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Monday 29 July 2013

Hugh Jackman Wolverine workout

Follow the workout that got Hugh Jackman into slashingly-good shape as Wolverine

by Joel Snape

'It’s all about evolution,’ says Mike Ryan, personal trainer to Hugh Jackman. But Ryan is not talking about the movie and its cast of mutant superheroes – he’s explaining the training plan that Jackman followed to build the rock-hard physique needed to play the blade-fisted Wolverine.
‘From one workout to the next I’ll always have something new to add to the equation,’ Ryan says. ‘Our sessions are based on established principles, but we’ll always try and bring new ideas to the table. And Hugh now looks the most ripped he’s been for any movie.’
Ryan knows more about Jackman’s training than anyone, having been closely involved with the actor’s physical development for almost 20 years. ‘I was working as a trainer at the [Australian gym] Physical Factory in 1989 when this young guy came to work just handing out the locker keys and towels. He was getting a hell of a lot of attention from the women in the place, and I thought, “Who does this bloke think he is?” It turned out to be Hugh and we quickly became friends, and soon he asked me if I’d show him how to train properly, because back then he was very, very skinny. We used to call him Chicken Legs.’

It was the start of a partnership that saw Ryan flying around the world to keep the increasingly in-demand movie star in shape for films such as Van Helsing and the X-Men series. Ryan was also drafted in to sculpt the physique of Brandon Routh for the lead role in the latest Superman movie.

‘When we were building Hugh up for the Wolverine movie, we got a call from Baz Luhrmann who was directing Hugh in the movie Australia. Baz said, ‘Come on, guys, back it off! He’s getting too big.‘ And you can see Hugh getting bigger in the film. ‘In Wolverine, Hugh looks big onscreen, but really he’s just ripped. That’s the secret to looking good. It’s not just about getting big, it’s about getting ripped.’

At age 40, Hugh Jackman has a frame packed with hard muscle mass while being leaner than at any time in his life, thanks to personal trainer Mike Ryan’s workout and eating plan. ‘I call him my masterpiece,’ says Ryan. ‘He just keeps getting better and better over the years. We’ve got a bet to see if we can both get to 50 and still have a six-pack.’
Jackman has to fit his training around hectic filming schedules, so he and Ryan are usually in the gym at the crack of dawn. ‘We have a philosophy of training first thing in the morning,’ says Ryan. ‘Research suggests that people who train in the afternoons consistently do workouts of far less intensity than those who do train in the morning. When Hugh has a 6am filming start, that means we’ll be in the gym by 4am.’
A typical Jackman workout takes an hour to 90 minutes, including warm-up and cardio sessions. ‘We never start a weights session without a minimum ten-minute cardio warm-up. Never, ever,’ says Ryan. ‘After a session we often finish with 20 minutes of cardio, which could be a run or run/swim.’

Ryan bases the weights workouts on big compound lifts and adds some twists. ‘The fundamental training principles are based on the core body-building moves such as squats, deadlifts, presses – simple moves, but I mix things up. We change the angles on the bench, play with the tempo, weight, time, rest. The same workout can be done ten different ways by making these small changes.’
Ryan splits the sessions between muscle groups, so one day might target chest and triceps, while another day focuses on back and biceps. ‘I believe in controlled overload,’ he says. ‘To push the muscles to failure by the last set, we’ll superset compound moves with isolation ones – for example, go from a dumb-bell bench press straight into a flye. By the last set you need a spotter to help you squeeze out those last couple of reps.’
One look at Jackman’s physique as Wolverine proves that Ryan’s training methods work, so give his plan a try. We can’t guarantee superhuman powers, but it will get you ripped and ready for action.
How to do these workouts: - Warm up first with ten minutes of cardio and light bodyweight movements.
- Do the pairs of exercises as supersets, performing one set of the first exercise, then moving immediately on to a set of the second exercise.
- Rest for the stated time before repeating.
- Choose a weight that you can manage with perfect form, but which leads to muscular failure by the end of the final set.
- Take one second the lift the weight, pause for another second, then take two to three seconds to lower again.
Mike Ryan's training tips: - 'Train in the morning where possible – it’s the best way to ensure intensity.'
- 'Always warm up sufficiently – not just with cardio, but by doing the movements before adding weights.'
- 'Work on ‘progressive overload – always keep increasing the weight, and keep a training diary to record your progress.'
- 'Mixthings up – constantly change the tempo, speed, incline, grip – anythingso that you’re not always performing the same movement.'
- 'Feel themovement – focus on each muscle activation rather than simply aiming tofinish the set.'
- 'Work with a trainer – it will help with motivation.'
- 'Don’t overtrain – learn what your body can cope with.'
- 'Get plenty of rest – at least seven hours of good sleep a night.'

