This is the routine that you should be following for our Superman Workout Routine. Learn to build Man of Steel muscle with this regimen that promotes strength training and mass building.
One of the most notable muscles groups within Superman’s remarkable physique is his chest. Whether referring to comic books or the movie stars who have proudly worn the red cape, it’s hard to think of the Man of Steel without thinking of a big broad chest popping out as a canvas for the super “S.” The chest routine below for the Superman Workout focuses on four specific exercises that will target different areas of your chest while promoting muscle growth and increasing strength.
>>> Superman Workout: Build Your Back Like the Man of Steel
>>> Superman Workout: Get Shoulders Like the Man of Steel
>>> Ben Affleck as Batman: First Look
As with all workout routines, not just the Superman Workout, be sure to complement your training efforts with the appropriate nutrition to maximize your gains. Think of junk food and poor diet choices as your kryptonite and steer clear. If you’re curious about diet staples that Henry Cavill followed to pack on muscle for the role of Clark Kent/Superman in the Man of Steel movie, we have some general highlights of that in our introduction to the Superman Workout.
To keep things simple, we broke out the moves and exercises below. Simply follow the routines listed with weight that allows you to perform each move with proper form and technique. If you feel yourself using different muscle groups to cheat and finish a rep or you feel yourself trembling, then take down the weight.
If you have any questions about exercises used in this routine or just want to let us know how it is working for you, please be sure to shoot us a note on Facebook or Twitter. Make every rep count, my friends.
Superman Workout: The Chest Routine
Barbell Bench Press
Why: Full Chest Development
5 sets | 8 reps | 45 seconds rest
Incline Bench Press
Why: Chest Development With Upper Pec Focus
4 sets | 8 reps | 45 seconds rest
Dumbbell Flys
Why: Chest Development With Different Plane of Motion
4 sets | 10-15 reps | 30-60 seconds rest
Dips
Why: Chest Development Using Bodyweight
4 sets | Reps to Failure | 45 seconds rest
Hi
I like these articles…Man of Steel, and Bane. I developed my own programme based on both of them. I’ve also read Live by the Creed too but not used this.
However I have an issue. You say do dumbbell benchpress in Bane and Creed as it decreases the risk of injury etc, and then Barbell in Man of Steel.
Also, you say do barbell military press in Bane and Man of Steel (to strengthen core) and then say use dumbbell in Creed for the same reason as benchpress…decrease injury risk.
So which is it ?
I don’t wanna be a smartass or nitpick but this is contradictory information, and in the name of safety I think readers need to know they can rely upon the correct stuff.
So please clarify.
Thanks
Martin
@Martin – first and foremost, thank you for taking the time to reach out. I speak on behalf of the Confitdent Brotherhood when I say that your commitment and loyalty means a lot.
Now let’s get down to business…
The use of barbells vs. dumbbells are an endless debate, but both can cause serious injury risks if you don’t proceed with caution. Mainly, stacking more weight than necessary. After all, more weight does not mean bigger/better results, rather focusing on quality reps is the key to reaching your goals (even with less weight).
Honestly, you can argue both ways. Dumbbells are risky because at failure they can fall on you and you don’t have a rack to rely on as you do with when using a barbell press. However, if one side of you hits failure while using a barbell – you can’t just drop one side and slowly adjust the other (as you can with a dumbbell). It all comes down to the workout in entirety. Starting off your workout with the barbell (as we do), reduces that risk substantially since you won’t be as fatigued.
We often make our recommendations depending on the workout itself and the volume of repetitions. While many trainers can make an argument to use either one, the logic behind our recommendations are listed below. Sorry if it seems lengthy, but I didn’t want to short-change you.
MAN OF STEEL
Man of Steel has 17 sets on Chest Day with you kicking off the workout with 9 sets on benchpress. As you push yourself to failure with this many sets, it is much safer to use the barbell because you can rely on the rack for relief. However, doing this many sets with the use of dumbbells – we don’t want anybody to hit failure and take a powerblock to the face on set 9.
BIG LIKE BANE & LIVE BY THE CREED
With there being less volume when it comes to the chest workouts, we feel comfortable recommending the dumbbell benchpress. The biggest takeaway here is that training with dumbbells forces you to train both sides of your body equally. Sometimes people cheat when using the barbell which can result in favoring one side of the body. Therefore, using dumbbells can give you a more balanced physique. This is not a big issue with the Man of Steel Muscle program due to the additional 8 brutal sets you’ll be going through when you’re done with the bench.
When it comes to the military press, since both Man of Steel Muscle and Big Like Bane start off with 3 (and 4) sets of this exercise – it is manageable. However, performing this exercise immediately after deadlifts in Live by the Creed, we’d prefer that you play it safe.
In our test subjects for these workouts, some participants used barbell vs. dumbbell based on their comfort level and whether or not they had a spotter.
So, as a newbie, when doing the various Superman workouts, am I supposed to complete each exercise before moving on to the next one? I mean, should I do all 5 sets of barbell bench before moving on to the sets of incline? Or should I be doing one set on each in rapid succession (like a circuit, I guess?) and just keep doing that until I’ve hit all the set requirements?
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the question. The Superman Workout is designed to be done in straight sets without supersets so you would perform all sets of bench press before moving onto the incline. Hope that clears up your questions. Let us know if you have any more!
Jeremey
What would the youngest age be to be doing this
Age is only a number, David. The biggest risk, of course, is injury. You can read more about the risks of injury here: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/fitness/pages/Weight-Training-Risk-of-Injury.aspx
An article citing the American Academy of Pediatrics
Hi. I have a question about the weight when doing the barbell and inclined benchpress. Should I maximate the weight I can lift on every set? Because with only 45 seconds rest between sets i’m having trouble completing all 9 sets without losing some reps in the last ones.
Thanks
Hi Isak,
Thanks for the comment! The weight should be what you can manage to complete the reps without compromising form. So, if you feel like you can’t finish the reps for your final sets – that is alright. Maintaining form is key and if you can’t lift anymore, it means your muscles have been worked and you should not try to force it with improper form. Doing so would increase your chances of getting injured and getting injured is not something the Man of Steel does. Right?
Hey there, I was just wondering, what’s the schedule on the Superman Workout? Is it metabolic circuits with rest days in between, or just one muscle group a day? I don’t quite understand that. I read that metabolic circuits (combining back, chest and triceps for example) with rest days in between and changing the exercises you do, are the best way to gain mass and lose fat to get like for example Wolverine, or in this case, Superman. I know there is a lot of debate, so any tips on that? Also, what happens with legs day? I certainly don’t want skinny chicken legs! Please answer 🙂
Hi Louis, these should complement/augment your existing routine. Each should be executed as a tri-set to help maximize your gains for each respective iconic muscle group. We appreciate your comment and will be sure to include more full-body routines for these features moving forward.
Where do the Kettle bell exercises fit in here? Not specifically speaking about chest days, but for the “Tailpipe” workouts, are these supposed to be completed on their own day or is it a completely different exercise regime?
Also the tailpipe says to work one day on one day off, how does this fit in? Thanks!
Just throwing this one out there because I may have missed it, why isn’t squatting or leg press in here? Squatting is one of the best out there, plus the legs feed the wolf, if ya know what I mean.
Hi Justin, Great question. This guide focuses on the more iconic muscle groups of the Man of Steel as outlined in the guide. We are about to release several full body routines, so stay tuned!
I notice there are no bicep/tricep exercises that accompany this workout, is there any reason for this?
Hey Will,
Thanks for the comment! We kept it to the muscle groups that that Man of Steel is most well known for. We will be unveiling more full body routines very shortly. Stay tuned!