Size, strength, definition, and athleticism. When you have a physique that conveys all these, people call you a hero—maybe even an X-Man. Hugh Jackman owns all four of these attributes every time he plays Wolverine, and the training that gets him there is simple and old-school.
Jackman’s trainer, David Kingsbury, had the actor follow a classic progressive overload plan to build strength on basic lifts like the bench press, squat, and deadlift. The point is to start extra light, using only a small percentage of your max, and gradually up the weights and drop the reps so that you’re smashing through plateaus in only a few weeks. (Note that the fourth week is done with lighter weights to allow recovery.) “It’s a system you can trust to continue to improve your gains,” Kingsbury says.
The remaining work involves some age-old techniques such as supersets and circuits to thoroughly exhaust muscles and burn off the fat that covers them. But if you’re picturing the modern bodybuilding workouts featured in some other mags, you won’t find them here. “There’s no point in just bulking up,” Jackman says, “because you’ve got to be functional.” Unlike most guys in gyms today gunning for bigger arms, Jackman’s training is balanced, and he does the so-called hard exercises most others avoid—no machines. Jackman’s look is more evidence that free weights are behind every unforgettable physique, whether or not it’s built on an adamantium skeleton. “I got in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” he says.
Perform each workout (Day 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) once per week for eight weeks. You can do workouts 1, 2, and 3 on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, respectively, and then rest Thursday and do workouts 4 and 5 on Friday and Saturday. The weight you will use on the main lifts will follow a specific weekly progression. See “Linear Progress” below. Alternate “A” and “B” rest, and repeat.
Linear progress
The loads you use on the bench press, squat, weighted pullup, and deadlift will vary with each set and each week. First, estimate how much you can lift on these exercises for one perfect rep (your max). Now find 95% of that number and use this calculation as your adjusted max for the program—we want you to err on the lighter side. Follow the table to see which percentage of that max you will use for a given set. For example, if your adjusted max on the bench press is 225lbs, a set calling for 60% will require 135lbs. Regardless of how light a weight feels, perform only the reps that are required for the set. The weights will get heavier as the program moves forward. After four weeks, add 5–10% to your maxes, and repeat the cycle. Add only 5% if you felt the weights you used in Week 3 were very challenging. If you banged out those reps without much trouble, you can speed progress by adding 10% instead.
Perform at three different angles. Begin on a steep incline and do 6 reps. Without rest, adjust the bench to reduce the incline and do another 6 reps. Adjust the bench to make it flat and complete 6 final reps. That's one set.
Exercise 23 of 5
Band-Resisted Flye
Equipment
Resistance Band
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
60 sec.
Exercise 24 of 5
Close-Grip Bench Press
Equipment
Bench
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
60 sec.
Exercise 25 of 5
Triceps Pushdown
Equipment
Elastic Band
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 26 of 5
Bench Dip
Equipment
Bench
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 27 of 5
Close-Grip Pushup
Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
60 sec.
Day 5
Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 28 of 5
Deadlift
Equipment
Barbell
Sets
4
Reps
See Table
Rest
150 sec.
Exercise 29 of 5
Romanian Deadlift
Equipment
Barbell
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
60 sec.
Exercise 30 of 5
Zercher Squat
Equipment
Barbell
Sets
4
Reps
12
Rest
60 sec.
Exercise 31 of 5
Weighted Situp
Equipment
Weight Plates
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
60 sec.
Complete this exercise on an adjustable bench set to a slight decline and use a weight plate.
