How to build up big armmuscles like Tom Hardy

[Mister Meddle]

In my first year of fitness I went through the same issue. I was in decent shape but couldn't figure out why I had some flab on the stomach. It's stubborn fat. Because there is more fat on that area naturally it will decrease more slowly because there is more to burn on that area. Unfortunately there is no such thing as spot fat reduction. You only burn the fat throughout your entire body.

What I found out was cutting even more fat was the ultimate answer. The only way to do this is increasing your cardio, reducing your daily caloric intake or both. Keep away from the alcohol or any other possible weaknesses or anything else that could damage your body or slow down the progress.

Something important that people don't think of is keeping the metabolism high. When you eat the same stuff every day your body will adapt to the routine hence the slower metabolism. And you'll find out that you're not losing as much fat, regardless of how hard you're working. Every four days please yourself with a high calorie day to spike the metabolism to help achieve quicker fat loss.

Try that for a couple weeks. If it works then stick with it. If not then hit me up.

 

[transformershy]

Being that this thread has taken a turn towards more serious weightlifting and dieting, and since Meddle is the resident expert, I have a question.

I'm 5'10, 178 and in good shape (work out 3-5 days a week and diet). I still have some fat around my midsection but I've been doing intense running and dieting but can't seem to shake it off. Is there any type of diet or foods I can take that will help burn more fat? Any advice on when/what to eat and how often maybe?

I hear some people say that short intense circuit training (60 seconds or something per exercise) is more effective than normal cardio. But I have no knowledge about this, maybe someone on this forum does.

But I do know an intervall cardio technique called 4x4 that works very well (at least it worked for me). It was also tested by medical professors.
I lost a lot of stomache fat and thinner thighs and would have probably lost more if I didn't start with my bulking period
But I'm definiately going back to 4x4 in my cutting period.

Short summary (total time about 41 minutes)
- Warm up 5-10 minutes with jogging (5% incline)
- Run for 4 minutes (speed 10 or faster)
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Cool down/jog for 6 minutes

You should be out of breath after the exercise, if not, speed or incline is not high enough. Make sure you have a jogging machine that you can adjust the speed fast.

 

[Yurka]

Thanks for the responses guys

In my first year of fitness I went through the same issue. I was in decent shape but couldn't figure out why I had some flab on the stomach. It's stubborn fat. Because there is more fat on that area naturally it will decrease more slowly because there is more to burn on that area. Unfortunately there is no such thing as spot fat reduction. You only burn the fat throughout your entire body.

What I found out was cutting even more fat was the ultimate answer. The only way to do this is increasing your cardio, reducing your daily caloric intake or both. Keep away from the alcohol or any other possible weaknesses or anything else that could damage your body or slow down the progress.

Something important that people don't think of is keeping the metabolism high. When you eat the same stuff every day your body will adapt to the routine hence the slower metabolism. And you'll find out that you're not losing as much fat, regardless of how hard you're working. Every four days please yourself with a high calorie day to spike the metabolism to help achieve quicker fat loss.

Try that for a couple weeks. If it works then stick with it. If not then hit me up.

Sounds good, I'll give it a shot. Any tips on what foods to eat/ stay away from? Foods to substitute in that are low-calories?

I hear some people say that short intense circuit training (60 seconds or something per exercise) is more effective than normal cardio. But I have no knowledge about this, maybe someone on this forum does.

But I do know an intervall cardio technique called 4x4 that works very well (at least it worked for me). It was also tested by medical professors.
I lost a lot of stomache fat and thinner thighs and would have probably lost more if I didn't start with my bulking period
But I'm definiately going back to 4x4 in my cutting period.

Short summary (total time about 41 minutes)
- Warm up 5-10 minutes with jogging (5% incline)
- Run for 4 minutes (speed 10 or faster)
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Jog for 3 minutes
- Run for 4 minutes
- Cool down/jog for 6 minutes

You should be out of breath after the exercise, if not, speed or incline is not high enough. Make sure you have a jogging machine that you can adjust the speed fast.

