Demand Justice
Some years ago one of the fitness magazines asked me to write something about training Jason Momoa for Justice League. I usually decline such honors but decided to humor them if they published the training sessions I wrote up verbatim. Of course they agreed, and then did what they wanted, which was close but they had to use magazine—speak and that rendered some concepts unclear. I have included the prescriptions in my normal format for the sake of this piece, and it should be understandable to anyone familiar with the Space Program or workouts we have posted elsewhere in the past.
The caveat here is that these sessions require an unusual gym space: one with 15—20m of turf as well as cable crossover and quad extension machines. To achieve the isolation work necessary there are no useful substations equipment-wise.
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I first met Jason Momoa in Detroit when he was preparing for his cameo in Batman vs. Superman. The common language of climbing jump-started our friendship. He told me he had hidden my first book, “Extreme Alpinism,” in a math textbook to read at school, back when he first started rock climbing, so when Batman vs. Superman director Zack Snyder told him I handled the physical training for his movies, Jason was surprised and excited.
During that job, Jason coaxed me into visiting Planet Rock, a Detroit-area climbing gym. I was out of shape for it, but he was patient and his enthusiasm for climbing was contagious. I hadn’t realized how I missed it or that I could climb again without it being my identity. Sometimes the student may also a teacher.
Two years later we started work on Justice League. I linked up with Jason in Newfoundland in February 2016. He was shooting the last few episodes of Frontier, the Netflix series where he plays an outlaw in the 1700s fur trade wars. Because of the many, varied demands on his time, I had to be flexible. My usual meticulous planning went out the window. Instead, we used the deadlines for when he had shirtless scenes or extremely difficult fight scenes to guide the ebb and flow of workout intensity.
I worked around Jason’s social schedule and adapted the weight training to accommodate his desire to climb at the indoor rock gym 2-3 days per week. We battled constantly with competing demands: Jason needed size for his role as Aquaman, but when climbing, being lighter is paramount. High training volume was necessary to make and solidify change so recovery practices, which were handled by his assistant, Damian - a massage and physical therapist - were critical. Of course, so was his diet.
It’s no secret that Jason loves Guinness so generally, I restricted solid carbohydrates unless needed to fuel a particularly intense day of training or recovery. I would observe and count, and interview, and then have the chef adjust total calories and macros according to what was actually happening during the day or week. I call it ‘supervised freedom’.
A successful outcome depends on honest communication and self-awareness: know what, when, and how much you are eating. More importantly, know how it affects you. Be sensitive to it. Question everything. Take responsibility. If you are dissatisfied with your current condition, then something you are doing is the cause. You did this. Own it. Change it.
Leaning out for shirtless scenes and dropping weight for rock climbing are functionally synonymous. Increase the low-intensity volume. Impose high-intensity peaks that bump post-exercise metabolic rate for a few hours but keep them short to avoid jacking up appetite. Reduce caloric intake. Eat carbs only before and after training but restrict them otherwise and … stop drinking alcohol for the period leading up to a shirtless scene or climbing trip.
We balanced weightlifting with climbing: we didn’t fatigue climbing muscles the day before a session in the rock gym but instead focused on chest, shoulders and legs. Finally, the movements and combinations had to be fun, and sometimes novel; treat training as play and it will never be a drag or feel like work. The workouts were a mix of functional, whole-body movements combined with isolation exercises and drop sets more commonly associated with bodybuilding.
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Here’s a look at one sample chest workout, and one lower body session.
MF CHEST DAY
Bench Press Cluster Set:
6x Incline Bench Press @ about 70% 1RM +
12x Standing Dumbbell Press (load should become difficult by the 8th rep) +
24x Push—up
Five sets, rest 2—3 minutes between sets
* If this is too easy do Ring Push—ups, full ROM, of course
Then:
Cable Machine Drop Sets:
6x High—angle Fly (load should be very difficult for 8—9 reps) +
Reduce weight, maybe two plates +
12x High—angle Fly +
Reduce weight, 2—3 plates +
18x High—angle Fly
Rest only as long as it takes to strip plates between subsets, or better yet, have someone quickly do that for you to reduce rest
Reposition quickly and reset load (usually higher for this as angle is more accommodating)
6x Mid—angle Fly (load should be very difficult for 8—9 reps) +
Reduce weight, maybe two plates +
12x Mid—angle Fly +
Reduce weight, 2—3 plates +
18x Mid—angle Fly
Rest only as long as it takes to strip plates between subsets
Reposition quickly and reset load
6x Low—angle Fly (load should be very difficult for 8—9 reps) +
Reduce weight, maybe two plates +
12x Low—angle Fly +
Reduce weight, 2—3 plates +
18x Low—angle Fly
Rest only as long as it takes to strip plates between subsets
Now rest 4—5 minutes and repeat the droplet series.
And just like that, you should be SWOLE
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MF LEG DAY
20—meter Sled Push @ 2x 45lbs (high hand position, i.e. relatively upright body) +
20—meter (backward) Sled Pull @ 2x 45lbs (use strap with handles or a fat rope) +
Seated Quad Extension Drop Set:
6x Extension with each leg (load should be very difficult for 8—9 reps) +
Reduce weight, maybe two plates +
12x Extension with each leg +
Reduce weight, 2—3 plates +
18x Extension with each leg
Rest 2—3 minutes
Do five rounds total and add one 45lb plate to the sled with each round
Then:
40m Walking Lunge @ 2x 40—50lb DBs +
10x Bulgarian Split Squat (start with non—dominant leg forward) +
10—sec hold at bottom after 10th rep +
10x Bulgarian Split Squat (dominant leg forward) +
10—sec hold at bottom after 10th rep
Rest 2—3 minutes between rounds
Five rounds total
If you’re brave enough to choose “transformative” loads for the Sled and Quad Extension, and strict with the Split Squat and hold in bottom position this should deliver the DOMS you have been craving — because that’s how you know the work is working.
