SUPERHERO WORKOUT / GET A BODY LIKE A SUPERHERO IN 12 WEEKS - by GLEN TITHER

GET A BODY LIKE A SUPERHERO IN 12 WEEKS!

WHO DOESN'T WANT A BODY LIKE BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SILVER SURFER, THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, FLASH, CAPT MARVEL, the list is endless.

Name someone with your dream body composition; most people won't look much further than their favourite superhero; Let's face it, who doesn't want the body of a superhero?
Strength, Power, Speed, Thick muscle mass, Ripped - what's not to love?

Well, with the correct workouts, and all the usual components which make a strong, healthy body (correct hydration; proper sleep/rest & recovery; flexibility; a healthy, balanced, nutritionally complete diet & supplementation) you can achieve it.

So, getting straight into it - you need to increase your overall strength and power; the best way to achieve this is via compound exercises and olympic lifts. This will build a strong foundation and thick muscles. The first 6 weeks of this program will tackle this with heavy resistance and low - medium repetitions.
Next you'll need a strong core, to add the all important stability to enable you to get the best out of those big moves, and to sculpt that all important ripped mid-section. Throughout this program you'll finish every workout with 4 sets of just 2 core stability moves. However, just like the compound resistance exercises, these 2 moves engage multiple muscles.
Finally, you'll want muscle definition; this is where the second 6 weeks workouts come in. The second phase of this program works you through a new set of exercises, to ensure overload, and higher repetition ranges. You'll have to drop the resistances a little from weeks 1 - 6, but your muscles will be worked closer to fatigue and feel pumped.

Below is an example of one of my own 'Superhero' workouts.
Feel free to tweek it to your own equipment and exercise preferences. However, you must keep to the same training principles; your workouts must be comprised of mainly big, multiple muscle group, compound exercises and olympic lifting moves.

Total program duration: 12 weeks.

Weeks 1 - 6:

Repetition increases every 2 weeks, as follows:
weeks 1 & 2: 4 - 6 repetitions
weeks 3 & 4: 6 - 8 repetitions
weeks 5 & 6: 8 - 10 repetitions.

Resistance - once you have completed week one of the program you will have recorded all the resistances for each exercise. Throughout this first 6 week period, use these same resistances for all 6 weeks. This way, as the weeks pass by, your overall strength will increase as a result of the small repetition increases and subsequant muscular overload, with the demand placed upon the muscles as a result of using the same resistance.

Rest: try to keep rest periods in between all exercises to 45 seconds - 1 minute.

Core Stability: The workouts themselves will place a significant demand on your entire core. However, I have also added my favourite core stability exercises to the end of each workout.
I have chosen what I feel are the best exercises which give the most 'bang for your buck' and, just like the compound exercises in the workouts, work multiple core muscles, as opposed to having to work through multiple isolation exercises to get the same effect.
I have chosen the Suspension Trainer Body Plank and Kneeling, Abdominal Wheel Roll Out/Ins.
4 supersets with a 1 minute rest in between sets; 1 minute Suspension Trainer Body Plank and 15 x Kneeling Roll Out/Ins.

To get the most out of the exercises I have paired muscle groups taking into account the four roles of muscles during exercise (Agonist, Antagonist, Synergist & Fixator).

Back & Triceps
Pull-Ups
Suspension Trainer Neutral Grip Inverted Rows (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Incline Bench Prone 2 Dumbbell Rows (pronated grip)
Decline Bench EZ Bar Tricep Extensions
Suspension Trainer Tricep Pushdowns
2 Bench Raised Leg Weighted Dips

Trapezius & Shoulders
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell T,Y,I's (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
EZ Bar Close Grip Upright Rows
Hex Bar Shrugs
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Barbell Military Presses
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises & Face Pulls Combination
(perform 1 x prone lateral raise then, without rest, perform 1 x face pull; this equals 1 repetition)

Chest & Biceps
Dumbbell Decline Bench Chest Presses
Flat Bench Barbell Chest Presses
Incline Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Dumbbell Supinated Curls
Dumbbell Across Body Alternate Hammer Curls

Power / Olympic Lifting
For these big moves, you still need to stick to the repetition ranges stated above. However, you don't have to smash out continuous reps; feel free to perform singles, with a few seconds rest period between reps as the ranges increase.
 
Dumbbell Front Squat
Dumbbell Clean
Dumbbell Push Press
Dumbbell Clean & Press
Single Arm / Single Dumbbell Snatch

Legs & Calves
Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
Suspension Trainer Leg Curl & Hip Raise Combo
(perform 1 x raised hip leg curl then, without rest, perform 1 x hip raise; this equals 1 repetition)
Hex Bar Deadlifts with chains
Hex Bar Standing Calf Raises
Weighted Belt Donkey Raises
Seated Barbell Soleus Raises

Weeks 7 - 12:

Repetition increases every 2 weeks, as follows:
weeks 7 & 8: 14 - 16 repetitions
weeks 9 & 10: 16 - 18 repetitions
weeks 11 & 12: 18 - 20 repetitions

Except for all exercises within the Power workouts and the Hex Bar Deadlifts within the Legs workout; keep the reps for all these exercises to 4 - 6 reps. Your increased strength, gained during weeks 1 - 6, will enable you to use much more weight during this 7 - 12 week workout/phase.

Resistance - once you have completed week seven of the program you will have recorded all the resistances for each exercise. Throughout this second 6 week period, use these same resistances for all 6 weeks. This way, as the weeks pass by, your overall strength will increase as a result of the small repetition increases and subsequant muscular overload, with the demand placed upon the muscles as a result of using the same resistance.

Rest: try to keep rest periods in between all exercises to 45 seconds - 1 minute.

Back & Triceps
Suspension Trainer Neutral Grip Pull-Ups
Suspension Trainer Pronated Grip Lever Rows (2 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Barbell Pullovers
Dumbbell Across Body Tricep Extensions
EZ Bar Close Grip Presses
EZ Bar French Presses

Trapezius & Shoulders
Dumbbell Shrugs
Dumbbell Upright Rows
Dumbbell Y's (5 second hold at top of concentric phase)
Dumbbell Bent Arm (90 degrees) Lateral Raises 
Dumbbell Neutral Grip Shoulder Presses
Incline Bench Prone Dumbbell Lateral Raises & Face Pulls Combination
(perform 1 x prone lateral raise then, without rest, perform 1 x face pull; this equals 1 repetition)

Chest & Biceps
Dumbbell 45 Degree Incline Bench Chest Presses
Barbell 30 Degree Incline Bench Chest Presses
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell Alternate Arm Bicep Curls
Seated 30 Degree Incline Bench Supinated Curls
EZ Bar Bicep Curl 21's

Power / Olympic Lifting
Barbell Front Squat
Barbell Clean
Barbell Push Press
Barbell Split Jerk
Barbell Jump Squat

Legs & Calves
Dumbbell Step-Ups
Suspension Trainer Starting Blocks/Sprinter Starts
Barbell Romanian Deadlifts
Hex Bar Deadlifts with chains
Seated Barbell Soleus Raises
Dumbbell Standing Calf Raises
Weighted Belt Donkey Raises

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