Hero’s Body: Get the Spiderman Physique

How did Tom Holland get buff for the Spiderman movie (and also pull Zendaya)?

If you’re a film buff looking for inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

If a 300-style Greek God look isn’t your thing and you’re more of a Marvel fan, look no further.

We’ve got you covered with a Spiderman-inspired training program that can take your body to one of heroic proportions.

Keep reading to get acquainted with the Spiderman training program that just may help you save the world.

Tom Holland Spiderman Training Program

What did Tom Holland do to train for Spiderman?

The actor crushed some serious workouts with trainer George Ashwell to take on the titular Spidey role in Spiderman: Far From Home.

Holland himself grew up doing dance and gymnastics, so he was already athletic and agile.

If your Spidey senses are signaling to you that this is the year to get jacked, look no further.

We’ve got a rundown of the Tom Holland Spiderman physique and diet plan.

6-Week Spiderman Workout Plan

In 6 weeks before filming, Holland had to get buff enough to fill out his Spiderman suit.

With a background in dance and gymnastics, Tom Holland was already athletic and adept at working with his body weight.

For filming, trainer George Ashwell said, the aim was to get Holland to fill out his costume and prepare for one major shirtless scene in the film. The actor wanted to pack on some muscle to enhance his body, giving him a bigger look.

Holland gained about 7kg (14 pounds) for his Spiderman role.

How to Train Like a Movie Star

Ashwell mainly works with actors who are preparing for roles that require body transformation. As a trainer, he is known for getting clients project-based results quickly and efficiently. He usually takes on a client for a 6-8 week stint, cranking up the volume on their workouts before a big project.

Now, let’s examine a few key moves Tom Holland crushed to get buff for Spiderman. We’ll look at how you can work them into a training routine.

Keep in mind that Tom Holland performs this routine as a circuit: He does each exercise (4 exercises) one after the other with 30-second rests in between for 5 rounds. This breakdown offers variations for both circuit training and a straight set structure.

Circuit training can be beneficial to incorporate into your training routine to improve oxygen uptake. It may also help you improve your one-rep max in skills like the bench press.

Deadlift

First off, the deadlift is one move to master if you want to build a Spiderman physique.

Tom’s training: Try this lift for 8-10 reps of 2x your body weight.

Most sources say that Tom Holland weighs around 65-70kg (142-154 pounds), so he is considered on the lean side.

You’ll have to adapt the weight calculations to suit your body but aim to increase the load on your deadlift until you can comfortably lift your weight.

To deadlift properly:

• Load a heavy weight onto your barbell.
• Grip the barbell and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Your shins should be almost touching your barbell.
• Pick up your weight, keeping your core engaged and back straight. Make sure your shoulders are strong and not hunching over.
• Drive through your feet, pushing your butt backward to lift your weight off the ground. Keeping your arms and legs straight, use the legs to pull your weight up.
• When your barbell passes your knees, squeeze the buttocks at the top of your movement.
• Hold for a pause, then slowly hinge at your hips to push your butt behind you, bringing your weight back down.
• At the bottom of the movement, do not put your barbell back on the floor (unless you’re training a one-rep max), but continue for reps.
• If you are new, try 3-4 sets of 10 reps with light weight. You may want to aim for heavier weights at 4 sets of 6 reps if you have more experience.

Pronated Incline Dumbbell Press

One of the goals in Tom Holland’s weight training routine was to get bigger along the upper chest area for scantily clad scenes.

Working at an incline helps you target the upper part of your Pectoralis major (upper pecs). The pronated (overhand) grip focuses even more on pec isolation, so you get the big upper chest look that will make you stun like a superhero.

Tom’s training: Perform 10 reps with half your body weight in each hand.

To perform a pronated incline press:

• Grab a weight bench and set it up on a 45-degree incline.
• Grab your dumbbells and draw your hands into your shoulders with elbows pointing down and tucked in against your ribs. Your dumbbells should be sticking out from your body at a 45-degree angle here.
• Press your dumbbells up above your chest, straightening your arms. Be careful not to let your wrists flop backward or rotate inward.
• At the top of your movement, bring the dumbbells close together. They should almost touch at the top.
• Hold for a moment, then bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells back towards the sides of your chest, completing one rep.
• Repeat as needed. If you’re new or training for hypertrophy, try 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with medium weight. For a strength-focused move, try 3-4 sets of 5-6 heavy reps.

Dip Bar Straight Leg Raise

Next up, we can see that not only does the Spiderman physique require perfect pecs, but amazing abs are a key ingredient as well.

To work the muscles of the core, Tom Holland focused on bodyweight abdominal exercises to create some serious definition.

Tom’s training: Perform 15 reps.

For a dip bar straight leg raise:

• From a leg raise machine, grab the vertical handles with your back pressed against the backplate.
• Engage your core, keeping a neutral spine.
• Hinge at your hips to lift the legs, keeping your back firmly planted.
• Use the handles for stability, but think about engaging your core and lifting your legs, not squeezing your hands. This helps you keep the integrity of your movement.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 12-15 reps if outside a circuit.

