Try This Mammoth 1500-Rep Bodyweight Workout Tom Holland Used to Get in Shape for Spider-Man
With a background in gymnastics, BAFTA award winning actor and current MH cover star Tom Holland is no stranger to a spot of bodyweight training. This workout though, straight from Holland's trainer, Duffy Gaver, is enough to make even the most hardcore pull-up aficionado nervous (and more than enough to provide the rest of us with a ridiculous upper body pump).
Gaver handed this 'ladder' workout to the Spider-Man star while prepping him for his third outing as the wall crawler, a training phase that Holland ranks as one of his most successful. ‘We got into crazy shape. We were so fit', he shared in reference to the fruit of his daily workout regimen.
Holland would tackle this hour-long workout with his training partner on Monday mornings, kicking off the week with a protocol designed to build muscle across the chest, back, arms and core, all with nothing but basic bodyweight movements.
To perform the workout yourself, work your way up the following ladder, as described by Holland himself to MH:
'Start with one pull-up, two dips, three press-ups, four sit-ups, five squats – that’s round one, and you basically go all the way up to 10, so the last round is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 [of each movement]. And then you’ll go all the way back down to one. That is a monster workout.’
Rest as necessary to keep your form sharp, but push each set close to failure if you want to see gains.
Tom Holland's Bodyweight Workout
1. Pull-up x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly over shoulder-width apart. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely. Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of bringing driving your elbows down into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
2. Dip x 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
Jump up on two parallel bars your palms facing inward and your arms locked out straight. Lean forward and bend at the elbows, slowly lowering your body until you feel a deep stretch in your chest. Pause here before driving yourself back up to the top explosively.
3. Push-up x 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 27, 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3
Assume a strong plank position, hands stacked directly below elbows and shoulders, bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor. Keep your upper arms from flaring as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position. Repeat.
4. Sit-up x 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 36, 32, 28, 24, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4
Lie flat on your back with your legs bent, the soles of your feet together and your hands behind your head. Tense your abs as you sit up and forward, touching your hands to your feet. Reverse the move, touching the floor behind your head on each rep.
5. Air Squat x 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5
Standing tall with your chest up, sink your hips back, squatting down until the crease of your hips drops below your knees. Drive back up explosively and repeat. Keep a controlled tempo and tight form, but move at a heart rate-spiking clip – you’ve got a ladder to climb.
Read the full interview here and in the March issue of Men’s Health UK, on sale now.
More Workouts Like This
Get Ready with This Bodyweight Squat and Push-Up Workout for Equipment-Free Gains
Use This Resistance Band and Bodyweight Finisher for a Brutal Biceps and Triceps Pump
This 650-rep CrossFit Hero WOD Delivers a Brutal Bodyweight Workout
Our 330-Rep Lunge Ladder is The Ultimate Bodyweight Leg Burner
Take Your Training Outdoors with This 1,000-Rep Hybrid Bodyweight and Running Partner Workout
You Might Also Like
