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Train Like Batman
If you’re coming from the previous article explaining why Batman is a Tactical Athlete, this is the next part which includes the actual workout program and further reasoning behind it. If you haven’t checked that article out yet, I highly suggest going back and starting with it because it will explain the training philosophy behind this program in detail. Before we go any further, a few caveats are in order-
1- A fully comprehensive workout program that addresses all desired components will be months long (if not years) and will require looking at progressive overload, periodization, athlete training history, etc, etc. There are many factors taken into account in any training program, let alone one that attempts to cover all of the traits and skills presented here. That’s more than can possibly fit into a single article. However, what’s offered below is a starting point that will give you a good foundation in this style of training and will give you something to build off of.
2- THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER’S WORKOUT. I don’t want to put anyone off by that statement, so if you are new to lifting or haven’t run or worked out in a while, think of this program as something to work up to. After you’ve been lifting and doing some aerobic conditioning consistently for a while, then perhaps consider if you want to tackle this program head on.
3- Finally, I am not a medical professional, nor do I hold any credentials, although I have some limited experience training groups and individuals for the military. I’ve been testing this particular program out myself for a while now and have seen really good improvements in strength, work capacity, and aerobic conditioning. But I am not everyone. I don’t know your past workout history, injuries or imbalances you might have, etc. Consider these things before attempting the program and listen to your body. Adjust things down in intensity or duration if needed.
The Bruce Wayne Workout Program
Aims of The Bruce Wayne Workout
A workout program should be intentional so as to cultivate the tactical traits needed by the athlete. In Batman’s case, or yours if you want to train like him, he needs to cultivate the following components-
Maximal Strength
You knew this one already, right? Focus on increasing numbers on compound lifts such as the big 3, (squat, bench, and deadlift) as well as weighted pull-ups. As long as you feel good and like your body is keeping up, aim to add 5-10 lbs each week. There’s a lot of training involved in this program overall, so here we’ll keep the volume low and work up to a daily 3-rep max to start.
Improving Bruce’s maximal strength will give him some head room for when he needs to perform tasks that require submaximal strength. It will also train his phosphagen system, the body’s bioenergetic system for enabling short and intense powerful movements.
Carrying Load
This will primarily involve building a capacity for rucking, but will also include some other weighted carries such as farmer’s walks. This is going to build some aerobic endurance capacity as well as muscular endurance for the back and shoulders as they work to support the weight. The farmer’s walks will increase grip strength and endurance.
For the rucks, increase the time gradually by 10-15 minutes for each subsequent week, but keep the weight the same.
Running (or other Aerobic Conditioning)
Most of Bats’s night patrols are probably a long, uneventful slog. He’s hiking through the city’s sewers and swinging across its gothic architecture, all the time being as covert as he needs to be, just so he can get some decent detective work done. That’s what the running/aerobic conditioning is for. You’re building a strong aerobic foundation so that your heart gets efficient at keeping you going, whatever the activity. It’s the price of entry, because if going for miles at a slower pace does you in, you’re not going to have anything left for when the real action happens.
If you hate running you can substitute swimming, cycling, or rowing; basically any aerobic based activity that you can build on over time. For the runners and for the purposes of this routine, I recommend hopping on a specific running program and treating it as the separate component that it is. So if you begin a 10K or half-marathon program, then on run days you’ll just follow that program’s prescribed workout for the day. You’ll take a break to recover and then continue on with the strength work if programmed.
The run program you select will hopefully incorporate a few different run workout styles. The program I currently follow has the expected long run day, as well as a stride repeats day and a speed repeats day. These last two types of workouts get you used to running at faster paces and with a faster cadence. If anyone is curious, I am using the Garmin Coach through my Garmin watch and it’s the “Half-Marathon Plan with Coach Greg”.
Lastly, you’ll notice in the program that runs are programmed before the strength work. That is because I live in Texas and it gets pretty darn hot pretty darn quick. It’s best for me if I do the run first, although it’s not ideal for the strength work that follows. If you find that your aerobic conditioning is behind your strength levels or need to prioritize your runs over your strength work this could also make sense for you.
If the above situations don’t apply to you, feel free to move the run to the end of the workout (or even to later in the day).
Metabolic Conditioning aka Work Capacity
This component is meant to prepare Bruce for those nights when he suddenly has to sprint into action (and sustain it). A chase and/or a fight may be over in a matter of a few seconds or last as long as 10 minutes or more, but if you’ve ever gone as hard as you can for even 5 minutes you know…..well, it can feel like an eternity. High intensity bursts of energy are covered by 2 of the 3 energy systems that the body has- the phosphagen system and the glycolytic pathway.
The two programmed Metcons will help build these pathways and get the athlete used to moving weight (external or bodyweight) while under fatigue. One of these I’m calling the “Batcon”, as it’s lifted directly from the The Batman Files book. If you’re already doing a run program, as I am, you can substitute a 500m row or another aerobic activity in place of the run. I also recommend just starting with 3 rounds and progressing to 5 rounds over time. This is a good one to use as a benchmark workout. You can keep a record of how fast you complete x Rounds and see your improvement week to week.
Tips on Executing the Workout Program
Proper Specific Warmup
Warmup with movements that prepare the muscles involved in that day’s workout. Here you can perform any ab/core work as well as any specific rehab/prehab exercises or stretches you may do. You probably already know your problem areas, so make sure you prep appropriately for the day’s work. For myself, I know if it’s a bench day I’m going to be doing some neck and upper back stretches, and if it’s a lower body day I’m going to definitely do some light RDLs with just the bar, so I get my hamstrings and glutes warm and firing properly.
Recovery
This program includes a LOT of activity. Make sure you’re eating enough total calories as well as appropriate amounts of protein and carbs and a minimum of fat to support training. You’ll also need to make sure you take sleep seriously and get around 8 hours (or more). If you prioritize recovery you should feel strong and fit after a couple weeks. If you wake up feeling trashed then you are not recovering properly and need to revisit these principles.
Progression
Take about a month to acclimate to the program. If any of these training styles are new to you or if you haven’t combined them before it will definitely challenge your body to adapt. After a month or so, you’ll want to clarify what your goals are and make some adjustments. This is after all, only a starting point and you’ll need to change some things in order to keep progressing. If you want to build more muscle, pick a muscle group and gradually increase volume by one set per week. You’ll see that the current program prioritizes bench/shoulders, so if you want to build some leg muscle you can add some quad work and de-emphasize bench work.
In the section above labeled Maximal Strength, I mentioned keeping the volume low. However, if you feel you aren’t getting enough work on the main three lifts, you can experiment with doing 3 sets of 3. This is still pretty low volume and achieves a good balance between building strength and not overtaxing the central nervous system, or CNS.
You can also experiment some with the Metcons. I encourage you to research some and try substituting other Metcons for the ones programmed based on your goals. Or you can try subbing in specific exercises 1 for 1. Maybe drop a run day and put in some swimming. Aiming to hit a sweet spot between introducing variety and being consistent enough to track progress is a challenge, but I think it’s really rewarding in terms of results and morale.
Mission Go
Good luck! I’ve put a lot of thought into what this routine consists of and how to best balance it across the week. I hope you enjoy it and see some really good fitness and performance gains from it. Even so, I’ve undoubtedly missed some things. If you decide to give it a shot, drop me a line and let me know what you thought of it.
Covering these different training modalities should test your mettle, improve your fitness, and have you feeling as strong and capable as Batman himself. Now go get the work in! 🤘
