Henry Cavill Recovery Workout

The Immortal Workout

After battling Greek gods in Immortals and donning Superman's cape for the series reboot, Henry Cavill knows a thing or two about building out-of-this-world strength
By The Editors of Men’s Health menshealth

Made of Steel

Soon after wrapping Immortals, Henry Cavill began prepping for his role as Superman. To become a little more super, he turned to Mark Twight, owner of Gym Jones in Salt Lake City—the same fitness expert who transformed the cast of 300 into an army of men with washboard abs. (Search: The 300 Workout) Twight uses a punishing training routine called the “tailpipe”: a 100-rep workout that’ll smoke calories, torch fat, and leave you, uh, exhausted. The tailpipe has two “sides,” exercise and recovery, explains Dan John, Twight’s colleague and fellow strength coach. “The exercise portion is designed to get you gassed,” he says. “But the recovery is just as important.”

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Twight’s tailpipe recovery method: the moment you finish an exercise, calmly take eight controlled breaths in and out of your nose. “Fight the urge to gasp, throw yourself around, or change songs on your iPod,” says John. Then immediately start the next exercise. (Another thing you should avoid: The Worst Chicken Dishes in America.)

The tailpipe can also improve your sports performance, John says, because it helps manage "the stress of extreme fatigue." After your final tailpipe recovery, attempt a fundamental sport skill. For example, take three free throws, using three basketballs that you've placed nearby ahead of time. "Become better at dealing with this stress, and you might suddenly find yourself becoming a clutch player." (Related: Stretch to build strength on your rest days)

DIRECTIONS
Use this routine at the end of your regular workout, or as an intense circuit you can do almost anywhere. Perform the exercises in the order shown; a 16-kilogram (35-pound) kettlebell or dumbbell is recommended for the movements that require a weight. (If that's too hard, downsize.) Do 25 reps of each exercise, using the tailpipe recovery technique between each move (and after the last). (For another great lung-busting routine, check The Spartacus Workout, Men’s Health’s most popular flab-busting plan ever.)

In a hurry? Find out how you can build a stronger, more defined body in just 15 minutes


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