It looks like Ben Affleck cracked the code on building muscle after 40.
The 47-year-old actor has been booking roles where he is absolutely jacked in the last few years. In 2016, he stepped up to the challenge to replace arguably the best Batman, Christian Bale.
Just look how jacked he is in “Batman vs. Superman”:
Plus, he was already 40 years old when he showed off his abs in the 2012 Academy Award winner “Argo.”
Most men think building muscle after 40 is not in the cards for them. However, Ben Affleck proves that, with the right workout program and nutrition plan, you’re never too old to get jacked.
Kinobody has helped thousands of men build a superhero-like body with the Superhero Bulking Program. Similarly, this Ben Affleck workout routine incorporates the techniques taught in the program. As a result, you’ll see your body change drastically, but it’s only a small piece of what the Superhero Bulking Program can offer.
Give this routine about eight weeks and watch your muscles explode! (In order to get the most out of your physique, get the complete eight-month Superhero Bulking Program.)
Want to look like an NFL athlete? Check this out: Become a Beast With D.K. Metcalf’s NFL Combine Workout Routine
How Did Ben Affleck Get Jacked After 40?
Ben Affleck is 6 foot 4 inches tall and weighs around 220 pounds in “Batman vs Superman” and “Justice League.” In his early acting years, Affleck was very lean. Over the course of his career, the 47-year-old actor went from 180 pounds to over 200 pounds.
Ben Affleck created a huge buzz about his physique with the 2010 movie “The Town.” He was just a couple years shy of 40, weighing 198 pounds and looking absolutely shredded. During an interview, he admitted using lighting tricks to make his body look the way it did, but it doesn’t change the fact that he had built an amazing body.
After 2010, he went back and forth between a lean physique and a dad bod. In 2013, at the age of 41, Ben Affleck was announced to play Bruce Wayne in the upcoming “Batman vs. Superman” movie.
So it was time to take things up a notch.
Affleck hit the weights to get ready for the iconic role and he gained 30 pounds of muscle after the age of 40. He was only 8 percent body fat during the movie and he claims that he gained around two pounds of muscle per month.
The rate of muscle gain at his age is impressive, but staying in single-digit body fat during the bulking process is nothing short of incredible. This can only be achieved with the right nutrition plan.
In this Ben Affleck workout routine, you will have the same goal. The purpose is not just putting on as much weight as possible. Instead, you’ll gain muscle and strength while keeping the body fat percentage around 10 percent.
Key Characteristics of Ben Affleck’s “Superhero” Physique
At 6-foot-4, Ben Affleck is a tall guy. Due to such a tall frame, it’s relatively harder to put on big slabs of muscle. (Especially for a genetically lean individual like Affleck.) Not to mention, testosterone levels naturally drop in men after they turn 40.
Despite his disadvantages, the American actor looks absolutely huge as Batman. Of course, using special lighting and camera angles can enhance the look of an actor, but the real secret is focusing on key body parts for the superhero look.
When we break down Ben Affleck’s awe-inspiring physique, two body parts grab our attention: his shoulders and his upper chest.
Developing these key areas of the body will make you look BIG. Furthermore, by keeping your body fat levels low, you will achieve the admired and respected physique. The secret is in the proportions.
Here are the physique standards you should aim for in order to achieve the ideal proportions for the superhero look:
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
If you can reach these ratios, you’ll be looking like the beastly Dark Knight himself!
What if you prefer Marvel? No worries, we’ve got the workout for you: Get Spidey’s Physique with Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man’ Workout
The Ben Affleck Workout
The Ben Affleck workout routine incorporates a few techniques to achieve maximum muscle gain.
This workout routine is a three-days-a-week weight lifting program. It includes both heavy compound lifts to increase strength and isolation exercises to stimulate hypertrophy.
The primary driver of muscle building is volume. This simply means the more you work out, the bigger your muscles get (up to a certain point). If you’re a full-time actor who signed a seven-figure contract like Ben Affleck, you can work out for hours a day, every day. Most of us, however, don’t have the time or motivation to spend hours in the gym every single day. In any case, you need to give your muscles enough time to recover, especially if you’re trying to build muscle after 40.
The Superhero Bulking Program has four specialization phases that allow an increase in the volume of your training for each muscle group. This way, you can reach the physique of your dreams by spending around two hours a week in the gym… total.
Over the next eight weeks, you’re going to focus on chest and back development.
Monday: Upper Body
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Bench Press (Knees Up): 4 sets x 8-10, 8-10, 8-10, 8-10 reps (Kino rep training)
- Incline Curls: 4 sets x 8-10, 8-10, 8-10, 8-10 reps (Kino rep training)
- Pinwheel Curls: 3 sets x 8-10, 8-10, 8-10 reps (Kino rep training)
- Cable Rear Delts: 1 set x 15-20 reps + 3 sets x 4-6 reps (rest-pause training)
Wednesday: Lower Body and Abs
- Box Squats: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 10-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Leg Extensions: 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 Specialization Training
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Weighted Pullups: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Cable Rows: 1 set x 15-20 reps + 3 sets x 4-6 reps (rest-pause training)
- Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Cable Rope Pushdowns: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 10-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
Ben Affleck Superhero Workout Notes
You will be training three days per week on non-consecutive days (ex: Monday/Wednesday/Friday). This gives you time to recover from your latest workout (remember: You build muscle outside of the gym).
Reverse Pyramid Training
This style of training will allow you to lift the heaviest weight you can, so you can get stronger on key lifts. After a few warmup sets, start with your heaviest weight in the 4-6 rep range. Drop the weight by 10 percent on each subsequent set, going for 6-8 and 8-10 reps respectively. Rest three minutes after each set.
Kino Rep Training
The goal of Kino rep training is to increase the volume of your workout without causing injury or overtraining. First, you’ll start with a light and comfortable weight in the 8-10 rep range on the first set. After that, increase the weight by 10 percent on each subsequent set — while keeping the rep range the same — so you hit muscle failure at the 8-10 rep range on your last set. Rest two minutes after each set.
Rest-Pause Training
You will work with heavy weight for the majority of your program. However, working with lighter weights in the higher rep ranges also has muscle building benefits. Rest-pause training will give you the best of both worlds by giving you a pump you have never experienced before.
Pick a lighter weight you can lift for 20 reps comfortably. After the initial high-rep set, rest only for 15-20 seconds and perform three additional sets, with 15-20 seconds’ rest in between. Your muscles won’t have enough time to recover and you’ll only be able to get 4-6 reps.
Supplements for Building Muscle After 40
No matter what your age is, a smart nutrition and workout plan is required to be able to gain muscle. However, certain supplements can give you an edge if you follow a workout routine like this one and have a nutrition plan like the one included in the Kinobody Superhero Bulking Program.
In order to maximize your muscle building potential, you need to be able to perform your best in the gym and recover from your workouts quickly. Kino Octane is a high-quality pre-workout that delivers clean, sustainable energy during your workout, so you can give your absolute best during your workout.
In order to recover from your workouts and show up to the next gym session even stronger, also consider adding Kino Gains to your supplement regimen. Kino Gains is a post-workout muscle building supplement packed with research-backed ingredients at clinically effective doses.
Save your money on the useless testosterone boosters. Scientific studies have shown zero benefits of over-the-counter testosterone boosters. To naturally boost your testosterone, follow the nutrition and exercise plan in the Superhero Bulking Program, as well as focus on improving your sleep.
If you are having trouble sleeping, check out the Kinobody Sleep supplement. It’s the only all-natural sleeping aid that uses 100 percent research-backed ingredients to help your body relax and have great, uninterrupted sleep.
Let’s get started!