That is essentially what I do for cardio.
I'll typically warm up, walking at 3.5 mph for 6 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Then run as long as I can until I burn out, then cool down for 5 minutes.

 

[transformershy]

Thanks for the responses guys



Sounds good, I'll give it a shot. Any tips on what foods to eat/ stay away from? Foods to substitute in that are low-calories?



That is essentially what I do for cardio.
I'll typically warm up, walking at 3.5 mph for 6 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Run at 7 mph for 4 minutes.
Walk/jog at 4 mph for 4 minutes.
Then run as long as I can until I burn out, then cool down for 5 minutes.

Hmmm, you did not mention how many % incline/uphill you're running on.
It's much harder and you will get greater results with it.
And I think your walk/jog time is too long. It should be 3 minutes or less. Too long breaks will make the body go into a relaxing state.

But this is of course up to you

 

[Mister Meddle]

Sounds good, I'll give it a shot. Any tips on what foods to eat/ stay away from? Foods to substitute in that are low-calories?

Anything natural. Chicken breast, lean steak, eggs, extra lean ground beef, turkey and tuna fish. With carbs, all vegetables, oats and fruits are perfect. Whole wheat products (such as whole wheat bread, bagels, pasta, etc.) are okay, but I'd rather stuff up with fruits and vegetables. Some dairy products are good as well, such as milk and low fat cottage cheese. Fats are essential as well. Your diet should consist of at least 20% fat. Natural peanut butter is what I use. You could also use unsalted peanuts, almonds and walnuts. Replace vegetable oil with olive oil when cooking.

It might sound like a pain in the ass but be creative.

If you can't ditch the hamburgers then mix light ground pepper and diced onion with lean ground beef. Let it sit for awhile and cook burgers on the grill and use whole wheat buns. It wouldn't kill to add a slice of low fat pepper jack cheese. Tada!

Don't think twice about doing those Sunday afternoon cook outs! Cook lean steaks, baked potatoes and corn on the cobs on the grill. It'll taste just as good.

You could even make spaghetti for the family. Wheat pasta, meat balls with extra lean ground beef and create tomato sauce from canned tomatoes.

Breakfast? Cook oatmeal with milk, sliced banana, crushed almonds and cinnamon. If you must add the sugar-free sweetener. Or how about an English muffin with a whole wheat muffin, white eggs and turkey bacon? A toasted whole wheat bagel with low fat cream cheese would do the job.

Those are just some examples. Like I said try to be creative. Eating healthy could taste just as great. Yes you will be required to cook. There is no such thing as "I'm too busy, I don't have to cook". I was working 12 - 16 hour shifts and I still managed to cook and prepare all of my food each day.

Look into getting protein powder. If you're insanely busy then get a carbohydrate powder to mix with your protein shake. It could make up for a full "regular" meal.

What to avoid? LOL pretty much everything else.

Plain chicken breast will taste extremely unsatisfying. Learn to marinade.

 

[HoochRosevelt]

On week 2 with noticeable results in strength, and a couple lady friends said they noticed a difference. By summer, I too will be able to BREAK THE BAT!!!!!!

 

[Yurka]

Hmmm, you did not mention how many % incline/uphill you're running on.
It's much harder and you will get greater results with it.
And I think your walk/jog time is too long. It should be 3 minutes or less. Too long breaks will make the body go into a relaxing state.

But this is of course up to you

Sounds good, thanks

Anything natural. Chicken breast, lean steak, eggs, extra lean ground beef, turkey and tuna fish. With carbs, all vegetables, oats and fruits are perfect. Whole wheat products (such as whole wheat bread, bagels, pasta, etc.) are okay, but I'd rather stuff up with fruits and vegetables. Some dairy products are good as well, such as milk and low fat cottage cheese. Fats are essential as well. Your diet should consist of at least 20% fat. Natural peanut butter is what I use. You could also use unsalted peanuts, almonds and walnuts. Replace vegetable oil with olive oil when cooking.

It might sound like a pain in the ass but be creative.

