John Romaniello And Matt McGorry's Super Hero Workouts Review By Mike Westerdal of CriticalBench.com
Unless you've spent the last ten years or so living under a rock, there's a really good chance you're aware of at least some of the 'super hero' movies that have been released. The movies keep coming out so they must be popular. In fact, there have been so many that they're going to run out of super heroes soon. One thing that nearly all super heroes have in common is a killer, buff body. Popularity with the ladies is another common trait shared by just about every super hero to hit the big screen.
Because they want that same kind of attention, millions of guys try to tailor their workouts so they have that 'super hero' look. It's tough though because you've really got to hit the right mix of size, strength and definition to do it right. Now, there's a new way to achieve the super hero look without all the guess work. John Romaniello and Matt McGorry have hit upon a training formula for ordinary everyday guys to build super hero bodies. Their program is entitled The Super Hero Workout Training Manual.
The book opens with a quick discussion about the super hero 'look.' If you want to have the body of a super hero you'll need big, well-defined shoulders, a broad back, powerful arms, a muscled chest and a lean waist. You'll also need muscular, defined legs. The secret however is in getting the proportions right. Sure, you want a head-turning body, but you also don't want to look out of place when wearing a suit or just dressing up for a night on the town. Remember that most super heroes successfully passed as 'ordinary guys' when they weren't busy doing super hero-type things.
To set you on the right path John and Matt have developed a program that is designed to maximize your efforts and help make sure you build muscle in all the right places while shedding excess body fat too. There are two primary components to the program: 1) three-point tempo prescriptions; and 2) four-point tempo prescriptions. Both of these refer to the speed at which you perform the movements.
The overall program is broken down into four phases, each of which builds on the previous phase. Fair warning--if you really want to have the body of a super hero you better be prepared to work for it because John and Matt aren't promising to hand you a jaw-dropping muscular physique on a silver platter.
Phase one of the program is focused on building power and strength. John and Matt's Super Hero Workout allows you to develop both of these simultaneously. This is accomplished by combining heavy, 'grinding' workouts with lighter, speed-based workouts. You stick with phase one workouts for three weeks, setting the stage for moving into phase two.
In the second phase of the program you switch to density training. One of the key objectives here is to ramp up the body's testosterone production, which not only leads to bigger, stronger muscles, but it also helps you to shed unwanted body fat. Phase two only lasts for two weeks but includes unilateral exercises to build stability and strengthen the core and plyometrics, which helps you build explosive power. The routines in phase two are quick, but don't be fooled by the speed--they're grueling and will quickly wear you out.
Next, you're ready to move into phase three, which is the growth part of the Super Hero Workout program. Phase three leverages the gains you've made in endurance in the two previous phases and helps you add mass in the quickest way possible. During this phase, you switch to a four-day split schedule. Phase three lasts for four weeks.
Then we come to phase four--the final phase where the focus is on shedding excess body fat. It's not just about fat loss though because it's also designed to make sure you don't lose any of the gains you've made in the last three phases. Phase four lasts for three weeks, which brings the entire program to 12 weeks.
To make sure keep your super hero look, John and Matt include five different 12- and 16-week follow-up training schedules. These rotate through the different phases helping you maintain the lean muscle mass while minimizing the likelihood that you'll over train or hit a plateau.
In my opinion, John and Matt have developed a solid program. They are both excellent trainers who know what works. With Super Hero Workouts they've developed a realistic, easy-to-follow program that can help just about any guy to develop a super hero body. Even better, the program is also designed to work for women too--that way you and your girl can both have super hero bodies.
