Tom Hardy’s Workout Routine

When we talk about Hollywood’s epic body transformations, the name of Tom Hardy would surely top the list. From sporting a lean and athletic physique in ‘Warrior‘ to bulking up to 190 pounds in ‘Dark Knight Rises‘, his transformations have been both surprising and inspirational.

The ease with which he transforms his physique for various roles shows a lot about his sincerity and dedication towards his fitness routine.

In this workout guide, we’ll delve into Tom Hardy’s exercise routine, which will surely motivate you to head to the gym right away. Let’s get started!

Tom Hardy’s Training Principles

Tom Hardy’s workout plan has been quite versatile. When he was portraying the character of Charles Bronson in ‘Bronson’, all he needed was to bulk up. To gain a substantial amount of mass and muscle size, he relied on bodyweight exercises.

He was following a sort of prison-style workout program that consisted of high-volume push-ups, pull-ups, free squats, chin-ups, etc. After all, that’s how the prisoners train themselves.

Tom Hardy’s physical transformation for ‘Bronson’ was so inspiring that even Charles Bronson himself was pretty impressed with it and said that if anybody could portray his role, he has to be Tom Hardy.

Tom Hardy’s next physical transformation was for playing Batman’s nemesis in ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘. He played the character of Bane in the movie. To present himself as Bane on-screen, he again bulked up and carried a decent amount of muscle mass that made him look huge and powerful. Tom Hardy truly brought complete justice to the character of Bane.

He became incredibly massive for the role. His workout routine focused on compound exercises that helped him achieve the size that even made Batman appear smaller infront of him.

Tom Hardy’s physique in ‘Dark Knight Rises’ has a wide and muscular back, big chest, and muscular arms. Tom Hardy’s traps were the most highlighting part of his body. They were mountainous and made him look brutally powerful.

To be honest, he was looking like a bodybuilder who is ready to go on his cutting phase. Even though he was not ripped and shredded, his physique was exuding great strength and power.

Tom Hardy’s Workout Schedule

Tom Hardy usually prefers to train 5 days a week. He hits most of his muscle groups only once a week. However, on the fifth day of his workout routine, he performs compound exercises that are targeted to enhance the strength and musculature of the upper body. He also performs some ab work on that day.

• Monday- Chest, and Triceps
• Tuesday- Lower Body
• Wednesday- Traps, and Shoulders
• Thursday- Back and Biceps
• Friday- Upper Body Focused
• Saturday- Rest
• Sunday- Rest

The weekends in Tom Hardy’s workout program are usually reserved for rest and recovery.

Tom Hardy’s Workout Routine

Tom Hardy usually performs 2-3 exercises for each muscle group. Each exercise is performed for around 3-5 sets. For some of the exercises, Hardy performs a higher number of reps that goes to around 12-15 reps.

When it comes to the basic full-body compound movements like the squat and the deadlift, he stays in the set/rep scheme of 5 x 5. It enables him to gain both strength and size that way.

The next section will provide you with a detailed look at Tom Hardy’s workout plan.

Monday – Chest, and Triceps

• Incline Dumbbell Chest Press- 3 Sets of 8 reps
• Barbell Bench Press- 3 Sets of 8 reps
• Low Cable Flys- 4 Sets of 8-10 reps
• Decline Skull Crushers- 4 Sets of 8-10 reps
• Dips- 4 Sets 8-10 reps

Tuesday – Lower Body

• Barbell Squat- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Barbell Deadlift- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Dumbbell Step-Ups- 3 Sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Lunge- 3 Sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg Press- 3 Sets (15-20)

Wednesday – Trapezius, and Shoulders

• Barbell Upright Rows- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Barbell Shrugs- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Shrugs- 4 Sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises- 4 Sets of 12 reps

Thursday – Back and Biceps

• Weighted Pull-Ups- 5 Sets of 5 reps
• Underhand Grip Lat Pulldowns- 3 Sets of 12-15 reps
• Barbell Curls- 3 Sets of 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Palms-Up Curls- 3 Sets of 12-15 reps

Friday – Upper Body Focused

• Bent-Over Barbell Rows- 3 Sets of 5-8 reps
• Floor Press- 3 Sets of 5-8 reps
• Neutral Grip Pull-Ups- 1 Set 10 reps, 2 sets AMRAP
• Push Press- 1 Set 10 reps, 2 Sets 5-8 reps
• Inverted Rows- 3 Sets of 10 reps
• Planks- 3 Sets (60 seconds)

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Rest

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Tom Hardy changes up his workout routine as per his character requirements. Just like his workout routine, his diet also goes through a change when he is playing a different character. After all, what kind of actor would exhibit the same physique in all his movies? Versatility is something that is always expected from an actor.

In a general sense, you can say that when Tom Hardy is preparing for a character who looks massive and strong like Bane or Bronson, he ups his caloric intake. On the contrary, for characters like Tom Conlon in Warriors, he prefers to stay lean and make the required changes in his workout routine as well.

Final Words

The physical transformations of Tom Hardy have always been awe-inspiring. His transformation for specific roles brings great credibility and realism to the character. It also highlights his high level of commitment. The physical transformations for which Tom Hardy is known is not as easy as it looks. It takes a toll on your body. In his own words,

“I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes. It was all right when I was younger, but I think as you get into your 40s, you have to be more mindful of the rapid training.”

Therefore, we advise against blindly copying his workout plans for physical transformations. Understand your body type and then formulate a workout routine for yourself accordingly. Be clear about the kind of body that you want to achieve and work towards attaining it.

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We hope that this workout guide has given you all the information you wanted to know about Tom Hardy’s workout routine.