If you can't ditch the hamburgers then mix light ground pepper and diced onion with lean ground beef. Let it sit for awhile and cook burgers on the grill and use whole wheat buns. It wouldn't kill to add a slice of low fat pepper jack cheese. Tada!

Don't think twice about doing those Sunday afternoon cook outs! Cook lean steaks, baked potatoes and corn on the cobs on the grill. It'll taste just as good.

You could even make spaghetti for the family. Wheat pasta, meat balls with extra lean ground beef and create tomato sauce from canned tomatoes.

Breakfast? Cook oatmeal with milk, sliced banana, crushed almonds and cinnamon. If you must add the sugar-free sweetener. Or how about an English muffin with a whole wheat muffin, white eggs and turkey bacon? A toasted whole wheat bagel with low fat cream cheese would do the job.

Those are just some examples. Like I said try to be creative. Eating healthy could taste just as great. Yes you will be required to cook. There is no such thing as "I'm too busy, I don't have to cook". I was working 12 - 16 hour shifts and I still managed to cook and prepare all of my food each day.

Look into getting protein powder. If you're insanely busy then get a carbohydrate powder to mix with your protein shake. It could make up for a full "regular" meal.

What to avoid? LOL pretty much everything else.

Plain chicken breast will taste extremely unsatisfying. Learn to marinade.

I already have a pretty healthy diet. Plenty of eggs, fruits & vegetables, wheat bread sandwiches with low fat turkey and sometimes fat-free cheese, yogurt. I cook chicken in a skillet multiple times a week, and I've found that simply putting some black pepper on it makes it taste fantastic.

I've been dieting correctly, eating small portions throughout the day (6 "meals") and working out religiously. I run in the mornings on an empty stomach, and sometimes lift in the evening. (But I'm still trying to cut down, so I'm trying not to lift too much).

Perhaps I've just reached a plateau then, I'll mix up my cardio routine and throw in some substitute foods as you recommended and do my best.

Thanks guys

 

[Mister Meddle]

No problem. If you hit plateau then try switching everything around. No need to change the cardio but you should change your weight lifting routine every month. When losing fat it's extremely important to keep your testosterone high. Like eat your regular cutting diet for three days straight and on the fourth eat a pretty high calorie diet, and repeat. When your have a zig-zag diet pattern it boosts the testosterone and makes it easier to lose the fat. Otherwise your body will get too used to the same diet & routine and your progress will slow down.

Other than that it sounds like you have the right idea. But don't train "religiously". Make sure your weight lifting workouts are no longer than 45 minutes. Otherwise it could decrease your body's testosterone. And don't do TOO much cardio. Your muscles build when the body is resting. Too much work equals over training and you could be in danger of losing too much fat too soon, decreased testosterone and you could even lose some of your body mass.

Most importantly of all stay hydrated. When you're doing cardio and trying to lose fat your body will lose a lot of water. If you're looking to maintain your mass then drinking at least a gallon of water is critical.

 

[transformershy]

By the way, is microwaving eggs safe?
I'm considering buying one of those gadget that you put over the egg and just put it in the microwave or buying one of those eggcookers that can cook 7 eggs at once.

Traditional egg cooking with water takes too long :|
As for vegetables, I have begun steaming them - it's fast and awesome

Any suggestions?

 

[Mister Meddle]

Sorry, I didn't see your response until now. It's safe but everybody is saying it isn't a good idea to microwave it while in the shell. Hell I used to do it all the time. Either way it's being heated to such a high degree that it's being cooked and once it reaches that point the bacteria or viruses (if any, which is quite rare) would die off. Just don't do this with any uncooked meats. The downside is the potential mess it'll create. The egg could blow up. And it won't taste as good as the traditional way.

Steaming veggies is good. Personally I buy bags of frozen peas and defrost it in the microwave in a bowl.

 

[thorstone]

These actors are payed hundreds of thousands of dollars to work full time on looking amazing and they pay someone else tens of thousands of dollars a year to help them get those results. I also wouldn't be surprised if some of these guys are using roids and/or HGH.