Note: If the straight-legged variation of this move is too challenging, try bending your knees. As you progress and gain strength, you can work up to a full leg raise with extended legs.

Tricep Dips

Moving forward, we have tricep dips. What’s good about attacking the Spiderman physique workout as a circuit is that you can simply flip your body around and stay on the same machine you use for leg raises!

Tom’s training: Perform 12 reps.

On the same leg raise machine:

• Turn around so the front of your body faces the backplate.
• Grab the horizontal handles with your wrists facing outward and your knuckles turned down toward the floor.
• Bend your elbows slowly as you lift your feet off the floor, engaging your triceps to hold your weight steady through this movement.
• At the bottom of this movement, use your strength to push up and drive through your triceps to extend your elbows and straighten your arms.
• Hold at the top for a moment, then bend back into the elbows for another rep.
• Repeat as needed. Aim for 3 sets of 10 reps.

Note: If you don’t have the tricep strength for full dips yet, most commercial gyms have assisted dip machines you can use.

These bear some of your body weight to lessen the effort in your movement. You can try them with resistance bands as well.

For another variation, try box dips. Plant the heels of your hands on a box or weight bench, then lower into your triceps, using your feet to support the movement.

If you want to do dips Spiderman-style, Tom Holland uses a weight belt attachment for extra resistance in this move. Once you’re experienced with dips, add a belt or weight plate for a heavier load.

Circuit Training Program

Note: For Spiderman training, Tom Holland performs the above workout as a circuit training routine with 30-second rest breaks in between sets of each movement.

We encourage you to experiment with both a traditional straight set structure (completing all your sets and reps of one move, then proceeding to the next) and circuit style (sequencing the moves one after another, so you spread them out) to see what works best for you.

Gymnastics and Calisthenics

Unlike many actors who train solely in the gym, Tom has a gymnastics background that he put to good use.

Tom Holland shows off his impressive ballet dance technique. His dance skills came in handy when getting in shape for Spiderman.

This guy can even pop out backflips! His athleticism is very impressive overall. If you want to work towards bodyweight moves like the ones Tom Holland does, we recommend trying out some calisthenics workouts.

These will not only get you buff but there are a lot of skill-focused workouts you can try, like the planche or muscle-up.

The Spiderman actor aces backflips, an impressive move that he learned from his gymnastics training.

Spiderman Diet

Although Holland has not confirmed that he followed a specific diet to get his Spiderman physique, he is known to follow a generally healthy food regimen.

This includes things like:

• Lean protein
• Healthy fats
• Complex carbohydrates

These staples, combined with adequate hydration help build lean muscle and decrease unhealthy body fat in most healthy individuals.

That being said, your nutritional needs can vary a lot, depending on your age, weight, fitness level and body type.

Make sure to talk to a doctor or sports nutritionist if you’re thinking about switching up your diet. Especially if you’re preparing for a short-term event like a fitness competition or even a starring movie role (look at you go!).

Big Picture

It’s important to maintain adequate nutrition and calories to support your body and work toward your personal fitness goals.

Whether your goal is weight loss, gaining weight, or muscle growth, it's easy to adapt this workout for different levels of physical activity.

Circuit training workouts and high intensity interval training are wonderful ways to get your heart rate up while gaining muscle.

Focus on full body workouts and resistance training at least 2-3 times a week. These will help you burn more calories or lose weight if that is a goal for you. Regardless, the Spidey training technique is great for your overall health!

Get those Spidey senses tingling. Flex offers an all-in-one workout platform to help you learn new exercises, visualize your fitness journey, and keep all your PRs in one place.

If you’re interested in more celeb-style workouts, try NFL legend Herschel Walker’s bodyweight-only workout. Think you could do thousands of sit-ups? Or maybe even 500 push-ups a day?

If you’re feeling a little lazy to work out too, we’ve got you covered. Working out with friends, or other simple motivational tips can get you up off the couch and exercising in no time.

We’ve made it simple to work on customized fitness plans or to introduce a little friendly competition to your fitness community by sharing exercises with your friends. Try it for free through the Flex fitness app.

References:

Muñoz-Martínez, F. A., Rubio-Arias, J. Á., Ramos-Campo, D. J., & Alcaraz, P. E. (2017). Effectiveness of Resistance Circuit-Based Training for Maximum Oxygen Uptake and Upper-Body One-Repetition Maximum Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47(12), 2553–2568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0773-4

Ramos-Campo, D. J., Andreu Caravaca, L., Martínez-Rodríguez, A., & Rubio-Arias, J. Á. (2021). Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biology, 10(5), 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10050377

Seo, D. I., Kim, E., Fahs, C. A., Rossow, L., Young, K., Ferguson, S. L., Thiebaud, R., Sherk, V. D., Loenneke, J. P., Kim, D., Lee, M. K., Choi, K. H., Bemben, D. A., Bemben, M. G., & So, W. Y. (2012). Reliability of the one-repetition maximum test based on muscle group and gender. Journal of sports science & medicine, 11(2), 221–225.

Solari F, Burns B. Anatomy, Thorax, Pectoralis Major Major. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525991/