Unless you live under a rock you’ve seen it Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’The star dropped the news with a video with Ryan Reynolds, where the duo introduced their bromance and then their impressive guns in an explainer video.
But how did he get the star and stay in shape to play Wolverine? To find out more, we took a deep dive into Jackman’s workout routine.
Of course, Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years, so it’s unlikely that he stuck to the same workout routine all that time. That said, weightlifting and following a balanced, protein-rich diet seem to be the main components of Jackman’s program. It requires long-term dedication, not one-off diets or extreme training.
Jackman has worked with various personal trainers over the years, but before his dramatic change in 2009, he worked with trainer David Kingsbury. X-Men Original: Wolverine. Starr worked with Kingsbury for over six months to build his upper body for the role.
Kingsbury is an advocate of progressive overload. He gradually increases the weight, frequency, or number of reps over time. Kingsley reportedly split the actor’s training into his four-week schedule, with his first three weeks gaining weight and the fourth week losing and gaining weight. The increase was accurate — Kingsley calculated Jackman’s single max rep (the maximum he could lift in one rep) and started there. For more information on the process, Kingsbury’s blog (opens in new tab).
But to find out more about how hard the workout itself was, muscle and strength (opens in new tab)grabbed some best adjustable dumbbells and got to work. Keep in mind that methods that work for Jackman may not be right for you and your body. It’s a good idea to check your form with a personal trainer before lifting weights or repeating a workout to minimize the risk of injury.
What is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine arm workout?
This may not be the case, but just Workout used by Jackman. Here’s what Muscle and Strength has put together based on the Wolverine actor’s training principles.
Exercise 1
Bench press: 4 sets of 5 reps @60/65/75/75% 1RM with 60-90 seconds rest between each set
Exercise 2
Weighted dip: Follow the 2 vs 2 rule and do 3 sets of 10 (increase the weight if you can complete 2 additional reps in 2 sets).Rest 60-90 seconds between sets
Superset 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
dumbbell pullover: 3 sets of 10 reps
cable crossover: 3 sets of 10 reps
After completing one set of each exercise in a row, rest for 90 seconds and repeat.
Superset 4
Hanging leg raises: 1 set of 12, then 10, 8, 6
Weighted crunch: 4 sets of 12 pieces
After completing one set of both exercises in a row, rest for 90 seconds and repeat.
I Tried Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Arm Workout – Here’s What Happened
To be honest, this filled me with fear. As a runner, I don’t spend a lot of time in the gym. And even when I’m in the gym, I rarely do any workouts that focus solely on my arms.
As a newbie to weightlifting, I didn’t know my max reps, but I started with the dumbbells I normally use for chest presses (two 6kg weights) and worked my way up from there. My dumbbells were definitely much lighter than Hugh Jackman’s dumbbells, but I quickly realized that since I was only doing 5 reps, they could be much heavier than normal. Still, Wolverine wasn’t built in a day.
As for the dips, I struggled to do 10 with no weight, so I decided to do 3 sets of 10 bodyweight dips for my workout. If you’re new to the move, it’s a good idea to learn the technique and get your form before adding weights. I got down to it. My biceps were on fire from the first superset cable crossover, so I quickly found myself making myself a little stronger in the first few exercises.
Unlike Jackman, I didn’t stick to the suggested rest periods — I needed more time to sit on my exercise mat and ponder my career choices. As I was exercising in Hollywood, I often had to wait for people to finish their reps on various machines.
There’s no doubt that Jackman did a Hanging Leg Raise by hanging over the bar, but he seemed to lack the superhero grip needed to complete a single rep, so I decided to do leg raises using the gym’s captain’s chair machine. This made the movement a little easier as I was able to focus on supporting my weight on my elbows, tightening my abs and lifting my legs rather than swinging from my hips. It felt like a treat afterward. We will definitely be adding these to our ab finishers in the future.
Did your workout result in a Wolverine physique? Sadly. The human body doesn’t work quickly, but washing your hair the next day was a chore, and the fact that Jackman maintained his strength training regime for his 11 years is not only serious dedication, but results. It also proves that it takes hard work and dedication to get it out. Want arms like Wolverine? Consistency really matters if you want to beat Sabretooth.
Looking for more workout inspiration? When I tried Chris Hemsworth’s 250-rep dumbbell workout here, when I tried Lily James’ 600-rep ab workout, and 50 a day for a week. Read on to see what happened when I did the 1st oblique crunch.