Stick to the 12 rep rule that others suggested; it will get you what your genes will permit and the muscle gained will deal with the fat. Muscle burns fat to maintain itself; even when you're not working out, and building muscle is the only way to burn fat from the stomach; especially fat between the organs. Various crunches and walking will help build muscle in the abs, but the burning of fat takes time.

Also, eat yogurt to trim your waistline if you've been on a gain cycle.

 

[SUPARNOVAX]

If you're going for the movie bane, the high light of the body are forearm, biceps, triceps, deltoids and trapezoid muscles.

If you're going for the comic version, I suggest cutting fat first and then go for a clean bulk routine

If you want to drop weight seriously in a 3 month span, you should check out www.leangains.com , it's basically an intermittent fasting routine. Drop fat, gain strength type of thing.

 

[hulk24]

back in my army days my workout and diet was this;
Breakfast:
10 egg whites wheat toast bacon orange a glass of juice and milk followed by a bottle of water and protein shake with vitamins for my non running days.
For my running days it was dry wheat toast and water and protein shake and vitamins.

Lunch:
Sometimes just consisted of mre's but I would try to have chicken water protein shake and vitamins. I sometimes had the occasional burger king not healthy but tasty lol.

Dinner:
Marinated steak 10-16oz/chicken potatos vegies protein/carb shake.
I also drank 1-2 gallons of water a day.

Now for the exercising, cardio days would be 5-15 mile run with sprints and scuba sprints in the morning. lunch I'd go to the gym and work upper body. I would stretch and do pushups and dips to warm up army standard for all infantry is at least 75 pushups in 2 minutes so I would take my time and do 100-150 my 2 minute time was 102. I would then do 30 pull ups and 3 sets of weighted dips 1st set was with a 40 pound plate I would do 15-20 second set 35lbs for 10-15 and then 30 for 5-10.
I would do dumbbell presses and flies 3 sets. First set 50lb bells 20 reps 2nd set 60lb 10 reps last set 65-70 5 reps. barbell curls 120lbs 1st set 10 reps 130 15-20 reps 140 as many as I could do. I would do shoulder presses and triceps usually with dumbbells. I use mostly dumbbells for mostly all my work outs except for benching squats and dead lifts. I would only do leg presses and squats for my leg workouts since I got plenty of body weight workouts for pt in the morning and after lunch. If it was a cardio day I would work out my upper body. If it was upper body day I would do lower body. I went from 135 to 205 in 9 and a half months and at my peak I had 10% body fat but I started getting cramps so I upped my fat intake and went to 15%. That's all I can remember lol. When I do work out out now I just do my old regiment with army pt stuff mixed in to keep it fresh and confusing. If you are starting out there is always p90x although I find it easy, since most of it is a military body weight exorcises. Also for abs sit-ups and crunches barely do anything. Situps mainly work your hipflexor,and you would have to do 250something thousand crunches to burn 1 oz of fat. The best ab workouts are the various planks, cardio, dead lifts and all core workouts. The exercises that you need your entire body to do...dead lifts squats even benching will build your abs. Extended leg lifts hello dollies are good as well but are the same as crunches and situps.

 

[transformershy]

These actors are payed hundreds of thousands of dollars to work full time on looking amazing and they pay someone else tens of thousands of dollars a year to help them get those results. I also wouldn't be surprised if some of these guys are using roids and/or HGH.

Stick to the 12 rep rule that others suggested; it will get you what your genes will permit and the muscle gained will deal with the fat. Muscle burns fat to maintain itself; even when you're not working out, and building muscle is the only way to burn fat from the stomach; especially fat between the organs. Various crunches and walking will help build muscle in the abs, but the burning of fat takes time.

Also, eat yogurt to trim your waistline if you've been on a gain cycle.

Is there a specific reason why you mentioned yogurt...?