Monday: Chest and triceps

Superset 1: Dumbbell bench press A
Superset 1:
Sets: 4 each exercise Reps: 10-12 (last set to failure) Rest: 2 mins between sets
Superset 2:
Same as Superset 1

Superset 1: Dumbbell bench press A

Superset 1: Dumbbell bench press A
  • Don't arch your back as you press.

Superset 1: Dumbbell bench press B

Superset 1: Dumbbell bench press B
  • Don't lock your arms at the apex of the move.

Superset 1: Dumbbell flye A

Superset 1: Dumbbell flye A
  • Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you lower the weight to the side.

Superset 1: Dumbbell flye B

Superset 1: Dumbbell flye B
  • Squeeze your pecs to draw your arms back together.

Superset 2: Feet-up bench dip A

Superset 2: Feet-up bench dip A
  • Keep your body upright and elbows pointing backwards.

Superset 2: Feet-up bench dip B

Superset 2: Feet-up bench dip B
  • If you find these easy, place a weight plate on your lap.

Superset 2: Cable press-down A

Superset 2: Cable press-down A
  • Keep your elbows tucked in to your sides.

Superset 2: Cable press-down B

Superset 2: Cable press-down B
  • Squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the move.

Cable crossover A

Cable crossover A
Sets: 2 Reps: 10-12 (to exhaustion) Rest: 1 minute
  • Lean foward slightly, keeping a straight back.

Cable crossover B

Cable crossover B
  • Touch your hands together in front of your chest.

Cardio: Treadmill hill climbs

Cardio: Treadmill hill climbs
Time: 20 minutes
  • Start running on a treadmill set to 12km/h with one per cent elevation.
  • Every 30 seconds increase the elevation by one percent until you need to press the stop button.
  • Rest for a minute, then repeat.

Tuesday: Legs

Superset 2: One-leg gym ball curl A

Superset 1:
Sets: 4 each side Reps: 10-12 (final set to exhaustion) Rest: 2 minutes between supersets
Superset 2:
Same S,R,R as Superset 1

Superset 1: Barbell squat A

Superset 1: Barbell squat A
  • Keep your back and core braced throughout.

Superset 1: Barbell squat B

Superset 1: Barbell squat B
  • Keep your knees in line with your feet.

Superset 1: Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat A

Superset 1: Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat A
  • Keep your knee in line with your foot.

Superset 1: Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat B

Superset 1: Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat B
  • Keep your body upright.

Superset 2: Romanian deadlift A

Superset 2: Romanian deadlift A
  • Lean forward from the hips.

Superset 2: Romanian deadlift B

Superset 2: Romanian deadlift B
  • Keep your back straight.

Superset 2: One-leg gym ball curl A

Superset 2: One-leg gym ball curl A
  • Keep your hips raised.

Superset 2: One-leg gym ball curl B

Superset 2: One-leg gym ball curl B
  • Draw the ball into your backside.

Travelling dumbbell lunge A

Travelling dumbbell lunge A
Sets: 2 Reps: to exhaustion Rest: 1 minute between sets
  • Keep your knees behind your toes.

