Chadwick Boseman Inspired Workout: Train Like Black Panther

Josh England
Written By: Josh England
January 31st, 2018
Updated: August 15th, 2019
Chadwick Boseman Inspired Workout: Train Like Black Panther
Work out like Chadwick Boseman with this Black Panther Inspired Workout Program. This workout program combines strength, combat, and flexibility training.
Workout Summary

Workout Description

The long anticipated wait is almost over, and the character of T’Challa in Blank Panther is set to hit the silver screen this February.

A character and movie, which has been talked about for decades, finally takes on the spot light.

And as we’ve seen in his smaller role in Civil War, Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the character is spot on.

From his accent to his demeanor, Boseman is everything we hoped for as the superhero, Black Panther.

And in terms of physical fitness, he looks the part as well.

In this second part of the two part Black Panther inspired workout series, we’ll break down what we know about how the lead character prepared for the role physically and provide you an inspired program to try for yourself.

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Introduction to the Chadwick Boseman Inspired Workout

The role of T’Challa isn’t Chadwick Boseman’s first athletic role.

He had to be athletic to play one of the greatest and social groundbreaking baseball players of all time, Jackie Robinson in the movie 42.

And he had to have quick feet and amazing coordination to pull off some of the most famous dance moves of all time in his portrayal of the godfather of soul, James Brown, in Get on Up.

Both of which are very different body types than T’Challa.

But what we can learn about how Chadwick Boseman prepares for his movie roles is he completely commits to the character he is portraying.

For 42, he practice baseball twice a day. For Get on Up, he practiced his dance moves and worked on his flexibility to be able to perform the drop split.

And while we don’t know much about how he trains for Black Panther, we do know he actively participates in weight training, flexibility training, and combat training.

From all the information on the web that we have access to, albeit it’s not much, we can deduce the following principles about how Chadwick trains.

Chadwick Boseman Applies the SAID Principle

In the way that Chadwick prepares for his roles, it is very apparent that he focuses on a style of training that matches his character’s body type.

Thus, he employs the SAID (specific adaptation on imposed demands) principle. In short, he trains for how he needs his character to be.

For T’Challa, this is going to be a character who is muscularly lean yet flexible. Powerful, yet even-keeled. T’Challa will have the muscle necessary to fend off larger villains with the dexterity needed to be quicker than them during combat.

Chadwick Boseman Changes His Goals

A lot of guys, especially in Hollywood, commit to a body type. And for that reason, they end up getting type casted into very specific roles.

Just by looking at Chadwick’s resume, you can tell that’s simply not the case. Just as you need a different stimulus to achieve a different body type, you have to be motivated to attain that body type as well. And that’s where goal setting comes into play.

Chadwick Boseman is Consistent with His Workouts

Whether this is a byproduct of him regularly changing his goals to take on a different character or not, Boseman has been consistently in the gym since he hit the Hollywood scene (and likely before).

And his physique shows the fruits of his labor as he is consistently lean and in shape.

That’s where a lot of folks miss the ball. They see the drastic Hollywood transformations that take place 12-16 weeks prior to the start of filming and aspire to do the same. No need for drastic body recomposition if you remain consistent with your workouts and in great shape year round.

Chadwick Boseman Has Help in His Corner

A good trainer is worth his/her weight in gold simply from the knowledge they have about training, recovery, and lifestyle philosophy.

While we don’t get to see many clips of Boseman’s work in the weight room, we get a few of him with his martial arts instructor Marrese Crump.

Working with a trainer or simply having a mentor, regardless of your form of training, is an awesome strategy to ensure you don’t make any unnecessary steps during your fitness journey.

 

A post shared by Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) on

Chadwick Boseman Black Panther Inspired Workout Program

Alright, now that we have a little better understanding of the training principles it’s going to take to get you looking like the king of Wakanda, let’s break down a sample workout program you can perform to get lean like T’Challa.

It is important to note that this isn’t Chadwick Boseman’s actual workout program.

It is, however, a workout inspired by him and carefully designed with his body type and target body composition in mind.

This 8 week Black Panther inspired workout program utilizes 5 training days, including 3 full body hypertrophy circuits, 2 cardio training days, and 2 active recovery/off days.

All 5 training days would be followed by some sort of martial arts practice. If you don’t have access to this do not fret, you’ll still see great results from performing the program without it.

The exercises on your strength training days, aside from the very first lift, are meant to be performed as part of a circuit. Do not rest until you’ve completed each exercise. After you’ve finished each circuit, rest for 60-90 seconds.