Mister Meddle:
Let me know when it's time to change workout routine.
I also came across a video from the show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition about a rule called "RULE OF 6" (never do the same workout more than 6 times in a row). Any opionions on this?

http://www.facebook.com/EMWeightLoss/videos#!/photo.php?v=10150729794520476

If you watch the other videos, the trainer also mentions drinking warm water instead of cold and working out focusing on the negative.
Are these tips recommened to follow?
(I still don't get the difference effect by drinking cold and warm water :|)

 

[SUPARNOVAX]

I eat yogurt for the protein and you don't get hungry as fast. It's good for cutting.

 

[Mister Meddle]

Yogurt isn't a great source of protein. I mean the protein is there but don't ever use this as a protein substitute. It's only good as a side snack. Focus on chicken, tuna, eggs, etc. They're, by far, more anabolic.

How many weeks did you do the routine for? Update me on your progress. How much did your benching increase? How much more do you weigh?

I don't think the thing with warm water was ever proven. Either way water has the same benefits.

Never workout more than 6 times in a row.... I have no idea what that means but I'm assuming he/she/they meant don't do the same thing for like 6 straight weeks. If so it's something I already covered.

 

[SUPARNOVAX]

It's there to supplement and snack on if you're on a cut and going on a calorie deficit. Not really replace anythign.

 

[Mister Meddle]

As a snack, definitely. Sliced banana mixed with strawberry fat-free yogurt is such a delicious snack!

 

[Irish]

I've touted a solid system on here for some time over in the bane costume thread.
Arms aren't primary muscles, but secondary. To truly build big and string arms you need to work them as such. Heavy compound workouts requiring your arms to be used but working larger muscle groups will build them faster.

I use bench press, 1 arm rows, bent over rows, power cleans, over head press and deadlift/squats. Throw some pull ups and a bit of curls and you'll be breaking the bats back in no time.

 

[transformershy]

It's been bad :|
Maybe I'm sleeping too much or eating not enough because I lost 1 kg and is down to 74 kg now.
For the past two weeks my wrist has also been hurting - maybe I did an exercise wrong.

I think I started with your routine in Mars - too soon to change workouts?

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I don't know if it was the same for Bane, but whilst training for Warrior Pnut only had Tom do resistance training for 4x20 minute sessions a day, with the rest of the day filled with cardio. But yeah, that was mainly focusing on his core muscles not arms, so take it as you will.

 

[Mister Meddle]

It's been bad :|
Maybe I'm sleeping too much or eating not enough because I lost 1 kg and is down to 74 kg now.
For the past two weeks my wrist has also been hurting - maybe I did an exercise wrong.

I think I started with your routine in Mars - too soon to change workouts?

It's impossible to not see results unless you're slacking off somewhere. Are you putting in effort outside of the gym? Are you sleeping at least 8 hours per night? Drinking a gallon of water/day? Eating 20% over your maintenance level? Are you skipping gym days? Are you refraining from alcohol all together?

Once we find your problem/s I'll give you a new routine. But you have to be extremely strict, even if this means no partying, no bars, no buffets and no hot dogs at family BBQs. In bodybuilding its not only the arms but also in the head. You can't half do anything, you can't put temporary fun time over your long-term goals. Bulking and being healthy has to be number one in your life and everything else should be second.

 

[Irish]

Not to rain on any parades, but let's NOT rule out any substance assistance that Hardy may have had to get to that size...plus he'd already gotten big for Bronson before, then again in warrior before Dark Knight Rises...that's a lot of time to build.

 

[Mister Meddle]

His size from Warrior and Bronson had nothing to do with it. In February 2011 he was only 175 pounds and he looked pretty thin. Plus this isn't about Hardy's use or experience. This is about doing things the right way.

Speaking of steroids, if you need a natural "short-cut" I suggest taking a testosterone booster. It isn't a steroid substitute, it expands the natural testosterone your body produces. And yes, it's legal.

I used a number of different boosters in the past. My favorite one is Diesel Test. My voice was deeper, I had more energy and my strength improved while I was trying to cut fat! Look it up on Google if you're interested.

 

[Irish]

I was just suggesting that he had performed roles that required him to get bigger for...therefore he knew how to build...as for natural shortcuts, I havent taken any, but I'm sore a natural testosterone enhancer would tiled good results.