The Bane Prison Workout: How to Get Jacked in Confinement
It seems you guys and gals have been enjoying the bodyweight routines, so we are now adding Bane to the lineup!
In this segment of the Superhero Training series, we are going to go over exactly how you can build a strong physique with nothing but your body weight - as if you were confined in a prison cell like Bane!
We've covered a solid amount of DC Characters - including Batman, Superman, Nightwing, Red Hood, Batman Beyond, and Deathstroke! Feel free to tune into those articles after this one.
Now, let's break down Bane, starting with the physique ranking!
Bane Physique Ranking
Over at Action Hero Athletics, we devised a system for physique analysis. We call it the attainability scale.
This system helps us discover the realistic aspects of a character's physique and if it is genuinely realistic/attainable.
Tier 1: Realistically achievable (Natty)
Tier 2: Giga Genetics (Natty, but maybe not as easily attainable)
Tier 3: Not natty (requires PED's for maintenance)
Bane's physique is placed in the Tier 2 category - Giga Genetics.
Tier 3 Bane got addicted to that secret sauce. But since this is strictly based on his time in confinement, we are placing that version of his physique in the Tier 2 category!
When you consider building a physique like Bane during his cycle, the average natty can't achieve it. But when we take a look at his body composition during his earlier years, it's a pretty doable physique.
But I'm sure y'all want to see us cover the juiced-up version of Bane. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you all want to see that in a future episode!
Here are some factors that place him in this tier:
Bane's aesthetic physique: In my personal opinion, this is as aesthetic as he gets. He had a much leaner physique, with less excessive proportions and functionality.
Realism: The hard truth about fitness is, that certain physiques are impossible. But this one is more on the balanced side, making even an inspired physique achievable for the average Joe.
Athletic Build: Unlike the bulkier look Bane has throughout the comics, his prison physique is unironically a whole lot more appealing given the athletic aspect of his physique (unless you actually want to be a jacked behemoth).
Height and Proportions: His height gives him a huge plus in his body composition, standing at around 6'5-'8 which compliments his physique well. This is the biggest factor that places him in Tier 2. Combine that with balanced proportions and you have a certified aesthetic physique.
Bane Training Principles
This is the part where we break down exactly how he trained.
Let's take a look at some of Bane's training principles.
Bane's Strength Training
Bane's strength training was actually super simple and straight to the point. As seen in the comics, he did exactly as follows - 1000 pushups, 1000 situps, and 1000 squats.
Yep, we are definitely thinking the same thing - "No legs?"
Don't worry, we will add some for y'all in the workouts.
Bane's Meditation and Focus
As his physique improved, so did his mind. Bane was in a constant state of meditation. Considering he had no access to anything, he was constantly in his own space, giving him the opportunity and time to be in tune with his mind.
Now, let's see what it would take to train like Bane if we were to do it in real life - minus the prison part, of course.
How to Train Like Bane in Real Life
From a gym bro's perspective, here is what we will need to build a Bane workout plan:
Bane Strength Training
So as mentioned earlier, Bane's training approach was super basic, only implementing 3 different movement patterns into his daily routine. Throughout the training plan, we will also implement 3 different movement patterns - pull, push, and legs. We will start with doing 80-100-150 reps of each category. This is easily the best way to track rep range. Throughout the training, we will switch grips, apply different variations of each workout, and increase the rep range by 10-25 every 4-6 weeks.
Achieving Bane's Intelligence
While this is optional, it is also super helpful when training. You can apply different meditation techniques, yoga, and more.
Now, let's get into training!
Day 1: Bane Prison Strength Workout
Round 1:
Pull-ups: 1 x 40
Pushups: 1 x 50
Squats: 1 x 75
Rest 1-2 minutes
Round 2:
Inverted Row: 1 x 40
Diamond Pushups: 1 x 50
Lunges: 1 x 75
Cooldown
Day 2: Bane Active Recovery
Choose 1 out of the different recovery methods:
Yoga
Shadowboxing
Meditation (Body scan meditation)
Day 3: Bane Prison Strength Workout
Round 1:
Chin-ups: 1 x 40 reps
Decline Pushups: 1 x 50 reps
Split Squats: 1 x 75 reps
Rest for 1-2 minutes
Round 2:
TRX Curl: 1 x 40 reps
Pseudo Push Ups: 1 x 50 reps
Hindu Squats: 1 x 75 reps
Cooldown
Day 4: Bane Active Recovery
Choose 1 out of the different recovery methods:
Yoga
Shadowboxing
Meditation (Body scan meditation)
Day 5: Bane Prison Strength Workout
Round 1:
Wide Grip Pull Ups: 1 x 40 reps
Incline Pushups: 1 x 50 reps
Box Jumps: 1 x 75 reps
Rest 1-2 minutes
Round 2:
Towel Pull-Ups: 1 x 40 reps
Wide Pushups: 1 x 50 reps
Knee Raises: 1 x 75 reps
Cooldown
Bane Prison Workout: Additional Resources