Navdeep
Who’s not impressed with Henry Cavill’s physical condition for the Man of Steel film? Obviously, No one! The Henry Cavill workout routine for Man of Steel allowed him to lean bulk the way it’s supposed to be done, he added muscle to the right areas while keeping his body fat under 10%.
Henry Cavill workout also allowed him to gain around 8 Kgs/18lbs of muscle in 9 months of training and preparation, bringing his body weight from a slim 79.4 Kgs to a very muscular 87.5 Kgs.
You might be surprised to hear that he was still under 90kgs at just over 6′1″ tall. If you maintain a low body fat and add muscle properly, you will almost always look 4-7Kgs bigger than you are. With elusive camera angels, Hollywood tricks and an extremely tight superman suit, you can create the illusion of looking 9-13Kgs bigger than you actually are.
For example, compare the two pictures below. Both are clips from the movie. On the left, Cavill looks completely jacked and around 102Kgs. On the right, Cavill looks at-least 10 Kgs smaller.
Henry Cavill Workout Routine
Henry Cavill’s training include a mix of tension work and pump work. Tension work involves heavy lifting with fewer reps and longer rest periods. The goal is to gradually increase the weight each week, which helps grow the actual muscle fibers.
However, to maximize muscle growth, you also need to perform pump work to increase the fluid within the muscle cells, also known as sarcoplasm.
This kind of muscle growth comes from doing more sets and reps with shorter rest between them. As a general rule, you should always do the tension lifting first and then follow that up with the pump lifting.
Workout A – Upperbody(Chest Emphasis)
| Incline Bench Press: 2 sets x 6-8 reps + 2 sets x 8-10 reps (2-3 mins rest between sets) |  |
| Seated Cable Rows: 2 sets x 6-8 reps + 2 sets x 8-10 reps (2-3 mins rest between sets) |  |
| Flat DB Bench Press: 4 sets – 12, 10, 8, 6 (30 seconds rest between sets) |  |
| Barbell Curls: 3 sets x 6-8 reps (2 minutes rest between sets) |  |
| Skull Crushers: 3 sets x 8-12 reps (2 minutes rest between sets) |  |
| DB Lateral Raises: 5 sets – 12, 10, 8, 6 + 12-15 (30 seconds rest between sets) |  |
Workout B – Legs and Abs
| Barbell Squats: 3 sets x 6-8 reps (3 mins rest) |  |
| Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets x 8-10 reps (2 mins rest) |  |
| Leg Extensions: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (90 seconds rest) |  |
| Calf Raises: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (60 seconds rest) |  |
| Hanging Leg Raises (feet to bar): 4 sets x 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest) |  |
| Abs Wheel Roll outs: 4 sets x 10-15 reps (60-90 seconds rest) |  |
Workout C – Upperbody(Shoulder Emphasis)
| Standing Barbell Press: 2 sets x 6-8 reps + 2 sets x 8-10 reps (2-3 mins rest between sets) |  |
| Weighted Pull ups: 2 sets x 6-8 reps + 2 sets x 8-10 reps (2-3 mins rest between sets) |  |
| Incline DB Bench: 4 sets – 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (30 seconds rest between sets) |  |
| Incline DB Curls: 3 sets x 6-8 reps (2 minutes rest between sets) |  |
| Cable Triceps Push Downs: 3 sets x 8-12 reps (1 minute rest between sets) |  |
| One Arm Cable Lateral Raises: 5 sets – 12, 10, 8, 6 + 12-15 reps (30 seconds rest between sets) |  |
Henry Cavill Workout Notes:
- Train three days a week on non-consecutive days (like Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
- Start each workout with two warm-up sets for the first two exercises—5 reps, then 3 reps—using heavier weights to prep for your work sets.
- For upper body workouts, perform two heavy sets of 6–8 reps for the first two exercises. Then reduce the weight by 10–15% and do two more sets of 8–10 reps.
- For the third upper body move, pick a weight you can lift for 12 reps. Stick with that weight and follow a 12, 10, 8, 6 rep pattern with just 30 seconds of rest between sets. The short rest will naturally lower your rep count and trigger sarcoplasmic growth.
- Apply the same pattern to lateral raises. After finishing the fourth set of 6 reps, drop the weight and complete a final set of 12–15 reps.
