Ben Affleck Chaotic Workout & Diet Plan - PAT Fitness

 Ben Affleck’s Chaotic Workout & Diet Plan - PAT Fitness

Ben Affleck’s ‘Batman’ Diet Plan

Ben Affleck was coming off movies such as Gone Girl when he landed the role of Batman in the mid-2010s. To give the Dark Knight his due, the actor reportedly gained as much as 24 pounds in four months. He turned excess bulk into lean muscle and it showed by the time he appeared on the screen. Some redesigned body armour also helped him strike an imposing disposition. Seriously, Batman is basically a walking tank in both films.

To cultivate a Batman body, Ben Affleck’s diet took direct cues from LA-based nutritionist Rehan Jalali and his famous “six-pack” regimen. The actor cut out all dairy, limited sodium intake to 1,500-2000 mg, and ate about six times per day. He sourced carbs from foods such as oatmeal, leafy greens, and whole grains, while also consuming plenty of lean proteins (salmon, egg whites, turkey, etc). His supplement intake ranged from protein powders to Trembolex Ultra, a muscle enhancer that’s also known as “the ultimate steroid alternative.”

For an even closer look at Ben Affleck’s diet, here’s a sample meal plan (as per Jacked Gorilla):

Meal #1

• CLA supplement + protein shake

Meal #2:

• egg whites
• oatmeal (1 cup)
• banana
• flaxseed oil (1 tbsp)

Meal #3

• Protein bar

Meal #4

• chicken breast (baked or grilled)
• medium sweet potato (cooked)
• flaxseed oil (1 tbsp)

Meal #5

• 1 whole apple
• serving of unsalted almonds

Meal #6

• salmon (grilled or baked) or chicken breast (grilled or baked)
• steamed Brussels sprouts
• broccoli or spinach

Ben Affleck’s ‘Batman’ Workout Routine

When DC fans first heard that Ben Affleck would be tackling the role of Batman, they were fairly sceptical and with good reason. Being 43 at the time, Affleck was arguably a little old for the part. Furthermore, he wasn’t exactly known as an intimidating presence. Was he setting himself up for a disaster, people wondered, the likes of which we hadn’t seen since George Clooney in 1997’s Batman & Robin? Not if he could help it.

“I knew that a big part of the audience’s expectation around the role would be how I looked physically,” Affleck wrote to Men’s Journal via email. “And that was something I had some control over. If I was going to fail in this role, I wasn’t going to let it be in a way that could have been prevented if I had worked harder.”

In the same email interview, Affleck added, “Getting ready for this role meant working hard, day in and day out with Walter. But it was the kind of work where I felt gains in not only my size, but also my mental and physical health.”

To shut up all the naysayers (and prepare for an approximately 75-pound Batsuit), Affleck re-teamed with long-time personal trainer Walter Norton Jr. The pair had been working together since 2010’s The Town and they shared a somewhat established rapport. That mutual history went a long way when it came time to adopt a new fitness regimen, according to Norton.

The trainer told Men’s Journal, “Seven years ago the body bounced back a little quicker…Like any relationship, it’s all about communication and honesty. I can tell him a little something that he doesn’t want to hear and that’s fine. We’re not tiptoeing around issues. So we just addressed it right at the top. We did what we needed to do to take care of him and protect his joints.”

Extra TLC notwithstanding, Ben Affleck’s Batman workout was arguably more intense than anything that came before it, and more varied, too. Norton kept the actor on his toes (literally and figuratively) by way of “chaos training,” during which he created new workout plans and new goals every week, with each regimen targeting specific muscle groups. Soon, both Affleck and Norton were pushing themselves past their original limits.

Bulking and shredding was yet another secret to the Ben Affleck Batman body. Whereas the actor weighed about 198 pounds in 2010, he shot up to 231 pounds before landing on a firm 225. Norton explained, “This time around we did more bodybuilding. We wanted him to be strong but we wanted to add mass. The volume was higher. We lived on a lot of the basics, 80-pound dumbbell curls, heavy-loaded carries, and farmers walks with 60-pound weights.”

While both “Batman v Superman” and “Justice League” may or may not have worked as films, no one is arguing against Ben Affleck’s beefed-up physique. Even when he’s not wearing the Batsuit, the actor looks downright shredded. But behind that gain was serious pain in the form of a truly intense workout plan, the kind of which could be dangerous without professional oversight.

With that little disclaimer out of the way, here’s a two-day preview of the Ben Affleck Batman workout (as per Men’s Journal):

Day 1:

Block 1 (32 minutes): Warm-up & Movement

• Elliptical: 15 minutes
• Rumble Roller (hip/TFL/VMO/2-way glute/calf): 9 minutes
• Plank with Arm Extension: 10 seconds (followed by 8 reps of 2-second extensions for each side)
• Spiderman: From the plank position, place you right foot next to your right hand—perform 3 reps for each side (hold for 2 breaths)
• Inchworm: While touching your toes with your legs straight, walk your hands out to a plank, then walk your feet back under you—perform 5 reps (hold for 1 breath)
• Calf Stretch: 15 seconds (each leg)

Block 2 (40 minutes): Torso & Strength

• Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk: 4 walks with appropriate weight for 1 minute
• Alternating Hanging Knee-Up: 11 reps (for each leg)
• ½ Kneeling Row: Kneel on your right knee in front of a cable machine, row with your right arm—perform 4 sets of 12 reps on each side
• Back Bridge: 2 reps of 15 second hold (5-second pause between)
• Alternating Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: 8 reps (for each leg)
• Pull-Up: 6 sets of 4 reps (hold for 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down)
• Shoulder Bridge: 10-second hold (then 8 reps of 2-second extension for each side)

Block 3 (22 minutes / Doing As Many Sets As Possible): Strength & Fitness

• Airdyne Bike Sprint: 20 seconds
• V-Grip Pulldown: 15 reps
• Seated Row Handle Grip: 12 reps
• Alternating Dumbbell Open Curl: 5 sets of 5 reps (each arm, then 5 reps together)
• Goblet Squat: 8 reps
• Lateral Squat: 6 reps (each side)

Day 2

Block 1 (30 minutes): Warm-up & Movement

• Airdyne Bike Sprint: 10 reps of 5 minutes at 75% (finish with 15-second sprint, then 45-second rest)
• Soft Roller (upper back/lat/quad/glute/ham junction): 8 minutes
• Brettzel Stretch: 2 reps for each side (hold for 5 breaths)
• Kneeling Lat: 1 rep each side (hold for 5 breaths)
• ½ Kneeling Quad Stretch: 2 reps for each side (hold for 5 breaths)
• Brettzel: 2 reps for each side (hold for 5 breaths)

Block 2 (32 minutes): Torso & Strength

• Off-Bench Oblique Side Crunch: 8 reps dynamic (followed with hold for 8 seconds)
• Valslide Body Slide: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Back Bridge with March: Hold bridge for 8 seconds (then 4 knee raises on each leg)
• Dumbbell Shrug: 5 sets of 6 reps
• Rear Delt Machine: 4 sets of 15 reps
• 1 Leg Hip Lift: 3 sets of 8 reps for each side (hold for 2 seconds)
• Tricep Pushdown: 4 sets of 10 heavy reps, then 10 lighter reps

Block 3 (36 minutes): Strength

• Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 6 reps
• Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 10 reps (count 3 seconds from up to down position)
• Pec Fly: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Ball Leg Curl: 4 sets of 6 reps (hold for 2 seconds)