Captain America Workout

Welcome to our Old Glory Captain America Workouts. As a long-time comic book aficionado, these workouts are a tip of the hat to Marvel’s shield-slinging patriot. A grueling workout with lethal finishers. Go hard or go home!!

Click the link below to skip the introduction and go straight to the workout!

Introduction

Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. In the Marvel stories, the original Captain America is the alter ego of Steve Rogers. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (cover dated March 1941) from Timely Comics (a predecessor of Marvel Comics). Captain America was designed as a patriotic supersoldier who often fought the Axis powers of World War II and was Timely Comics’ most popular character during the wartime period. The comic was discontinued in 1950, Marvel Comics revived the character in 1964 and Captain America has remained in publication since.

Steve Rogers

Steven Rogers was born in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, in 1920 to poor Irish immigrants. By early 1940, before America’s entry into World War II, Rogers is a tall, scrawny fine arts student specializing in illustration and a comic book writer and artist. Disturbed by the devastation of Europe by the Nazis, Rogers attempts to enlist but is rejected due to his frail body.

Becoming the Sentinel of Liberty

His determination to enrol attracts the notice of U.S. Army General Chester Phillips and ‘Project: Rebirth’. Rogers is selected as a test subject for the Super-Soldier project, receiving a special serum made by scientist Abraham Erskine. The serum is a success and transforms Steve Rogers into a nearly perfect human being with peak strength, agility, stamina, and intelligence.

The US government casts Rogers as a patriotic superhero, able to counter the menace of the Nazi’s as a counter-intelligence agent. He is supplied with a patriotic uniform of his own design, a bulletproof shield, a personal side arm, and the codename Captain America, while posing as a clumsy infantry private at Camp Lehigh in Virginia. He forms a friendship with James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes.

Franklin D. Roosevelt presents Captain America with a new shield, forged from an alloy of ‘Adamantium’ and ‘vibranium’, (indestructible metals in the Marvel Universe). The shield is so effective as a weapon that it replaces his own firearm.

Over time Cap’ gains a wealth of combat experience in the trenches taking the fight to the Nazis. Captain America possesses excellent hand-to-hand combat skills, with knowledge of a range of martial arts. He is a tactical genius with extensive combat experience.

WWII, the Nazis and the Red Skull

Throughout World War II, Captain America and Bucky fight the Nazi menace both on their own and as members of the superhero team the Invaders as seen in the 1970s comic of the same name. As well as his wartime duties, Captain America battled a number of criminal menaces on American soil.

As well as the Nazi’s, Rogers has to content with HYDRA (a fictional terrorist organization). Originally a Nazi organization during World War II, that evoles into a Neo-Nazi international crime syndicate after the war. Hydra’s plans for world domination are regularly foiled by Marvel Universe superheroes such as Cap and the Avengers. Hydra was led by a man known as ‘the Red Skull during WWII.

The Red Skull aka Johann Shmidt was a Nazi general officer and confidant of Adolf Hitler. He has been closely affiliated with HYDRA and is an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and the interests of the United States and the free world in general. He was physically augmented by having his mind placed into the body of a clone of Captain America, the pinnacle of human perfection. He has been seemingly killed in the past, only to return time and time again to plague the world with schemes of world domination and genocide. Captain America has had close encounters with the villain since the war and right up into modern times.

Frozen

In late April 1945, during the closing days of World War II, Captain America and Bucky try to stop the villainous Baron Zemo from destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launches the plane with an armed explosive on it with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. The pair reaches the plane just before takeoff. When Bucky tries to defuse the bomb, it explodes in mid-air. Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Both are presumed dead, though it is later revealed that neither had died.

