Superhero characters have become one of the top benchmarks guys use for #fitspo goals, and one defining characteristic of almost every powered-up do-gooder, from Superman to Captain America, is the big barrel chest and V-taper torso. So, most guys assume that the actors that play those character hit chest day with a tenacity that rivals their drive to fight crime—and that must mean endless reps of barbell bench press.
Personal trainer and F45 Chief of Athletics Gunnar Peterson, who has experience working with Hollywood muscle icons like Sylvester Stallone, Hugh Jackman, and more, says that’s not necessarily the case. There’s a lot more to building a superhero-caliber body than barbell bench pressing into oblivion.
“Some of the biggest lessons are that being consistent is going to outdo any trend or any fad out there. Whether it’s you as a trainer being consistent or the person training being consistent. That’s the only way you’re going to get where you’re trying to go,” he explains to Men’s Health. “[If I could only do one exercise for the rest of my life], it would probably be a dumbbell squat to a twisting press, because you are going to get lower extremity, upper extremity, core in rotation as well as it being a functional move because our bodies rotate and push and squat and stand all the time in real life.”
Check out his ultimate full-body workout below.