July 7, 2025, 5:01 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
The new “Superman” film finally hits theaters this coming Thursday. Starring for the first time in the lead role is David Corenswet. The American actor steps into the iconic blue and red superhero suit in “Legacy,” succeeding Henry Cavill. As expected for the Man of Steel, he needs to bring plenty of muscle to the latest blockbuster. FITBOOK writer Tony Poland reveals the workout routine that got him into top shape for the role!
David Corenswet wasn’t previously known for an especially impressive physique. And the 31-year-old, who made a name for himself on Netflix’s “The Politician,” didn’t need to be. But for Clark Kent, the civilian identity of “Superman,” a chiseled upper body is, of course, a top priority! So, David Corenswet had to fill some big shoes—or rather, broad shoulders. And for his new role, the 6-foot-4 actor put in a lot of effort—with success!
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Overview
How Much Muscle Mass David Corenswet Gained!
The muscle gain alone during his five-month training in preparation for the “Superman” lead role is immense. David Corenswet told the U.S. magazine “People” that he packed on about 40 pounds of muscle during this time. That’s roughly 18 kilograms!1 This huge leap even led to the star actor experiencing claustrophobia on the first day of shooting when slipping into the skin-tight suit. His measurements for the superhero cape were taken months earlier when he had much less muscle mass.
But: “The suit and I grew together to the point where at the final fitting before my first appearance on set, everything fit and it felt familiar, not like something new to me, but like my suit, which was amazing,” he said in a YouTube interview with “People”.
Also interesting: The unexpectedly simple yet effective “John Wick” training of Keanu Reeves
How David Corenswet Trained
But what exact training did David Corenswet use to jump from an initial 194 pounds to about 234 pounds? Well, in the five months before filming began, he trained for two hours a day, three to four times a week, according to “Men’s Health”. He relied on the principle of progressive overload, which means gradually overloading the muscles over time. This adaptation ultimately leads to muscle growth and increased strength. Additionally, the new “Superman” consumed 6,000 calories daily. Along with the following seven push exercises for four rounds and ten repetitions each, Corenswet built an impressive upper body with muscular shoulders and firm chest muscles.
The New “Superman” Workout
Incline Dumbbell Press (4×10 Reps)
To train the upper chest and shoulder muscles, David Corenswet started with incline dumbbell press. You lie on a bench set at 30 to 45 degrees. Bend your knees and press your feet firmly into the ground. In this starting position, press a dumbbell into the air, extending your elbows.
Then slowly lower the dumbbells until they touch your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle and your back pressed against the bench. Pause briefly and explosively press back up!
Bench Press (4×10 Reps)
The next exercise is the classic bench press. The flat bench primarily targets the chest, but also the triceps and front shoulder muscles; core, glute, neck muscles, and latissimus work to stabilize.
David Corenswet lay on a bench, bent his knees, and placed his feet firmly on the ground. He then took a barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip from the rack and engaged his elbows. Clark Kent then slowly lowered the weight until it touched the middle of his chest. He kept his elbows at a 45-degree angle before explosively pushing the barbell back up in a straight line. Rule of thumb when pressing up: The shoulders remain behind the chest muscles throughout the movement. To do this, actively pull the shoulder blades back.
Cable Crossover (4×10)
The cable flys also really challenge our chest. Depending on the target muscle or which part of the chest you want to train, there are different variations. However, David Corenswet included the cable crossover for the middle chest in his program.
He stood in the middle of a cable machine, followed by a step forward, with the handles at chest height. His knees were slightly bent, and he maintained a straight spine. He then extended both arms outward with a tense upper body to grasp the cable handles. Now he brought the two handles together in a wide arc in front of or slightly below the chest, so they met in the middle of the body. He pressed his chest together at the peak. He kept his elbows slightly bent during the execution to avoid joint damage. The forward movement was for exhaling, while he inhaled during the backward movement to the starting position.
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (4×10)
The shoulder press or overhead press with dumbbells is ideal for shoulder training. The triceps are also activated. Sit upright and hold a dumbbell at shoulder height in each hand. Then simply press both dumbbells overhead until the arms are fully extended. Then lower the dumbbells again until the elbow joints are approximately at shoulder height. The forearm and upper arm are now at a right angle. And repeat!
Lateral Raises (4×10)
The next exercise is lateral raises with dumbbells for strong and broad shoulders. Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand at hip height, palms facing each other. Then raise your arms sideways to shoulder height (about 90 degrees), exhaling, then slowly lower your arms again. Keep your gaze forward! Also important: Do not swing your arms and do not raise them above shoulder height. Additionally, do not fully extend your elbows; keep them slightly bent (about a 15-degree angle) during the execution.
To work effectively, there are more things to consider: Beware of these common mistakes!
Underhand Cable Tricep Pushdown (4×10)
The penultimate exercise is one of the best for the triceps muscles. Stand upright in front of a cable machine and grip the cable or rope with an underhand grip, palms facing up. Keep your elbows close to your body and press the weight down until your arms are almost fully extended. At the bottom, squeeze the triceps and then slowly raise the cable again.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls (4×10)
To finish, David Corenswet activated his upper arm muscles with intense dumbbell bicep curls. The “Superman” actor stands with a straight back, upper arms extended and close to the body. The dumbbells are gripped either in a neutral grip (palms facing inward, thumbs pointing up) or underhand grip (palm under the dumbbell, thumbs pointing outward). Now lift the dumbbells alternately or simultaneously. Very important: Do not flare your arms and do not use momentum from the body!
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“Come on, Really?”: Criticism of Superhero Workouts
With this intense workout, David Corenswet got himself in shape. Or did he? Admittedly, gaining 40 pounds of muscle in just under half a year seems extreme—even with the best personal trainers in the world. “The Buff Dudes,” two American fitness and nutrition experts with 2.75 million subscribers, tested the workout on YouTube and shared their thoughts. “I think the only criticism I have—and this is not a knock on David or his trainer—is that we’ve become too accustomed to actors preparing for roles that get so big,” said Hudson White.
But what exactly does he mean by that? He and his brother believe that such an extreme muscle gain in such a short time is hardly possible naturally. “If you try a workout now, the comments say: ‘Well, that was the steroids.’ And in nine out of ten cases, they’re probably right. And that’s just the sad reality. It’s a factory, a superhero factory,” said the influencer. Exercising and eating healthily is great, but now it’s tied to unrealistic expectations. “Gaining 50 pounds of muscle in six months—come on, really?” said White. “The Buff Dudes” suspect that David Corenswet might have had some help on his way to the “Superman” dream body.2