Welcome to our Punisher Workouts. As a long-time comic book aficionado, these workouts are a tip of the hat to Marvel’s dark avenger. 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
Frank Castle (aka The Punisher) is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Once a decorated U.S. Marine with a happy life and family. Frank’s life is turned upside down after his family witnessed a mob hit in New York’s Central Park. Consequently, his wife and child are callously gunned down and he himself is left for dead.
Hell-bent on revenge, Castle vows to ‘punish’ all criminals in any way possible. Frank becomes a vigilante on a one-man crusade against crime. Using his extensive military training and experience to help him achieve his objectives. This includes training with U.S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper in Force Recon. It also includes several tours of duty in Vietnam/Afghanistan (this differs with the comic/tv show version of the character). Not afraid to get his hands dirty, Frank employs all means at his disposal. This includes acts of murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, intimidation, and torture in his campaign against crime.
Unlike most members of the Marvel universe, Castle has no special powers or abilities. Relying solely on his extensive special-op training, military combat skills, and a high degree of physical fitness. Castle is skilled in demolitions, hand-to-hand combat, guerrilla warfare, and marksmanship. The Punisher is famous for the skull motif on his chest, a symbol that is largely feared by the criminal underbelly of New York City.
The Punisher is perhaps one of the darkest Marvel characters. His tales are often, very gritty, urban-based, brutal, and laced with pitch-black humor. Working outside the traditional system of law and order and is cold-blooded and cruel when it comes to killing criminals. However, despite his sociopathic tendencies, Big Frank does have a tender side and tends to look after innocent civilians.
Taking out the trash, the Punisher cleans up New York City.
Castle has no alter-ego, he has no job, friends, and few allies. Spending most of his time planning his next hit, stopping only to recover from injuries or fatigue. Money taken from criminals is used to purchase food, weapons, ammunition, and pay the rent of his many safe-houses. He cares very little for what society thinks of him, but appears to respect the military and emergency services, but has been known to kill corrupt cops. The Punisher’s missions are always well planned and carried out with military precision and attention to detail. He is able to access and adapt to just about any situation and turn it to his advantage using only his skills and killer instinct.
Castle plans his ops with military precision, having contingency plans for every occasion.
Castle has an insane rogues gallery of villains all looking to put him in the grave. These range from out-and-out nutjobs like Jigsaw, Bullseye, and Barracuda to untouchable criminals like the Kingpin and Norman Osbourne.
‘Most’ of other members of the Marvel universe, view Castle as a sociopathic murderer, and will usually try to apprehend him. Often members of the superhero community (usually having some type of superhuman powers) have great advantages over him. Resultantly, Castle has to outthink them avoid being detained, often using their advantages against them. (For example, commandeering their technologies or manipulating situations to pit the superheroes against each other).
If Castle sets foot in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ he is almost sure to be going toe-to-toe against old friend/enemy Daredevil.
Some of the more ‘trigger-happy’ members of the marvel universe are sympathetic towards Frank. These include Elektra, Wolverine, Nick Fury, Black Widow, and the Ghost Rider. Castle has great respect for Captain America, so much so that he won’t even raise his hands to defend himself when confronted by him.
Captain America doesn’t agree with the Punishers outlook and lets him know.
The Punisher has been played by a number of actors including Dolph Lungren, Ray Stevenson, and Thomas Jane. More recently Jon Bernthal took on the role of Frank Castle featuring in Marvel’s Daredevil’ (2016) and his own ‘Punisher’ spin-off show (2017-2020) on Netflix.
"You know you are just one bad day away from being me"
― 'The Punisher'
Hope you enjoy the circuits!
The Circuits
About the Workout:
The Punisher workout is a workout that involves adding weight between reps but also dropping reps. As such it is aimed at both strength and hypertrophy gains. Not to neglect the cardio, there is a couple of roads runs with park exercises thrown in for good measure. Even the Punisher has to run sometimes!
Equipment required:
This workout predominantly uses traditional weights, dumbbells, barbells. 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 4 x circuits. 1-day upper body, 1-day legs, 1-day shoulders, and 1-day whole body.
- Core exercises are included in each circuit.
- 2 days during the week are set aside for cardio in the form of a park run.
- For the weighted exercises, find 70% of your 1RPM for each exercise. That is your baseline.
- With each set increase the weight, but drop the number of reps.
- 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’ circuit. Complete this for the extra calorie burn and to target your tired muscles one last time.
- Use the workouts for 4 weeks until you plateau then change things up again.
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.
Circuit 1: Upper Body
Warm-up sets: For exercises 1-5 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.
- Bench Press – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Incline Bench press – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Wide-grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Overhead Tricep Extension – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps
- Bent-over Rows – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Leg raises 3-15 reps.
- Scissor kicks 3-15 reps.
- Low plank 3×45 seconds.
Finisher:
- 5 x rounds.
- Push-ups x 15. Last set to failure.
- 30 x secs shadowboxing (punches/elbows only).
- 30 secs rest between rounds.
Circuit 2: Legs Circuit
Warm-up sets: For exercises 1-6 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.
- Back Squats – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Leg Press – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Box Jumps – 3 sets of 15.
- Split leg squats 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Straight leg Deadlifts 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Calf Raises – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Crunches – 3×15 reps.
- Back extensions 3×15 reps.
- High plank 3×45 seconds.
Finisher:
- 5 x rounds.
- Burpees x 15. Last set to failure.
- 30 x secs shadowboxing (kicks/knees only).
- 30 secs rest between rounds.
Circuit 3: Cardio
Park run
5 km/3 Mile Run
Include along the route:
- Pull-Ups – 4 sets of 10 reps
- Push-Ups – 4 sets of 25 reps
- Dips – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Circuit 4: Shoulders
Warm-up sets: For exercises 1-5 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.
- Military Press – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Close-grip Pull-Ups – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Arnold Press – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Lat Pulldowns – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- (Anterior Deltoids) Front Raises – 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
- (Lateral Deltoids) Side Raises – 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Slow bicycles 3 sets of 15 on each side.
- Rotating leg raises 3 sets of 15.
- Side plank dips 3 sets of 15 on each side.
Finisher:
- 5 x rounds.
- Pike push-ups x 15. Last set to failure.
- 30 x secs shadowboxing (punches/elbows only).
- 30 secs rest between rounds.
Circuit 5: Whole Body
Warm-up sets: For exercises 1-6 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.
- Clean & Presses – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Deadlift – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Weighted step-ups – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps (each side).
- Triceps extension – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Biceps curl/Hammer curl (10 each) – 3 sets of 20 reps.
- Australian pull-ups – 3 sets of 12-10-8 reps.
- Woodcutters – 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Weighted overhead crunches 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Shoulder tap planks – 3 sets of 10 taps (each side – 20 total).
Finisher: AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible – for 10 minutes).
- Wall Balls throws – 15 reps.
- Medicine Ball slams – 15 reps.
- Treadmill Sprints – 1-minute sprint.
Circuit 6: Cardio
Park run
8 km/5 Mile Run
Include along the route:
- Pull-Ups – 4 sets of 10 reps
- Push-Ups – 4 sets of 25 reps
- Dips – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Whichever workout you undertake
Remember to cool down, stretch and drink water!
Workout Complete!!
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