On your off days, practice active recovery. To do this, perform some light activity that you enjoy doing and follow it up by working on your flexibility through foam rolling, dynamic stretching, or a combination of the two.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 1: Full Body Strength Circuit

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Deadlift 3-5 6-8
2a. Push Up 3-5 8-15
2b. Bodyweight Walking Lunge 3-5 Distance
2c. Pull Up 3-5 8-15
2d. Dumbbell Overhead Press 3-5 6-8
2e. Plank 3-5 20 Secs

Follow your workout with some light combat training. Working on striking, holds, sprawling, etc would be a great fit on your strength training days.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 2: Cardio

Perform 30-45 minutes of steady state cardio aimed to improve the distance traveled during that time frame each week.

Alternatively, you can perform 15 minutes of HIIT cardio (and/or 20 minutes of plyometric drills) if you’re an individual who is short on time.

If you have the ability to, you could also perform combat training on this day instead of cardio. Active sparring would be the best approach on non-strength training days.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 3: Full Body Strength Circuit

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Bent Over Row 3-5 6-8
2a. Air Squat 3-5 8-15
2b. Dip 3-5 8-15
2c. Chin Up 3-5 8-15
2d. Push Up 3-5 8-15
2e. Ab Crunch 3-5 8-15

Follow your workout with some light combat training. Working on striking, holds, sprawling, etc would be a great fit on your strength training days.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 4: Active Recovery

Be active by performing something you enjoy. Some excellent options are to play a sport, perform yoga and meditation, or even going on a lengthy walk.

You could also perform speed and agility drills if you choose.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 5: Full Body Strength Circuit

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Squat 3-5 6-8
2a. Dumbbell Bench Press 3-5 6-8
2b. Lateral Raise 3-5 8-15
2c. Step Ups 3-5 8-15
2d. Band Pull Apart 3-5 8-15
2e. Leg Raises 3-5 8-15
3. 10-15 min Freestyle* - -

*Perform exercises and hit what you need to. (i.e. your favorite exercises and/or needed target areas)

Follow your workout with some light combat training. Working on striking, holds, sprawling, etc would be a great fit on your strength training days.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 6: Cardio

Perform 30-45 minutes of steady state cardio aimed to improve the distance traveled during that time frame each week.

Alternatively, you can perform 15 minutes of HIIT cardio if you’re an individual who is short on time.

If you have the ability to, you could also perform combat training on this day instead of cardio. Active sparring would be the best approach on non-strength training days.

Chadwick Boseman Workout Day 7: Active Recovery

Be active by performing something you enjoy. Some excellent options are to play a sport, perform yoga and meditation, or even going on a lengthy walk.

You could also perform speed and agility drills if you choose.

Final Notes on the Chadwick Boseman Inspired Workout Program

The 8 week workout program listed above was inspired by Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

If your goal is to look like T’Challa in the upcoming Black Panther movie, it is a solid workout to help you reach your goals.

When performing the workout, it is important that you maintain a healthy diet. Start off by finding your calorie needs using our bmr calculator.

Then, depending on your goal, add/subtract ~250-500 calories from that number and aim to eat that amount from whole food sources: lean meats, healthy fats, whole grains and oats, fruits and veggies, and low fat dairy products.

If you’re trying to build muscle and lose fat to look like Chadwick Boseman, it’s important to rest and recover. Aim to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night and be sure to practice those active recovery days to help your muscles repair.

More of a villain? Check out our Michael B. Jordan Killmonger inspired workout.

Be sure to check out Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther on February 15th!

If you have any questions regarding the workout routine (or future superhero/villain inspired workout requests), please leave us a comment!

18 Comments
Marcus
Posted on: Sun, 04/23/2023 - 14:10

Hi I know this workout is for fat loss but will it also help me build lean muscles cause my goal is to drop my body fat and build lean muscles. I’ve been doing this for about 5 months and can’t tell.

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Roger
Posted on: Mon, 05/01/2023 - 13:26

You might notice a slight increase in muscle mass if you're relatively new to training, but for the most part, it will emphasize fat loss. You can do a body composition test to determine how much muscle you've built if any.

Stephon Stewart
Posted on: Thu, 12/29/2022 - 12:55

Hi, I was wondering about my training schedule to see if this for you or not. I play basketball for cardio and Self-defense class. I don’t want to be a bodybuilder. My goal is to get in basketball and martial arts shape.

