As an actor, Henry Cavill has had many roles, including major appearances in Stardust an The Tudors. He was a running favorite to play Edward Cullen in the popular Twilight films (even the author of the books preferred him), but he eventually lost the role to Robert Pattinson. And almost seems to be the magic word for Cavill, as he almost became James Bond as well -- before Daniel Craig took over the role.
All that might become secondary this year, when Cavill hits the big screen as Superman in the much-anticipated film “Man of Steel.”Much has been said about the new Superman. And much of that talk has been about his very impressive physique -- which Cavill says took a lot of work to achieve.
A Peek Into the Workout
Although specifics are scarce, one of the constants of Henry’s workout was the use of kettle bells. The basic kettle bell workout for the film consisted of 25 repetitions of each of the following exercises:
Goblet Squat
Goblet squats are a modified type of squat that focus on form. To perform it, you need to hold into a kettle bell or another small weight held up and right against your chest. Open your feet to slightly more than shoulder-width and then squat down. Go as low as you can without bending your back or arching it forward. Your elbows should remain as close as possible against your body, so when you’re close to the ground, they are inside your legs (rather than touching the outside of your knees). When you’re in the squatting position, push your knees out to widen the stance. Then stand up and repeat.
Kettle Bell Swing
Kettle bell swings are just what they sound like. You hold the kettle bell and then squat down, pushing the kettle bell in between your legs and towards your back. As you stand up, you swing the kettle bell up until your arms are shoulder height and parallel to the ground. The key to doing this exercise properly is to make sure you don’t arch your back too much. If you do, you’re risking injury to your lower back, but you’re also taking some of the power away from the swing. The kettle bell swing is a powerful back and shoulder workout, but only when done properly.
Although they haven’t been mentioned as part of the “Man of Steel” workout, the following exercises did form part of the “300” training -- so there’s a chance they were at some point incorporated into the Superman workout as well. Note that in the 300 film, actors did 50 repetitions of the following moves.
-
Pull ups
-
Deadlifts
-
Push-ups
-
Burpees
- Jumping Jacks
- Box jumps (jumping up and down on a 24-inch box)
-
Floor wipers (a combination exercise that works the shoulders and the abs at the same time, using a 135lbs. barbell.
Keep in mind that the Superman workout Henry Cavill did also included a very specific and rigorous diet. While he was training, he ate an impressive 5000 calories a day, which consisted of a lot of protein and some slow-release carbs to build those muscles fit of a superhero.
Comments