted calisthenics before I ever did weighted calisthenics. So this template is programmed, primarily, for resisted calisthenics. Then weighted calisthenics. And then I provide the alternative programming for those of you using sandbags. I went with resisted/weighted calisthenics for the accessibility and the inherent benefits for athleticism beyond just strength and hypertrophy. And I simply chose sandbags for the alternative template because I wanted to honor the work Battinson put into this role. The Full Body “A” session starts off with the earlier mentioned main movers dedicated solely to strength and hypertrophy. These are the Banded Pushup/Weighted Dip and the Banded Back Squat. These are analogs of the Bench Press and the Barbell Back Squat, two tried and true compound movements that guarantee gains in strength and size when programmed properly and executed correctly. To be clear, if you’re doing Resisted Calisthenics or Banded Calisthenics, I do not recommend doing Banded/Resisted Dips. The heavier you go, the thicker the band, the more awkward the setup and positioning is. If you don’t have bulletproof joints and bulletproof dip form, you’re headed to snap city. The same can be said of loading pushups with freeweights if you’re not using a weight vest. So I do not recommend doing Weighted Pushups with plates or awkardly placed weights. You will jeopardize your form which will in turn jeopardize your structural integrity. Tldr – using bands? Do Banded Pushups. Using weights? Do Weighted Dips. Using a weight vest? The choice is yours entirely. The second half of this session is the accessory work. All of these are more oriented to GPP or General Physical Preparedness and you can definitely swap in some movements that are more specific to your needs. The “Full Body A” accessory work consists of Pullups/Chin Ups, Deep Dips, and Split Squats or Lunges. I chose pullups because, along with the deadlift, it’s the best back developer in any universe. It’s probably the most versatile as well. Chest Dips are the accessory movement for those of you who opted for the banded pushup and this is really due to angles. The banded pushup will have you pressing horizontally as your main mover so you want to balance that out with a vertical press if possible. Hitting a vertical press that also stimulates your chest in a different way? That’s bang for your buck. The exact same reasoning applies for those of you who opted for the weighted dip as your main mover. If you have a weight vest you can simply do a weighted progression that challenges you once you get to the 10-12 rep range. No vest? Go for a chest press or a challenging pushup progression such as the corkscrew or clapping pushup. And then we have the Split Squat or the Lunge. The lunges can be whichever progression you choose, you can even do Shrimp Squats. As long as it’s challenging in the given rep range. If you’re not a fan of lunges go for the Split Squat. This can be weighted our you can elevate leg you’re not squatting on. You can even change the height as a progression. Though, having your leg ridiculously high really won’t have any yields so don’t get carried away. If you’re not a fan of unilateral work, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone. Hopefully you’ll find a little value you in it for the future as well. The “Full Body B” session utilizes the Bandmine Press/Full Range of Motion Handstand Pushup and the Stiff Legged Romanian Deadlift as the main movers. I’ve already stated that the Deadlift is one of the best back developers known to man. But beyond that, it’s one of the best developers of the posterior chain. Hitting a variation that’s been an ace in the hole for bodybuilders and strength athletes alike, such as the Stiff Legged RDL, is going to light up your entire posterior chain giving you a great ROI (return on investment) in gains for aesthetic goals as well as performance goals. It’s a perfect variation for those of you who are using stackable resistance bands. The set up is easy and the elastic variable resistance helps you really get familiar with this movement pattern. For those of you using loop bands those of you using weight vests, the Resisted/Banded Bridge Progression is going to provide a nearly identical stimulus in the posterior chain. I generally recommend the Glute Bridge Raise on the ground first. If you find this too easy, try the unilateral progression before moving onto the elevated progression. The Bandmine Press is just a cool ass name I came up with for the Staggered/Kneeling Resistance Band Landmine Press. It’s simply a Landmine Press, but with bands. All of my content is copyrighted though, so remember you saw it here first. If you are using loop bands you’re going to have to use the progression given for the Weighted Calisthenics athletes and do a Handstand Pushup Progression. We’re not going for the most strength oriented option here. The goal is strength and hypertrophy. So if you’re currently doing Full ROM HSPU’s for 3-5 reps, you’re going to have to regress for this program back to the HSPU progression that allows you to work in the 6-8 rep range. For the accessory work we’re going with the Band Row/Inverted Row, Pike Pushup/Hindu