Randolph - Action movie hero workouts: get super crime-fighter ripped

ACTION MOVIE

HERO WORKOUTS

GET SUPER CRIME-FIGHTER RIPPED

DAVE RANDOLPH

Text Copyright 2013 Dave Randolph. Design and Concept 2013 Ulysses Press and its licensors. Photographs copyright 2013 Rapt Productions except as noted below. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Published in the United States by
Ulysses Press
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-6124-3074-4
Library of Congress Control Number 2012937120

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions: Keith Riegert
Managing editor: Claire Chun
Editor: Lily Chou
Proofreader: Elyce Berrigan-Dunlop
Production: Jake Flaherty
Index: Sayre Van Young
Cover design:
Cover photographs: background Mikhail/shutterstock.com; man dpaint/shutterstock.com
Models: Michael Espero, Meredith Miller, Dave Randolph, Brett Stewart

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This book is an independent publication. No endorsement or sponsorship by or affiliation with any movies, comics, books, celebrities, or other copyright and trademark holders mentioned in the text is claimed or suggested. All references in this book to movies, comics, books, celebrities and copyrighted or trademarked characters and other elements of the mentioned movies, comics, and books are for the purpose of commentary, criticism, analysis, and literary discussion only.
The following films and characters referenced in this book are property of: the characters Batman, Clark Kent, and Superman are property of DC Comics; the character James Bond is property of creator Ian Fleming; the characters Captain America, Thor, Wolverine and the comic book series X-Men Origins are property of Marvel Comics; the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine is property of Marvel Entertainment and is distributed by 20th Century Fox; the film Blade 3: Trinity is property of Marvel Entertainment and is distributed by New Line Cinema; the films Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall are property of Danjaq, LLC and are distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures; the character Abigail Whistler is property of New Line Cinema; the films BatmanThe Dark Knight and Man of Steel are property of DC Comics and are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures

When you were a kid, maybe you tied a bedsheet around your neck and tore through the house pretending you were Superman, Batman or Supergirl. Or maybe you donned a mask and karate-chopped and kicked your way through hundreds of imaginary bad guys as Kato from The Green Hornet. As an adult, you can absolutely get that smoking-hot physique your favorite action hero is known for.

Action Movie Hero Workouts features easy-to-follow exercise programs that anyone can do to sculpt their bodies into blockbuster shape. Although the actual workouts the actors in this book used to get their trademark looks are a closely guarded secret, we examined the few we did find and used our decades of fitness-training experience to create programs that will get you the physique you want.

Dont fall for the patented quick fat-loss secrets of the starsnutrition and hard work are all it takes and all that works. We show you how to add muscle mass like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth. We teach you how to get lean and ripped like Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes and Brad Pitt in Fight Club.

You may notice that Jessica Biel is the only female action star in this book. Its not because theres a lack of strong female leadsits simply because female action stars often share the same physique and likely do similar if not identical workouts. In fact, many shared the same trainer. While all these women look great, they dont necessarily have defined arms and shoulders, a shapely rear end or killer thighs that can kick some serious butt. Biel fits the bill as a bonafide action hero, not just a pretty face with a models body.

Whether you want to look like Thor, Captain America, James Bond or Lara Croft, Action Movie Hero Workouts will help you develop your action-hero body of choice with exercise programs and advice on nutrition. With hard work, the dedication to follow the programs to a T and, most importantly, diet, youll bulk up your slender figure or transform your overweight self into a lean, ripped machine.

Getting an action-hero physique requires a few simple things: reading this book (including the nutrition section), studying the exercises, and getting off the couch. If you arent already vigorously exercising on a regular basis, please get the okay to begin from your doctor. The workouts in this book can be very demanding and you need to make sure your body can handle the stress.

Youll then want to decide which action hero youd like to look like. Once youve made your choice, dig into the training program for that action hero and determine what kind of equipment youll need. Follow the program as writtenmake no modifications unless you have a pre-existing condition that prohibits you from doing certain exercises. Make sure you warm up beforehand (see for suggestions)! Doing so prepares your body for the work youre about to do.

Weve tried to include progressions/regressions wherever possible to make it easier or harder based on your ability to do a movement. For example, heres the progression for lunges:

Level 1Static Lunge/Split Squat Hold

Level 2Static Lunge/Split Squat rise up and down

Level 3Forward Lunge

Level 4Reverse Lunge

Level 5Walking Lunge

Level 6Jumping Lunge

Each level requires specific skills, so if you havent mastered level 3, you shouldnt be doing level 6. Its a safety issue.

Make sure your technique is as close to perfect as you can getpractice the movement. Dont get hung up on trying to go too heavy or as quickly as you can. Both lead to poor form and increase the potential for injury.

Theres a lot of jargon and abbreviations used in the exercise world. We define some of the terms here so youll know what they mean and how to use them when you read the workouts.

Repetition, or rep: The number of times you do an exercise.

Set: A specific number of reps for one exercise. Youll typically see 5x5, 5x8, etc., where the first number is the total number of sets and the second is the number of reps per set. Thus you have 5 sets of 5 reps, 5 sets of 8 reps. You may also see 8x5 or 5x3. This is still sets and reps: 8 sets of 5 reps, 5 sets of 3 reps. Note that 5x8 and 8x5 are the same total reps (i.e., 40) but the first should be done with a lighter weight than the second. Typically the lower the number of reps, the heavier the weight.

Superset: Doing 2 different exercises one right after the other, usually with little to no rest. This is typically written as 1a) Deadlift 1b) Pull-ups. This means youll do the prescribed number of reps for the deadlift followed immediately by the prescribed number of pull-ups. Then youll go back to the deadlift. The sets are almost always the same:

1a) Deadlift 3x6

1b) Pull-Ups 3xAMRAP

2a) Bench Press 3x10

2b) Curls 3x6

Thats 6 deadlifts, then as many reps as possible (AMRAP) of pull-ups, then repeat 2 more times. The 2a) 2b) pairing indicates a second superset. Youll usually have a few minutes of rest between the supersets. Note that some trainers also write them as A1) A2).

Tri-set: Doing 3 exercises back to back, or 1a) 1b) 1c). This works the same as the superset.