Return

Years later, the superhero team the Avengers composed by Iron Man Giant-Man, Wasp and Thor discovers Steve Rogers’ body in the North Atlantic. After he revives, they piece together that Rogers has been preserved in a block of ice since 1945, surviving because of his enhancements from Project: Rebirth. In time, the revived Rogers accepts membership into the Avengers. His experience in individual combat service and his time with WWII superhero teams makes him a valuable asset. He quickly assumes leadership and has typically returned to that position throughout the team’s history.

The character’s appeal is that in a modern world Rodgers often struggles to maintain his ideals as a man out of his time. He has old-fashioned ‘all American’ values which often brings him into conflict with enemies foreign and domestic. Indeed, Cap is as likely to be taking on alien races as being involved in espionage-type activities against shady government agencies with murky agendas. He has a never say die mentality, will stand by his team regardless of the odds and refuses to turn his back on his morals and standards. He remains a highly respected figure both with the American public and in the superhero community, which includes becoming the long-time leader of the Avengers.

Captain America has remained in publication and the character has been in a number of his own movies as well as the Avengers movies.

“I can do this all day.”

― 'Steve Rogers (Captain America)'

The Circuits

About the Workout:

The Captain America workout runs from Monday to Sunday. 5 days of training and 2 days of active rest/optional cardio. The workouts are a combination of targetted upper/lower body workouts and whole body circuits. Mid week is a core session mixed with some cardio in the form of running and heavy bag work/shadowboxing. The workout is aimed at hypertrophy gains, lean muscle mass and fat loss.

Equipment required:

This workout predominantly uses bodyweight exercises amd traditional weights, dumbbells, barbells and resistance machines. It also includes a lot of body weight and core exercises. Don’t worry if you don’t have to have some of the equipment, improvise with what you do have. See our section here on improvised gym equipment.

Workout Tips

The workout contains 5 x circuits Mon-Fri. 1-day upper body, 1-day lower body, 1-day core, and 2-day whole body circuits. Active rest days are Saturday and Sunday.
Undertake the programme for 4-6 weeks.
For the weighted exercises, find 75% of your 1RPM for each exercise. That is your baseline.
With each set/session look to gradually increase the weight.
Make your way steadily through the exercises.
Concentrate on good effort and technique and try not to exceed rest times.
60-90 secs recovery between weighted exercises.
No rest between core exercises.
At the end of each workout is a ‘finisher’ This is cardio in the form of post-exercise runs and martial arts drills. Complete this for the extra calorie burn.
Use the workouts for 4-6 weeks until you plateau then change things up again.
The Captain America workout is aimed at both Endurance and hypertrophy gains.

Warm ups

(Always warm up before starting any routine). Start by performing mobility drills on shoulders, hips, ankles, wrist and neck muscles. Use light core stretches to activate the muscle groups we shall be using.

After mobility drills use three rounds of the warm-up drills below.

Monday: Upper Body

Warm-up sets: For all resistance-type exercises undertake 2x warm-up sets at a much lighter weight before undertaking the main circuit.

Resistance: 70% of 1RPM as a baseline. Increase weights by increments with each set. Note the weight used and aim to go slightly heavier with each weekly session.

1. Bench Barbell press – 3 sets of 12 reps.

2. Incline Barbell press – 3 sets of 12 reps.

3. Seated shoulder press – 3 sets of 12 reps.

4. Shoulder/Deltoid Complex 3 sets of 10 reps each. Move from one exercise straight to the next.

Front raises.
Lateral Raise.
Reverse Flys.

5 – Triceps/Biceps Superset. 3 sets of 12 reps.

Barbell curls.
Bodyweight triceps dips.

6 – Triceps/Biceps Superset. 3 sets of 12 reps.

Hammer curls.
Overhead dumbbell extensions.

7. Back extension – 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

8. Lat pull down – 3 sets of 12 reps.

9. Face pulls- 3 sets of 12 reps.

10. Good mornings with Barbell – 3 sets of 12 reps.

Finisher:

11. Cardio: 10 mins – Interval training on the treadmill or outdoors.

Tuesday: Whole Body AMRAP Circuit

This circuit is an AMRAP workout (As Many Reps As Possible – for 30 minutes). Work through the list of exercises, completely all reps and sets. Once you have finished, return to the first exercise. Continue until the time has expired.