Pushup or Grappler Pushup, and the Band Swing or Hip Thrust. For the Band Row you want to stick with a weight/resistance that’s ideal for that 12 rep range. This doesn’t have to be solely determined by the industrial strength of the rubber but can also be determined by where you anchor the bands, how far you are from the anchor, and the rowing variation that you decide to go with. Ideally you want it to complement your pullup work from the “Full Body A” session. Pullups can be a godsend but should always be balanced out with a rowing progression for structural integrity – especially shoulder health. If you don’t have loop bands, any bodyweight rowing progression will suffice. The main pressing accessory here is the Hindu Pushup or Grappler Pushup. This was mainly programmed for the theme of Batman being the coldest martial artist in the DC Universe. Besides the being a staple of programming for jujutsuka, judoka, wrestlers, BJJ players, and all kinds of grapplers in between, it has insane mobility benefits. This is what I mean by thinking of accessories as supplementary or complimentary exercises. Will these pushups hit your shoulders, pecs, arms and back? Absolutely. Additionally, it’ll light up your hamstrings, core, and back muscles. If you have problems with balance or vertigo – you’ll find that this is an excellent way to stimulate and train the vestibular system (take it from me). The final accessory here is the Band Thrust for those of you using stackable resistance bands, and hip thrusts for those of you using loop bands or freeweights. The Band Thrust is exactly what it sounds like. You anchor the band in the threshold of the door or a low point on a banister, perhaps. I suggest clipping both ends of the band with only one handle. These aren’t Cable Pull Throughs. You’re going to be using the same form you would with Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swings. If you’re doing weighted calisthenics with any of those aforementioned implements instead of plates, you can use this movement as well. For the loop band and weight plate users I’ve programmed the Hip Thrust. It may not be as dynamic a holistically engaging as the Band Swing but that’s not why I programmed either of these in the first place. The point of these movements is the sharp contraction of the glutes and the constant engagement of the core. If your core does not feel like you’re doing a Reverse Plank when doing movements such as the Hip Thrust – you’re doing them wrong. In fact, if you feel like you haven’t been hitting your glutes when doing Hip Thrusts, make this adjustment and see if you notice a difference. If you’re doing weighted calisthenics with the weight vest – you’re gonna be doing the Table Bridge Progression. Ideally, you wanna do the Table Bridge x Reach Progression. This is actually a little closer to the full body engagement you get with swinging variations and progressions. I consider one full rep to be completed when you’ve done a reach on each side. If you’re not at this level with the weighted Table Bridge then you can simply forego the weight vest. As long as you’re hitting that rep range, you’re all good. Now with the conditioning sessions, the point is to do something along the lines of a Recovery Run. You wanna be giving it anywhere from about 40-60% during these sessions. So I’ve programmed your run of the mill options for LISS options for home/garage training. I know not everyone has a treadmill and not everyone is a fan of roadwork. So your alternatives for the run are Jump Rope, Stair Climbing, Cycling, and Rowing. Swimming is always an option for those of you who prefer it, as well. You’re only going to be doing this for about 10-15 min, as the conditioning session itself need not exceed the 30-40 minute mark. The second half of this session is a simple skill work circuit where you progress a handful of skills for 5 minutes each. It is a one round circuit. The examples I’ve programmed in the template are specific to martial artists and combat athletes. But if you’re a climber – program some climbing skills such as different variations of grip work. You do CrossFit? Go through some Handstand Walks, Bar Muscle Ups (regressing the Ring Muscle Up), Lever Holds, and so on. Are you a freerunner or traceur? Practice your vaults for one station, quadrupedal movements the next, hanging, etc. You could even just practice different vaults for each station. The point isn’t to crank up the intensity it solely to progress skill. Two things of note here. If you have absolutely no options for LISS then you can simply go ahead and do about 2-3 rounds of the skill work circuit. If you do not have a sport specific sort of performance goal, on the other hand, then you can simply do a full 30 minutes of LISS and call it a day. And now for the templates themselves. Battinson Dark Knight x Functional Mass Program Template Full Body “A” (Strength x Hypertrophy)
Full Body “B”
Recovery Run
Combat Conditioning
The How
