Steal Jonathan Majors Back and Abs Workout Using a Band and Dumbbells
Starring as Adonis Creed’s latest opponent in Creed III, alongside his role as the new big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s fair to say that Jonathan Majors is having a moment. Film credits aside, the former Men’s Health cover star is also rocking the type of physique that wouldn’t look out of place alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone in their action movie prime.
In a recent catch-up with MH the statuesque Kang actor, alongside his trainer Mark 'Rhino' Smith, shared his go-to back and abs workout, which we’ve tweaked so you can get all of the same muscle-swelling benefits using just a resistance band and dumbbells. It's the perfect back-building home workout.
Anchor your band to a high point, grab your bells and get to work on the following six pack blasting, six move blast.
If you have a pull-up bar, sub in chin-ups and hanging leg raises to up the ante.
1. Straight-arm Lat Pulldowns x 3 sets of 10 reps
Stand tall, reach up and grip your band. Keeping your arms straight throughout (think of them as hooks) pull the band down towards your waist. Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug and squeeze your shoulder blades down and back, squeezing hard at the bottom (A). Slowly return the band to the top position and repeat.
2A. Band Pulldowns (or Chin-ups) x 3 sets of 10 reps
Take a seat on the ground beneath your band. Grip it with both hands and manoeuvre backwards until there is some tension on the band (A). Keeping your shoulders down and back, draw your elbows down towards your pockets, squeezing your shoulder blades hard at the bottom (B). Slowly return to full stretch and repeat. After your final rep, move immediately into leg raises, performing these three movements as a three-round circuit.
2B. Laying (or Hanging) Leg Raises x 3 sets of 10 reps
Lay flat on the ground with your hands behind your head, push your lower back into the ground and lift your feet from the floor (A). Focussing on contracting your abs hard, slowly lift your feet into the air, keeping your legs straight (B). Slowly lower your feet, but don’t let them touch the ground before repeating.
2C. Russian Twist (or Hanging Oblique Knee Raises) x 3 sets of 8 reps
Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your feet hovering slightly off of the ground. Holding a single dumbbell with both hands (A), twist from side to side, lifting and touching the dumbbell to the ground either side of your body, under control (B). If your dumbbells are slightly too heavy just use your body weight.
3A. Single-arm Dumbbell Row
Hold a dumbbell in your left arm and hinge at the hips, placing your right hand onto a wall or your knee (A). With a flat back and rigid core, shift your weight onto your right hand and row the right dumbbell up into your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control until your arm is straight. Perform 12 reps and then switch sides, before moving into shrugs.
3B. Dumbbell Shrugs
Stand tall, holding your dumbbells at your sides (A). Keeping your arms straight shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, squeeze hard in this position (B) before slowly lowering the dumbbells and repeating. After your final rep move back into rows.
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