Like many others, I began my January fitness routine Unlike others, I turned to the world of celebrity for inspiration Tom is said to have gained 7 kg of muscle mass in the six weeks leading up to the filming of the movie in order to perfect Spider-Man's athletic physique
One thing I wish I had known about Tom before starting this challenge was that he had a background in gymnastics and was no stranger to the gravity-defying, body weight exercises that most gym goers try to avoid Tom's goal was to build muscle without bulking up, much like Spiderman is known for being strong yet slim, and he enlisted the help of London-based personal trainer George Ashwell
In an interview with Esquire, Ashwell said, "I didn't aim to bulk up too much, so I could work a lot of muscle groups at once It's a full-body circuit, divided into horizontal push-and-pull posterior chain leg exercises (like chest and back) and vertical push-and-pull front leg exercises (like squats)" He also shared the entire Spiderman Circuit with us Read on to find out what happened
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According to Ashwell, Tom completed four to five rounds of the following circuit:
Tom lifts twice his body weight in deadlifts and does eight to 10 reps He then rests for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise
For this incline press, the bench is at 45 degrees to focus on the upper chest Each Tom presses with half his body weight and rests for 30 seconds after completing 10-12 reps
One of those famous core-building ab exercises, the straight leg raise performed with a dip bar, is a killer core-building exercise This is a body weight exercise, and Tom performs 12-15 leg raises
Weighted dips performed on a dip bar work the triceps, shoulders, arm muscles, and upper and lower back Tom performs 15 weighted dips and rests for 30 seconds
Dumbbell thrusters target the quads, glutes, shoulders, and triceps as he squats and lifts dumbbells above his head This movement is also said to help develop balance Tom held a dumbbell a quarter of his body weight in each hand and performed 10-12 times
The CrossFit move, the weight-bearing Bear Crawl, is said to strengthen the core, increase the heart rate, and strengthen the shoulders and quads Tom performs the bare crawl for 60 seconds, resting 30 seconds between sets
Renegade rowing is a full-body exercise that also targets the body's stabilizing muscles Tom holds a dumbbell in each hand that weighs a quarter of his body weight and performs 10-12 renegade rows on each side
Chinning, another multi-muscle group exercise, works the arms and back if done correctly Tom performs 10-12 chinning reps, then takes a 30-second break before heading into the final exercise of the circuit
The cardio component of the circuit included the following pyramid sprint sessions:
Jog for 10 minutes
Run at 80% effort for 30 seconds to 1 minute
Walk for 2 minutes at 35 to 4 mph
90% effort Run for 30 seconds - 1 minute
Run at 3 5-4 mph for 2 minutes
Run at 100% effort for 30 seconds - 1 minute (full sprint)
Walk at 35-4 mph for 2 minutes
Run at 90% effort for 30 seconds - 1 minute
Run at 35-4 mph for 3 Walk for 3 minutes at 35-4 mph 5-4 mph for 2 minutes
30 seconds-1 minute at 80% effort
5 minute cooldown walk
Let me first say, this is tough I headed to the gym with the intention of training like Spider-Man, but by the time I got around to straight leg bar raises, I realized that my spider-sense was telling me to back away and go back to my regular workout routine (This is an app I use at the gym all the time)
Lacking Spider-Man-like upper body strength, I realized that I couldn't do a single straight leg raise on the dip bar, let alone the 15 that Ashwell had put on the plan Not wanting to fail just yet, I decided to unroll my exercise mat and do leg raises on the mat Weighted dips were next, but again, the dip bar beat me to it I decided to improvise again and do tricep dips with the weight bench on my back
Dumbbell thrusters, bear crawls, and renegade rows ended in a blur of "Wow, I have to do four or five rounds of this?" but at least I got the exercises done Then came the chinning, which I am told was Tom's favorite part for the role, and I realized I was no match for the Green Goblin I skipped the running part of the workout and went back to the safe zone and did one round of a grueling run-walk workout on the treadmill I should also add that I was not benching or lifting as much as my body weight
After three rounds of the circuit, I made my modifications, admitted defeat, and went home No one else in the gym would have known I was training to be Spiderman, but it definitely wasn't a challenge to win Ashwell told me that Tom usually spends 30 minutes on the treatment table after a workout For now, I'll stick to Pilates and leave the superheroics of shooting webs and climbing walls to Tom
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