Pull-ups – 6-8 reps.
Sandbag shouldering 5 reps on each side.
Burpees – 15 reps.
Push-ups – 15 reps.
Bodyweight inverted rows – 15 reps.
Mountain climbers – 40 reps.
Bear Crawls – 30 secs.
Zercher squats – 15 reps.
Dumbbell dynamic lunges – 10 reps on each side (20 total).
Sprints – 25 metres and return.

Finisher:

Martial Arts (Bagwork of shadowboxing) – 5 rounds of 2 minutes. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, defense. All out for each round.

Wednesday: Core Circuit

Note: Planks and reverse planks – 20 secs hold between each exercise. (For example, do exercise 1 then plank for 20 seconds; then do exercise 2 then reverse plank for another 20 seconds and so on.)

Weighted Sit-ups – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Bicycle crunches – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Lying floor leg raises – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Weighted crunches – 3 sets of 10 reps
Hanging knees to chest – 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Hanging knees obliques – 3 sets of 20 reps (10 on each side).
Flutter kicks – 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Windshield wipers – 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Woodchoppers – 3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.

Finisher: Cardio – 10 Min Jog outdoors or on Treadmill. Add speed intervals and inclines to make it more challenging.

Thursday: Lower body

Warm-up sets: For all resistance-type exercises undertake 2x warm-up sets at a much lighter weight before undertaking the main circuit.

Resistance: 70% of 1RPM as a baseline. Increase weights by increments with each set. Note the weight used and aim to go slightly heavier with each weekly session.

Deadlift – 4 sets of 15 reps.
Back Squats – 4 sets of 12 reps.
Front-squat – 4 sets of 12 reps.
Leg press – 3 sets of 10 -12 rep.
Bulgarian split squat – 3 sets of 12 reps.
Seated leg curls – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Seated leg extension – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Standing calf raises – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Lateral squat – 3 sets of 12 reps.
Adductors – 3 sets of 15 reps.
Abductors – 3 sets of 15 reps.

“That's America's ass!!.”

- Scott Lang (Ant-man referring to Captain America's rear)

Finisher:

Martial Arts (Bagwork of shadowboxing) – 5 rounds of 2 minutes. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, defense. All out for each round.

Friday: Whole Body AMRAP Circuit

Chin-ups – 6-8 reps.
Triceps dips – 15 reps.
Jump squats – 12 reps
Box jumps – 10 reps.
Battleropes – 20 seconds fast waves/20 secs slams.
Crocodile walks – 30 seconds.
KB swings – 15 reps.
Med Ball slams – 15 reps.
Weighted step-ups – 6-8 reps per leg.
Push Press – 10 reps.

Finisher: Cardio – 10 Min Jog on Treadmill. Add speed intervals and inclines to make it more challenging.

Saturday – Active Rest

Rest. Stretch. Do some soft tissue work. Optional cardio (see below).

Sunday – Active Rest

Rest. Stretch. Do some soft tissue work. Optional cardio (see below).

Nutrition

All the exercise in the world won’t help if you are not eating correctly. To maximise the gains from this workout, eat little but often.

Water– Throughout the day (between 1.5-2 litres).
Breakfast – Porridge with nuts and berries.
Morning snack – Hemp or a whey-based protein shake with Branched-Chain Amino Acid intake (BCAA).
Pre-workout snack – Fruit and nuts.
Post-workout snack – Banana.
Lunch – Chicken/turkey salad with a light portion of carbs (lentils, basmati rice or sweet potato).
Afternoon snack – Protein shake.
Dinner – Lean protein (i.e. fish, chicken, or beef) with vegetables of choice.
Before bedtime – Greek yoghurt with nuts and honey.