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How to get a body like the Wolverine
Shiva, a fitness expert at Gold's Gym, shows how to get a body like the Wolverine.
The Wolverine workout involves high intensity endurance training combined by strength drills as also street/bar fighting techniques like the one used by Hugh Jackman to get fit for Wolverine.
I don't know if you are aware but during the making of Wolverine the challenge faced by the producers lay in making Hugh Jackman look tougher and fitter than he did 11 years ago in the first Xmen movie.
To do that they recruited a former MMA fighter to take Hugh Jackman's training to the next level.
Here's what a regular Wolverine workout includes:
1. Warm up for 15 minutes through shadow boxing, skipping and star jumps for approximately 10 minutes non-stop. Then about 5 minutes of pre-workout stretching.
2. High intensity muscular and cardiovascular training for 25 to 30 minutes includes station circuits as follows:
- Station 1: Push ups (1 minute, as many reps)
- Station 2: Burpees (1 minute, as many reps)
- Station 3: Jump squats (1 minute)
- Station 4: Kettle bell swings (1 minute)
- Station 5: Plank (1 minute)
- Repeat 5 times
Each of these drills are timed for 1 minute and the trainee is encouraged to push through as many repetitions as possible with a 45 seconds rest period and repeat circuit.
Fighting techniques (20 mins): This includes drills from various fighting styles and self defence systems such as MMA and Kravmaga. We do striking combinations in Muay Thai kickboxing.
Also as you know Wolverine is a samurai so we teach a lot of techniques borrowed from Jujitsu such as how to escape from common fight situations like collar grabs, hair grabs, chokes etc and thus turn the tables on the attacker.
Cooling down and post workout stretching (10 minutes) includes relaxed breathing techniques and post workout stretching.
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Standing hip flexor stretch
- Stand up straight with the spine erect and your left foot slightly in front of the right.
- Bend both knees and lift the back heel off the floor as you press the right hip forward.
- You can't get a thorough, deep stretch in this position because it's hard to relax the hip flexor and stand on it at the same time.
- Switch sides.
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T push-ups
- To do a T push up exercise, assume the normal push up stance.
- Place your hands directly and firmly beneath your shoulders.
- Lower your chest until it is just above the ground, almost, but not quite.
- Now push back up and while you do this, lift your left hand off the floor and reach towards the sky or the ceiling, depending on where you usually do your daily reps.
- Simultaneously, you have to shift your weight onto your right hand.
- You have to roll your feet so that the whole weight of your body rests on the right limbs of your body.
- If you keep your spine erect, you can see how your body forms a tilted 'T' making 45 degree angle with the floor. Now roll back to the initial position and repeat.
- While you do this exercise, contract your core muscles and tighten your hips.
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Kettle bell swings
- Place one kettlebell between your feet.
- Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position.
- Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead.
- Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully.
- Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebell straight out.
- Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat.
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Muay Thai / boxing and sparring
- One of the main benefits of using focus mitts is that they can be used in sparring to simulate the variability of an actual fight. This sparring activity requires two people, one to defend and wear the boxing pads, and the other to strike without wearing pads.
- Start by designating an attack to the person striking and a defence to the person wearing the pads.
- Practice the attack and defence as the person wearing the pads moves them around and as the person striking aims for different body parts.
- Advance the drill so that there is no designated attack or defense and the person wearing the pads can counter with a strike.
Star Movies will premiere The Wolverine this Independence Day, August 15 at 1 pm and 9 pm.