Dave Bautista Inspired Workout Program: Train Like Drax the Destroyer

In just a few weeks, Dave Bautista will be joining the Marvel universe once again on the silver screen as he portrays Drax the Destroyer for the third time.

And while we’ve come to know Drax as the laughing, super literal alien-being he is, his foe in Avengers: Infinity War is no laughing matter.

In fact, I’m pretty sure Thanos’ plan is to wipe out the majority of the universe. And with a pair of Infinity Stones already, he’s well on his way to achieving that goal.

So, while the Earth’s heroes and the galaxy’s guardians have been prepping to do battle, we’ve created a bunch of Avengers: Infinity War inspired workout programs to help get you ripped as well.

This week’s edition: Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer inspired workout!

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Introduction to the Dave Bautista Inspired Workout

Way before Bautista was a Hollywood action star, he was a multi-time WWE and Heavy Weight Champion with World Wrestling Entertainment.

And before that, he was a big bad ass bouncer.

Needless to say, the man is a genetic freak of nature who trains hard. And I mean HARD.

So, when developing a Bautista inspired workout, we already know this is going to be an advanced level workout program that is geared towards building lean muscle mass since Drax is shirtless throughout every single scene he is in.

Knowing everything we know about Dave Bautista, as well as digging around on the internet and social media, we designed a program inspired by him to help you maximize hypertrophy and build lean muscle mass.

And from all of that information, we can deduce the following principles about how Dave works out.

Dave Bautista Works with The Hypertrophy Coach

Plenty of actors work with a personal trainer to help them build muscle. Dave, on the other hand, goes to The Hypertrophy Coach.

Of course, we’re referring to master trainer Joe Bennett out of the MI40 gym in Tampa, Fl.

Joe is a renowned trainer known for his ability to help clients maximize their ability to put on muscle size. So, when Dave needed someone to help him build his physique back to the massive and shredded stature of Drax, he went straight to Joe.

If you’re not familiar with Joe, be sure to give him a follow on Instagram or check out his website. For under 10 bucks a month, you can get access to all kinds of material hand made by Joe including some of the ACTUAL exercises and workouts he puts Dave Bautista through.

Money well spent for sure.

Dave Bautista Maximizes His Training Frequency

While he might not be in the gym for hours on end like he used to be when professional wrestling, Dave still commits time to exercising during the course of the week.

And when it comes to building muscle, he knows how to maximize his training frequency while optimizing recovery so he can build the most muscle.

Dave uses a 3 on 1 off workout split which allows him to hit each muscle group twice per week (on most weeks) in a training strategy known as high frequency training.

Dave Bautista Has His Diet Locked In

You’re not going to be able to train as hard as Dave Bautista does, look shredded, and recover properly if you’re not eating according.

Ensure you’re getting enough calories by using our bmr calculator.

To build muscle and recover add ~300-500 to that number to create the calorie surplus needed to promote muscle gains.

Then to promote lean muscle growth and recovery make sure to eat ~0.7-1.0g of protein per lb of bodyweight.

Finally, to fill out the remaining macros of your diet, try to follow a 50-60% carbs, 20-25% protein, and 15-30% fat macro breakdown.

Aim to fill your needs by eating primarily whole food sources: Lean meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, and low fat dairy.

Dave Bautista is Consistent

There’s only one way to get to the level Dave Bautista has reached. It’s through consistent effort and hard work.

Bautista has been doing this for a long time. Clearly he has found the answer to staying motivated.

You can do the same, you just need to find what it is that truly motivates you.

Is it appearance goals? Is it strength based goals? Is it a combination of things?

Whatever it is, use it to achieve consistency in the gym and over time you’ll build lean muscle.

Dave Bautista Drax Inspired Workout

Below is a 12 week program inspired by Dave Bautista’s physique and is aimed to help you build lean muscle mass to look like the Guardians of the Galaxy star.

It is important to note that this isn’t Dave Bautista’s actual workout program.

However, it was designed with careful attention to detail based on information available on how Bautista trains and how his trainer, Joe Bennett, trains his clients.

The program is a 3 day on 1 day off split. Perform the workouts listed and rest the day after your third training session (on whatever day of the week that may fall on). In the example routine below, after the Sunday workout, you’d rest Monday and start the split over again Tuesday.

The program mixes a variety of rep ranges, but stays within the optimal range for hypertrophy to maximize muscle growth.

Rest periods will be brief. These workouts are fairly fast paced to provide a cardiovascular and conditioning element to the program. So, be sure to keep rest periods between 30-45 seconds after each lift.

Abs and forearms are trained indirectly. With this amount of volume and the compound lifts within the program, there really isn’t a need to add additional isolation exercises to the program.

On your off days focus on recovery. If you want to be active, do something very low in intensity such as walking, yoga, or a combination of the two.

Dave Bautista Workout Day 1: Back & Shoulders

Dave Bautista Workout Day 2: Chest & Arms

Dave Bautista Workout Day 3: Legs

Dave Bautista Workout Day 4: Off

Dave Bautista typically performs his workouts in a 3 days on 1 day off fashion. Be sure to take a rest day after this program’s day 3 and 7 workouts.

Given the high volume of this program, you shouldn’t try to add anything additional to this program.

Use your off days to perform soft tissue work (SMR) and light recovery walks to get the blood flowing to your muscles to help promote recovery.

Dave Bautista Workout Day 5: Back & Shoulders

Dave Bautista Workout Day 6: Chest & Arms

Dave Bautista Workout Day 7: Legs

Final Notes on the Dave Bautista Drax Inspired Workout

The 12 week workout program listed above was inspired by Dave Bautista’s workout and training habits.

If you have a goal to look as beastly as Dave in his portrayal of Drax the Destroyer, it is a solid workout option to help you reach your goals.

When performing this workout program, it is important that you eat enough to help assist with recovery. This means you’ll want to be in a calorie surplus during the 12 weeks you are performing the workout program.

For this particular program, go with a slightly greater calorie surplus of 300-500 calories. And be sure to consume your calories from predominantly whole food sources: Lean meats, healthy fats, whole grains and oats, fruits and veggies, and low fat dairy products.

With this amount of volume, you’ll want to be sure to maximize your sleep to get the best results. Aim to get at least 8-9 hours of quality sleep each night, and even more than that if possible.

Be sure to check out Dave Bautista (and the rest of the Marvel crew) in Avengers: Infinity War in theaters on April 27th.

And if you have any questions regarding the Dave Bautista inspired workout program, please feel free to leave us a comment in the comments section below!

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