Workout Schedule

Monday: Cardio (Basketball) and Full body
Tuesday: MMA
Wednesday: Cardio(Basketball) and Full body
Thursday: MMA
Friday: Cardio(Basketball) and Conditioning
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

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Roger
Posted on: Sun, 01/08/2023 - 12:57

I think it would work, Stephon. If you do it, let us know how it goes for you. Thanks for reading M&S!

Haroon
Posted on: Tue, 08/24/2021 - 04:27

Hi i have a question. For steady state cardio i do 10 minutes jogging then 10 minutes cycling then 10 minutes rowing. Is that okay ? Or should i do 30 minutes of one type of cardio

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Roger
Posted on: Thu, 09/09/2021 - 19:36

Hi, Haroon. As long as the transitions between activities is short, then that would work. It actually could keep the workout interesting. Let us know how it goes for you.

Garitty
Posted on: Sun, 10/07/2018 - 11:21

What kind of warm up would you do for the strength days? Would you build up the weight during the 3-5 sets or would you do an extra set before to warm up?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 10/08/2018 - 12:57

Hi Garitty,

For warm ups, start here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/warming-up-for-dummies

Hope this helps!

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Mike
Posted on: Thu, 09/24/2020 - 13:29

2018

Tavarous Roney
Posted on: Mon, 09/21/2020 - 23:15

When was this published?

Waleed
Posted on: Sun, 08/19/2018 - 20:21

Hi,
I have started working out on Feb this year, i had lost some weight (12 k) in 3 months, now my weight is 74 kg and my height is 178 cm - fat 21% - 30 years.
I still have fat mostly around the belly area that i want to loose, i also intent to build muscles. Does this workout works for me? I have seen many programs on your website don't know which one to choose..?! Also regarding the supplement i never took any, should i start taking all the mentioned supplements or Whey protein and Creatine is enough?
note: last two months i didn't workout much but i am back this week.
thank you in advance.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 08/20/2018 - 08:56

Hi Waleed,

Sure, you can use this workout again if you enjoyed it. It is meant to be a weight loss focused workout.

In terms of supplements, talk to your doctor prior to starting any new supplement regimen. Creatine and Whey protein are solid supplements backed by science, but it is always important to refer to your health care professional for these types of questions.

Hope this helps!

Gdub
Posted on: Sun, 07/08/2018 - 22:03

I just started the ketosis life a week ago and looking for a solid workout to go with the new lifestyle. I'm trying to lose fat while adding a little muscle. Good combo with keto?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 07/09/2018 - 09:14

Hi Gdub,

I'm honestly not a fan of keto. Low carb diets don't tend to provide enough energy to get the most out of your workouts. Just my general experience.

Hope this helps!

muli
Posted on: Wed, 05/30/2018 - 03:57

hey,
I'm wanna start this workout next week, but on Thursday night I'm playing basketball (5X5 for 1.5-2h)
I really wanna continue playing basketball on Thursday nights,
so is it OK to do it like:
Sunday: Full Body Strength Circuit
Monday: Cardio
Tuesday: Full Body Strength Circuit
Wednesday: Active Recovery
Thursday: Cardio (basketball)
Friday: Full body strength circuit
Saturday: Active Recovery
in the 0-15 min Freestyle* what should i focus on? cardio or weight?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 05/30/2018 - 09:29

Hi Muli,

Yes, that looks like a solid way to split up your week to me!

During the freestyle, focus on whatever muscle groups you feel like you need to build the most that week.

Hope this helps!

Ethan
Posted on: Wed, 05/02/2018 - 05:00

Hey, I'm 17 and plan to do this workout, however, I have school and a job on Wednesday nights.
Due to this would it be okay to do
Monday - full body strength circuit
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - active recovery
Thursday - Full body strength circuit
Friday - Full body strength circuit
Saturday - cardio
sunday - active recovery
Thank you, also I noticed Chadwick Boseman had quite a large chest in the movie, but it doesn't seem that this workout would result in one, am I wrong in thinking so?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 05/02/2018 - 09:34

Hi Ethan,

I'd recommend setting it up like this:
Monday - Full Body Strength Circuit
Tue - Cardio
Wed- Active Recovery
Thu - Full Body Strength Circuit
Fri - Cardio
Sat- Full Body Strength Circuit
Sun - Active Recovery

There is plenty of chest work within this program to grow a bigger chest (1 chest exercise each workout day.) However, you always have the option to add more work in your 10-15 min freestyle if you wish.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted on your results!