- On every movement, stop 1–2 reps short of failure. This helps prevent burnout while still building strength.
- A big part of the Henry Cavill method is tracking progress. Push a little harder each week—add a few more reps or bump up the weight. Keep challenging yourself and let the results follow.
Key Attributes Of The Man of Steel Physique
There are a few things going for Henry Cavill body that stands out, earning him the right to proudly wear the S on his chest.
What really stands out the most is his impressive shoulder-to-waist ratio. To get that kind of V-taper, you’ll want to focus on building a strong upper chest, broad back, and well-rounded shoulders—while keeping your body fat under 10%. Just adding muscle to those key areas can seriously transform how your physique looks. After that, it’s all about keeping the rest of your body balanced and in proportion.
Henry Cavill Musculation
Keeping body fat low comes with serious benefits. You’ll notice sharper muscle definition, more facial structure, and a tighter waistline. When you combine these with well-built muscle, you create a striking, superhero-like presence.
This is the essence of the Superhero physique. Now let’s break down each of these features and explore the fastest ways to achieve them.
1. You Need To Have A Wide Back
When it comes to building broad, powerful shoulders, it’s actually your lats that do most of the heavy lifting—literally. Developing big lats naturally makes your upper body look wider and gives you that strong V-taper. While training your shoulders does help, they’re a smaller muscle group and only grow so much. Your lats, on the other hand, are the largest muscles in your upper body and have tons of room to grow—making them the real game-changer for an impressive physique.
The fastest way to build up your lats is from heavy weighted chin ups. I recommend using a slightly wider than shoulder width grip to really hit your lats. All hand positions are effective (neutral, hands away and hands facing you).
Just make sure when you start adding weight that you’re using a high-quality weight belt that won’t get in the way or distract you from doing the exercise.
2. You Need A Big Upper Chest
Building up the upper chest can make a huge visual impact on your physique. It gives your chest a fuller, more lifted appearance and adds to that strong, masculine look. Focusing on this area can really elevate your overall shape and presence.
Unfortunately, great upper chest development is a rare thing to find today. This is for two reasons:
Firstly, most people are obsessed with the flat bench because they can lift more weight. To really develop great upper pecs you need to do most of your benching on an incline.
Secondly, most people aren’t lean enough and hold some fat in the lower chest, causing their upper chest to appear smaller. If you’re aiming to build a chest that really turns heads, staying lean is key—but so is training smart. Focus more on incline work than flat bench. A good rule of thumb is to do twice as many sets on an incline. For example, you might hit 6 sets of incline barbell or dumbbell presses, and just 3 sets on the flat bench. This helps target the upper chest, which gives your chest that high, sculpted look.
3. You Need To Build Round Shoulders
Think of your shoulders as the icing on the cake. When you have big lats and a great chest then round shoulders are the last piece of the puzzle. To develop round shoulders you need to do two things.
1) Heavy Shoulder Pressing: This includes all the variations—seated or standing, using dumbbells or a barbell, and even handstand push-ups. Heavy shoulder presses are key when it comes to adding overall mass to your shoulders and building that strong, well-rounded look.
2) High Volume Lateral Raises: Lateral raises are your go-to move for building the side (lateral) head of the shoulder—the part that really gives your shoulders that wide, capped look. Since this area doesn’t get fully activated during pressing exercises, it’s important to include isolation work in your routine. The lateral head responds especially well to high reps, lots of sets, and short rest periods—so don’t be afraid to crank up the volume!
4. You Need To Maintain a Taut Waist
Having a slim waist is what really takes your physique from good to great. Just trimming an inch off your waistline can make a dramatic difference in how defined and athletic you look. It sharpens your V-taper and makes your upper body pop even more!
In order to maintain a taut waist you need to avoid fat gain as you add muscle. My recommendation is to aim for 0.5 lbs of muscle per week. This is really the limit to how much muscle natural lifters can gain.
If you look at Henry Cavill Workout Routine, he gained 18 lbs in 9 months which is an average of 2 lbs per month. This is right at pace with what is achievable naturally.
What’s cool is that if Henry slims down for another role and then has to bulk back up for Man of Steel 2, he will be able to hit his goals much faster. This is because you can regain lost muscle much faster than trying to build muscle for the first time.
Which key attributes of the Superhero physique do you think is most important? Let me know in the comments below.
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