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Black Panther Has Inspired People On Twitter To Get Buff Again
It could be Michael B Jordan's body, or the bad-ass Dora Milaje, but Black Panther is inspiring a resurgence of fitness we haven't seen since New Years.

by Women’s Health

February 21, 2018

Black Panther Has Inspired People On Twitter To Get Buff Again

It could be Michael B Jordan’s body, or the bad-ass Dora Milaje, or just the general athleticism of the close-combat fighting scenes, but Black Panther is inspiring a resurgence of fitness resolutions we haven’t seen since New Years.

Wakandans Are Fit AF

From the way in which a new king is elected (his claim to the throne can be challenged in combat) to the Dora Milaje, the Wakandan all-female Secret Service, there’s a culture of fitness in the film. The weapons are mostly spears, knives or rings – no guns in sight, meaning all the fighting happens in close quarters. Translation: you’d better be able to throw a spear.

All this got Twitter pretty riled up this weekend when the film finally premiered, showing scenes like this:

Understandably, Twitter was beside itself:

Marvel could even be sitting on a goldmine of superhero-inspired classes.

As if Lupita Nyong’o wasn’t in amazing shape already, it took hours of training per day to transform her into an ass-kicking Wakandan warrior. “We had six weeks of boot camp before we started filming. Boot camp was going to Atlanta and working with a stunt team. It started off with four hours of training a day, which was exhausting. It’s just gaining strength, stamina, and flexibility,” she told E!News.

Try This Black Panther-Inspired Workout

If you don’t happen to have four hours a day to spare for getting fit, this workout incorporates the physicality you’d need to win a close-combat fight into one, badass routine. Because fighting requires explosiveness, you’ll be doing plenty of jumps and punches. The mobility and agility needed for high kicks and dodging blows comes from animal and yoga-inspired movements. And the strength work you’ll be doing will ensure that when you dish out blows yourself, they’re literally packing a punch. Finally, to build muscle endurance and stamina, you’ll be constantly moving. That means the only rest you’ll be getting will be active rest.

Do The Workout

The workout is constructed as a circuit. Use cones or other markers to set up five stations, about five metres apart (if space is limited you can double up e.g. station 1 is also station 3). Put a set of light dumbbells at station 2, a skipping rope at station 3, a set of heavy dumbbells at station 4 and a sturdy box or bench about knee height at station 5. Starting at station 1, perform all moves, moving from one station to the next as indicated. When you get back to station 1, repeat those moves as your cool-down. Try not to rest until you’ve completed the whole circuit. Use your active rest at each station to catch your breath – so go slowly and don’t push yourself while doing the active rest moves.

 

STATION 1

— Tuck your chin to your chest, then roll down slowly, vertebra by vertebra, bringing your fingers to your toes. Reverse the movement back to start. Do two more.

— On the third roll-down, place your hands on the floor and walk them forward into high plank. Walk your hands back and roll back up to start. Repeat twice more.

— On the third rep, remain in high plank and bring your right foot flat next to your right hand. This is a runner’s lunge. Do six of them (three on each side).

— On the sixth rep, bring both feet flat next to your hands, then lift your hands and straighten your back so you’re sitting on your haunches in a Bushman squat. Stay there for 30 seconds.

After 30 seconds, stay down and duck walk to station 2.

STATION 2

Active rest: Stand up from your duck walk and bounce lightly side to side for 45 seconds, then drop back down into a Bushman squat. Stay there for 15 seconds.

— In your Bushman squat, place your hands on the light dumbbells and walk or jump your legs back into a high plank. Jump them back in and come up to a squat (don’t stand up fully). Do five of these. Too easy? Do a push-up while you’re in plank.

— On the fifth squat, stay there and do 10 punches, holding your light dumbbells. Repeat this variation five times. Too hard? Lose the dumbbells.

Drop the weights, then do broad jumps to station 3.

STATION 3

Active rest: Grab your rope and skip for 45 seconds. Keep it light and easy…no double-unders! Then ditch the rope and drop into an elbow plank for 15 seconds.

— Still in your elbow plank, perform 10 plank builders (5 each side).

— On your tenth plank builder, stay in the high plank position and perform 30 cross-body mountain climbers (15 each leg).

Drop back to your elbows and leopard crawl to station 4. Too easy? Do spider(wo)man push-ups instead.

STATION 4

Active rest: Stand up and perform speed skaters for 45 seconds, with not so much emphasis on the speed! Then sit down on your bum, touch the soles of your feet together and hold a butterfly sit for 15 seconds – try get your thighs to touch the floor.

— Flip over into high plank, hands on the heavy dumbbells and perform 10 renegade rows (5 each side).

— After the fifth one, do a push-up, hands still on the dumbbells (drop to your knees if necessary). When you push back up, do another renegade row on each side, then jump or step your feet to your hands, stand up, curl the weights to shoulder height and press them overhead. Reverse the movement back to start. That sequence is called a (wo)man-maker. D0 two more of them.

On the third one, stay standing and, still holding your dumbbells, do a farmer’s walk to station 5.

STATION 5

Active rest: Ditch the dumbbells and do 45 seconds of shadow boxing, then drop onto your tummy and raise your arms and legs for a 15-second Super(wo)man hold. Too hard? Do 3 x 5-sec holds instead.

— Pop up to your feet, grab the dumbbells again and do 10 step-ups onto the box (5 each leg). Too hard? Lose the dumbbells.

— Immediately drop the weights and perform five shuttle runs – sprint to station 4, then jog sideways back. Run backwards to station 4, then jog sideways back on the other side.

— Do 5 box jumps.

Pick up one dumbbell and hold it in front of you, one head in each hand. Perform walking lunges to station 1. On each lunge, twist the dumbbell in the direction of your front leg.

REPEAT STATION 1