Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeSplit
- Training LevelBeginner
- Program Duration6 weeks
- Days Per Week5
- Time Per Workout60-75 minutes
- Equipment RequiredBarbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells, Kettle Bells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
Brad Borland is a strength & conditioning specialist, cancer survivor and the founder of WorkoutLab.
The new Captain America: Winter Soldier movie is set to hit theaters soon and you bet the lines will be long to set eyes on the continuing adventures of the super soldier himself. Wrought with exceptional strength, speed, dexterity and overall ability Cap is one skillful dude not to mention his antagonist foe the Winter Soldier.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have just a little slice of that physique for yourself without fighting the crowd at the most popular stations at the gym? Have you been lifting all the heavy stuff for a while now on a traditional training plan with slowed or stalled gains and need something completely different? Do you also want to increase your real-world abilities and practical strength so you can not only look like you can take on those feats but actually do it too?
Below is an unorthodox training plan to get your physique progressing again. Chalked full of body weight moves and real, practical strength exercises the plan is designed for performance, functionality and (as a cool side effect) one kick-butt body. It will focus on building strength, speed and a superhero physique of your very own. So, if you want some change, big change, then try it out for yourself.
A brand-spanking new training program wouldn’t be complete without some structured guidelines. Like the virtues of Captain America you should have a few of your own to help stay the course and ultimately become successful.
- Honesty: Be honest with yourself, your weak points, your ability and your goals. Adhere to the program details as best you can. Rest periods, rep ranges, cadence and effort all add up toward big gains. Don’t try to be like everyone else, you have a unique vision of what you want to do – go for it.
- Bravery: Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. You will become more and more conditioned as you go so don’t give up and challenge those fears into successes. Little by little you will create a whole new mindset and what you thought you couldn’t do in the past, will soon become your ability.
- Humility: If something seems tough at the start, don’t fret. Keep trying and it will happen. Also, be humble enough not to perform any exercise with too much weight or loose form that could cause injury. When in doubt, lighted the load slightly and try to use perfect form and technique.
- Conviction: Become determined and believe you will succeed. Having this type of mindset will help you in so many ways as you ebb and flow through the program. Some days you may lack some energy and motivation (that’s life) but if you are committed from the beginning you will have that faith as a foundation.
- Authority: Take charge of your actions and reactions to challenges that may arise. Think of better ways to deal with stress and adversity. Only you will have the ultimate authority over both how you move forward and how you can deal with potential setbacks and roadblocks. Take charge and press on!
The Captain America Program
Perform the following program for six weeks. Perform the workouts over any five day period that fits your schedule. Again, pay close attention to rest periods and challenge yourself to perform a little better each week.
Pre-Workout Warm-up Circuit
Perform the following full body circuit prior to every training day. This will get you primed for the work ahead. Do one or two rounds with a 30 second rest between rounds.
- 10 burpees
- 10 prisoner squats
- 10 push-ups
- 10 walking lunges
- 10 floor crunches
| Day 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Body | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Box jump | 3 x 10 | 30 | |
| Walking lunge | 3 lengths | 30 | |
| One leg calf raise with kettlebell or dumbbell | 3 x 10-15 | 30 | |
| Barbell deep squat | 1x12 | 3 x 8-10 | 60 |
| Superset: Lying leg lift with floor crunch (slow cadence) | 3 x 15-20 | 30 | |
| Intervals: For warm-up walk for 5 minutes. Sprint for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes | |||
| Cool down and stretch | |||
| Day 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Body | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Incline bench dumbbell press | 1 x 12 | 3 x 8-10 | 60 |
| Superset: Push-up with close-grip push-up (diamond style) | 3 x AMAP | 60 | |
| Medium-grip pull-up | 3 x AMAP | 60 | |
| Superset: Two-arm dumbbell row with standing dumbbell shoulder press | 3 x 8-12 | 60 | |
| Superset: Dumbbell curl with parallel bar dip | 3 x 8-12 | 60 | |
| Hanging leg raise | 3 x 15-20 | 30 | |
| Steady-state cardio with exercise of choice for 20 minutes | |||
| Cool down and stretch | |||
| Day 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprints | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Intervals | |||
| Walking | 5 minutes | ||
| Sprint for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds | 15-20 minutes | ||
| Day 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Body | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Jump split squat | 3 x 10 | 30 | |
| Dumbbell Stiff Leg deadlift | 1 x 12 | 3 x 8-10 | 30 |
| Superset: Goblet squat with reverse lunge | 3 x 8-10 | 60 | |
| Superset: Sissy squat with one leg calf raise with kettlebell or dumbbell | 3 x 10-15 | 60 | |
| Planks | 20-30 sec | 30 | |
| Steady-state cardio with exercise of choice for 20 minutes | |||
| Cool down and stretch | |||
| Day 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Body | |||
| Exercise | Warm-Up Sets | Work Sets | Rest |
| Feet-elevated push-up | 3 x AMAP | 30 | |
| Flat bench dumbbell or barbell press | 1 x 12 | 3 x 8-10 | 60 |
| Reverse-grip pull-up | 1 x 12 | 3 x AMAP | 60 |
| Superset: Inverted rack row with dumbbell upright row | 3 x 8-12 | 60 | |
| Superset: Dumbbell hammer curl with overhead dumbbell triceps extension | 3 x 8-12 | 60 | |
| Intervals: For warm-up walk for 5 minutes. Sprint for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes | |||
| Cool down and stretch | |||
18 Comments
The whole show has only one hamstring exercise, is that okay?
Both walking lunges and stiff-legged deadlifts work the hamstrings. That said, if you wanted to add a leg curl movement, it would be okay.
Can I get this type of more hybrid try
What type of diet should I follow for this program if iam a skinny fat
Hey Sachu
Any diet plan will work, as long as you remain in a caloric surplus.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/diet-plans
Can I do this for 3 months
Great question Sachu.
Any program that you enjoy can be continued as long as you're progressing. Just be sure you track your progress to be sure that you don't get stagnant.
Hey Brad, super excited (mind the lame pun) to start this work, as I've recently found myself in a rut with the generic type of muscle building movements. However, I was wondering if you could give an insight into the diet plan that would be most effective for this programme. Should I follow the same principles as the Avengers diet, or maybe stick to a high calorie intake (considering I'll be burning a lot of calories during the workout)??
Take it from me, this workout really works! I was just out fighting crime the other day when suddenly a car fell on top of me! Because of this workout, I was able to lift the car and save the day!
Since most of these moves have three sets, am I doing three sets of one exercise then moving to the next, or doing one set of the whole routine then repeat two additional times?
What should I do after the six weeks?
My apologies. I did see they were at the bottom of the work but was unclear due to them saying 'for warm up'. I understand now though thank you.
Also is it 5 minutes walking, with 1 good sprint, rest, and then walk again/repeat?
Or walk for 5 minutes, then do 10-15 minutes of sprints?
Also on some days it says 'steady state cardio with exercise of choice?: does that mean to do 20 minutes of whatever kind of cardio you want?
5 minute warm-up, intervals and then cool down.
Yes, whatever type of cardio you prefer.
So the warm ups include both the circuit and the running? i.e.:
10 burpees
10 prisoner squats
10 push-ups
10 walking lunges
10 floor crunches
Intervals: For warm-up walk for 5 minutes. Sprint for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes
or Steady-state cardio with exercise of choice for 20 minutes
The cardio is done after the training...
As far as caloric intake goes; would you suggest bulking or cutting with this routine?
It said Build Muscle, but this looks more of a cut though.