I recommend doing these as straight sets but there’s really no harm in turning them into supersets if you’d like. Just make sure you stick to 4-5 sets of 8 reps. Generally, you want to run this program in waves. With the first phase utilizing the aforementioned set/rep scheme. Phase Two will have you increasing the load to a point where you can only bang out 6 reps. And the final phase will have you working with 3 reps. Alternatively, you can simply run this program for 8-10 weeks and stick to a more linear progression of 4-5 sets x 6-10 reps. If this is what works best for you, that’s what really matters. If you’re going with the original progression model for this template then the decrease in reps naturally follows an increase it weight. Remember that this wave model is only intended for the main strength and hypertrophy movers. Accessory and supplementary work stays pretty much the same. That’s a linear progression. Once your comfortably past 12 reps, roughly at 15, you either increase the weight or increase the difficulty of the movement progression. This a 3-Day On x 2-Day Conditioning x 2-Day Off template. You have the option of ending the week with a Recovery Run leaving the final day of the week open for rest. Ideally, you would be using this time for something Bruce Wayne would do. Not billionaire playboy activities but things such as mobility work, mindfulness and meditation, cognitive training, etc. Training for a specific goal? Research your upcoming arena. Study your competition (don’t turn into Joe Goldberg). Do some visualization. It doesn’t have to be anything fanciful. Your strength and hypertrophy days are every other day. If you’re starting the week on Monday then that’s “Full Body A”. Tuesday is Recovery Run Day. Wednesday is “Full Body B” and so on. You can run this as an A/B/A but if you do so then I recommend either halving the Deadlift volume or only deadlifting once a week. Even when programmed for hypertrophy, deadlifting is one of the most demanding things you can put your central nervous system through. You don’t want to train so hard that you can’t protect Gotham when duty calls. On the accessory movements you’ll be doing 3-4 sets of 12 reps. If you stick with the primary progression set up for this template then you can take the liberty of going up to 15 reps in the later phases. But as long as you’re using progressions that provide the adequate resistance or leverage then 12 reps is really all you need. I mainly recommend straight sets for the main movers. At least starting out. But with the accessory movements I encourage you to experiment. You may find that giant sets feel better. It’s completely up to you. Let’s not forget the rest times. For the main movers I suggest between 2-3 minutes rest. Don’t rest any more than 3 minutes for any of the sets, including on the accessory movements. When you’ve completed the main movers and moved onto the accessory movements, you can abide by the same guideline. But you can also rest for as little as 90 seconds. If you’re doing straight sets then 1.5-2 minutes its generally the sweet spot. If you’re doing giant sets then you can float around the upper ceiling of that rep range as the intensity will be a bit higher. Don’t worry about losing the pump. And as far as growth goes – studies have shown that the 3 minute rest period might actually be best for muscle growth.
Wrapping Up
This might be the most comprehensive article and template I’ve put together so far. Matt Reeves could probably make a prequel with everything I put in this. This is due, in part, to the change in writing style moving forward. But also because this type of training is not something you skim through before starting or jump into without much explanation. It also barely scratches the surface on the real world training approaches one could use to live and move like Bruce Wayne. For a far more nuanced perspective you can check out the playlist from The Bioneer which I’ve linked below. As you know, I barely talk about nutrition in these articles because I’m a CSCS not a nutritionist and because most of people complicate their nutrition more than they need to. I do not recommend any approach other than what is sustainable and healthy for you. With that being said, remember to put yourself in as clean a caloric surplus as possible for a program like this if you are starting out like Battinson with not much mass. Other than that, remember to rest and recover at least as much as you train. Those crazy sleep cycles work for Bats because of plot armor. Also remember to pay as much care to your mobility as you do your strength and hypertrophy. Pace yourself and have patience. And remember not to compare yourself to others. You don’t have to pick up a martial art or become a functional fitness athlete to make use of this program. I made this for the functional athlete in all of us, not just tactical athletes. It’d actually be cool to see a cosplayer take on this program as I’m sure the cosplays are gonna be flooding the scene after the movie. If you’ve made it this far you’ve definitely got Bruce Wayne’s discipline and attention to detail and I have nothing left to teach you for this template. You’re ready to begin your Year One of Batman training. Stay Prymal, Shredded Shaman
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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
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