It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the second installment of the “Venom” movie series is expected to be released in fall of 2020. The first “Venom” movie hit theaters in October of 2018, and fans were buzzing about Tom Hardy’s muscular body.
Venom is one of the alien symbiotes who invade the earth and ends up bonding to news reporter Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy. In the movie, the character switches back and forth between the human form and the alien form. Venom character is depicted in the Marvel comic books as huge and muscular. Hardy got jacked for the role to achieve the proportions of Venom’s physique.
The 41-year-old actor has established himself as a body transformation expert in Hollywood. He bulked up and leaned down many times for his roles in movies such as “Bronson,” “Warrior” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Unlike his roles as Charles Bronson in the 2008 movie “Bronson” or as Bane in 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” Hardy kept his body fat fairly low during his bulk for “Venom.” This is exactly what the Kinobody Superhero Bulking Program teaches. Instead of focusing on the numbers and gaining as much weight as possible, this program shows you how to maximize muscle growth while maintaining a lean body.
The Hollywood superhero physique is not about sheer size. It’s about proportion and definition. Gaining muscle in the key areas such as the traps, upper chest and shoulders are what gives you the superhero look that is admired and respected.
Here are some more superhero-worthy workouts:
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How Big Is Tom Hardy in “Venom”?
Tom Hardy is 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. The British actor is roughly 10 percent body fat in this movie. Hardy has weighed anywhere between 150 pounds and 200 pounds throughout his career.
Tom Hardy used dirty bulking for his roles in “Bronson” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” where he got up to 200 pounds with 18-20 percent body fat. When he played an ex-marine MMA fighter in “Warrior,” he was down to 10 percent body fat…and it showed.
If gaining mass to look like Tom Hardy as Bane is your goal, eating a very high-calorie diet along with heavy weight training will get you there. However, in order to look like Tom Hardy in “Venom,” you need to find a happy medium; one where you increase muscle mass while keeping the body fat percentage around 10 percent.
Key Characteristics of Tom Hardy’s “Venom” Physique
The first thing that catches the eye in Tom Hardy’s physique is the huge traps. Hardy famously sports a thick neck and muscular traps. His strong back and lats give Hardy the V-shape upper body, completed by a taut waist.
At 5 foot and 9 inches, Hardy is not a tall guy. This surprises many people, considering he comes off as a “big guy” in most of his recent roles. Even though the camera angles and lighting play a role in this, achieving certain body proportions gives the illusion of size regardless of height.
Here are the superhero physique standards you should aim for in order to achieve the respected, even intimidating superhero body:
Superhero Status Ratios
- Waist: 45 percent of your height
- Shoulders: 73.5 percent of your height
- Chest: 63.5 percent of your height
- Arms: 23.5 percent of your height
The “Venom” Workout Routine
Over the course of his career, Tom Hardy managed to put on quite a bit muscle. When he was cast to play an MMA fighter for the movie “Warrior,” Hardy had to switch his training style to learn how to fight. Since then, he has been focusing on mixed martial arts training.
Boxing, kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu training help Hardy keep his body fat under control, but the style of training that gives him his muscular body is strength training with weights.
This eight-week long “Venom” workout routine is inspired by Tom Hardy’s physique in the movie; it incorporates the principles taught in the Kinobody Superhero Bulking Program. This is an eight-month long program that consists of four specialization phases.
Follow the “Venom” workout routine and move on to the next phase in the Superhero Bulking Program. For the first eight weeks, you’ll focus on your chest and back development by increasing volume on these muscle groups.
This program involves heavy weightlifting. You’ll work out on three non-consecutive days each week. For the first two workouts of the week, you’ll alternate between an upper body routine and a lower body routine. On the last workout of the week, you’ll add more volume on the focused body parts, namely the chest and shoulders, for the first eight weeks.
The Venom Workout Schedule
Monday: Full Upper Body Workout
- Incline Barbell Press: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Standing Barbell Press: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Standing Cable Curls: 3 sets x 8-12 reps (Kino rep training)
- Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets x 8-12 reps (Kino rep training)
- One Arm Cable Shrugs: 4 sets x 12-15 reps (Kino rep training)
- Cable Rows: 1 set x 15-20 reps + 3 sets x 6-8 reps (rest-pause training)
Wednesday: Lower Body and Abs
- Box Squats: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 10-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Speed Skeeter Squats: 3 sets x 8-10, 10-12, 12-15 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Calf Raises: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (straight sets)
- Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (straight sets)
- Ab Wheel Rollouts: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (straight sets)
Friday: Chest and Back Emphasis
- Weighted Pullups: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Weighted Dips: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 1 set x 12-15 reps + 4 sets x 3-5 reps (rest-pause training)
The “Venom” Workout Notes
Reverse Pyramid Training
On your key lifts, you will use reverse pyramid training. Perform your heaviest set in the beginning, rest three minutes, reduce the load by 10 percent and increase the reps in each subsequent set.
Rest-Pause Training
While training with lighter weights, you need to perform higher reps to challenge the muscle fibers to grow. Rest-pause training allows you to push the limit on the muscle fibers with lighter weights. After an activation set of 12-15 reps, you’ll perform four more “mini sets” of 3-5 reps by resting only 10-15 seconds between each set.
Kino Rep Training
Similar to the rest-pause training, Kino rep training is designed to add volume to your workouts without risking injury and overtraining. Start light and increase the weight on each set while reaching the prescribed rep range. Your last set should be very challenging and you should feel the pump in your muscles. Rest one to two minutes between sets.
Supplements for the “Venom” Workout
In order to reach the physique of a superhero, following a smart exercise and nutrition plan is non-negotiable. Using supplements, on the other hand, isn’t mandatory. If you’re following the “Venom” workout program consistently and have a smart nutrition plan — included in the Kinobody Superhero Bulking Program — adding certain supplements may accelerate your results.
Using a pre-workout such as Kino Octane will improve your performance in the gym. Kino Octane delivers clean, sustainable energy, so you’ll get through your workouts with high energy and laser focus without the post-workout crash.
Kino Gains is a post-workout muscle building supplement that is packed with research-backed ingredients at clinically effective doses. It activates the body’s natural pathways to build muscle and get stronger.
If this program is too advanced for you, go through the Greek God Program first before starting this routine.
Best of luck achieving the Tom Hardy “Venom” physique. (Even though you don’t need it!)