Travelling dumbbell lunge B

Travelling dumbbell lunge B
  • Push up with your back leg and step through into the next lunge, walking forward with each rep.

Cardio: Rowing machine

Cardio: Rowing machine
Distance: 4,000m
  • Aim to maintain steady pace.
  • Push with your legs before drawing the handle into your abdomen.
  • Keep your back straight throughout.

Thursday: Back and biceps

Inverted row A

Superset 1:
Same S,R,R as Monday's S'set 1.
Superset 2:
Sets:
 4 each exercise Reps: 8 (last set to failure) Rest: 2 mins between sets.

Superset 1: Cable row A

Superset 1: Cable row A
  • Don't rock your body as you row.

Superset 1: Cable row B

Superset 1: Cable row B
  • Draw your shoulder blades back.

Superset 1: Bent-over dumbbell reverse flye A

Superset 1: Bent-over dumbbell reverse flye A
  • Bend at the hips with a straight back.

Superset 1: Bent-over dumbbell reverse flye B

Superset 1: Bent-over dumbbell reverse flye B
  • Keep a slight bend in your elbows.

Superset 2: Hammer-grip weighted chin-up A

Superset 2: Hammer-grip weighted chin-up A
  • Use an underhand or hammer grip.

Superset 2: Hammer-grip weighted chin-up B

Superset 2: Hammer-grip weighted chin-up B
  • Hang a weight plate from a belt or hold a dumbbell between your feet.

Superset 2: EZ-bar curl A

Superset 2: EZ-bar curl A
  • Keep your wrists turned slightly inwards.

Superset 2: EZ-bar curl B

Superset 2: EZ-bar curl B
  • Keep your elbows by your sides.

Inverted row A

Inverted row A
Sets: 2 Reps: to exhaustion Rest: 1 minute between sets
  • Keep your body straight from head to heels.

Inverted row B

Inverted row B
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Cardio: Exercise bike intervals

Cardio: Exercise bike intervals
Time: 20 minutes
  • Start by cycling at a steady pace for five minutes.
  • Pedal as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then pedal more slowly to recover for two minutes.
  • Repeat this pattern for the remaining 15 minutes.

Friday: Shoulders and abs

Superset 2: Weighted crunch A
Superset 1:
Same S,R,R as Monday's Superset 1
Superset 2:
Same as Superset 1

Superset 1: Seated dumbbell shoulder press A

Superset 1: Seated dumbbell shoulder press A
  • Start with your elbows out to the side.

Superset 1: Seated dumbbell shoulder press B

Superset 1: Seated dumbbell shoulder press B
  • Don't lock your arms at the top of the move.

Superset 1: Dumbbell lateral raise A

Superset 1: Dumbbell lateral raise A
  • Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe.

Superset 1: Dumbbell lateral raise B

Superset 1: Dumbbell lateral raise B
  • Stop at shoulder height.

Superset 2: Weighted crunch A

Superset 2: Weighted crunch A
  • Hold a dumbbell across your chest.

Superset 2: Weighted crunch B

Superset 2: Weighted crunch B
  • Curl your chest towards your knees.

Superset 2: Gym ball jackknife A

Superset 2: Gym ball jackknife A
  • Start with your body in a straight line.

Superset 2: Gym ball jackknife B

Superset 2: Gym ball jackknife B
  • Draw your knees up to your chest.

Bicycles

Bicycles
Sets: 2 Reps: to exhaustion Rest: 1 minute
  • Twist your torso from side to side while pumping your legs.

Cardio: Treadmill sprints

Cardio: Treadmill sprints
Time: 10x30 seconds
  • Set the treadmill to two per cent elevation and a fast pace.
  • Stand with feet either side of the running surface, then jump on it and sprint for 30 seconds.
  • Jump back to the starting position and rest for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat this pattern ten times. 

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