Former MMA fighter, now owner and head trainer at The Fitness Room in Buckinghamshire, David Kingsbury is the fitness guru who was tasked with getting Hugh Jackman into the frankly ridiculous shape he needed to be in to play the part of a bigger and beastlier Wolverine, whose latest film, Logan, is released in cinemas nationwide on the 1st March.
Not only did he succeed with flying colours, but he also revealed the workout schedule and plan that he utilised in a fascinating interview with BodyBuilding.com.
Kingsbury laid out the dietary plan that he put Jackman on, and then went into detail on what his goals were and how he went about attaining them, and it's clear that the intensity of the workout, in four-week blocks, is what really made the difference for the Australian actor.
The primary goals of this plan were to improve strength and size while keeping body fat to a minimum. We used a program that included progressive overload to ensure continual strength gains. The system may look complicated at first, but once you get started and have your numbers recorded, it becomes a very easy system to follow.
The training program is designed on a four-week schedule. During these four weeks the reps for the main lifts are changed each week. For the first three weeks the weight should increase each week. Then, during the fourth week, the weight is reduced to be able to perform 10 reps.
We worked off a percentage system to figure out exactly what weights we should be lifting each week for the main lifts. For all of the weeks, the percentages are calculated from your working 1-rep max. To figure out your working 1-rep max, take 95 percent of your 1-rep max.
THE MAIN LIFTS
Barbell Bench Press
Back Squat
Weighted Pull-Up
Deadlift
WEEK 1
Set 1 - 5 Reps - 60% of W1RM (working 1-rep max)
Set 2 - 5 Reps - 65% of W1RM
Set 3 - 5 Reps - 75% of W1RM
Set 4 - 5 Reps - 75% of W1RM
WEEK 2
Set 1 - 4 Reps - 65% of W1RM
Set 2 - 4 Reps - 75% of W1RM
Set 3 - 4 Reps - 85% of W1RM
Set 4 - 4 Reps - 85% of W1RM
WEEK 3
Set 1 - 3 Reps - 70% of W1RM
Set 2 - 3 Reps - 80% of W1RM
Set 3 - 3 Reps - 90% of W1RM
Set 4 - 3 Reps - 90% of W1RM
WEEK 4
Set 1 - 10 Reps - 40% of W1RM
Set 2 - 10 Reps - 50% of W1RM
Set 3 - 10 Reps - 60% of W1RM
Set 4 - 10 Reps - 60% of W1RM
Once the first block of four weeks is complete, add 5-10 percent to your working 1-rep max. Increase 5 percent if progress is slow, and 10 percent if you can reach your target reps comfortably. Use this rule to plan each new four-week block.
Wow.
Anyone considering taking up the regime should read the interview in full over on BodyBuilding.com, where Kingsbury stressed the importance of rest for building muscle, which he claimed was the biggest obstacle for an actor in filming as Jackman was while they worked together.
It sounds crazy, but that is the type of dedication you need if you want to be as lean as Wolverine.
