How Tom Holland Got Fit for ‘Spider-Man’

TO PLAY A superhero in a blockbuster film, you have to look the part. That held true for Tom Holland in his third round of playing Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The character might not be the most jacked of all the classic superheroes, but that doesn’t mean Holland didn’t have to whip into shape for the part. The actor revealed how he did it in his recent Men’s Health cover interview.

Holland teamed up with the legendary Duffy Gaver, a no-nonsense celebrity trainer who’s known for getting actors superhero-ready (he’s worked with Brad Pitt for Troy and Chris Hemsworth for Thor). Along with bodyweight movements and loads of reps, Holland would do daily HIIT workouts, a practice not for the faint of heart (and not something we would recommend for the normal person—HIIT training requires sizable recovery time).

“We got into crazy shape. We were so fit,” Holland says, albeit admitting he’s not a fan of the military-style motivation Graver typically uses. It worked, too—online clips showed him nailing stunts as he ran, jumped, leaped, and flipped his way through scenes.

If you’re looking to get into Spidey shape, try one of Holland’s bodyweight workouts below.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Bodyweight Workout

Start with the following number of reps per exercise. Rest for a minute. In the next round, add the original number of reps. Keep going for 1src rounds, where you’ll hit 1src, 2src, 3src, 4src, and 5src reps, respectively. That’s your top set. Once you get up to that set, work your way down in the same manner until you get back down to the original rep count.

1 Pullup

How to Do It:

Grip the bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
Create full body tension by pulling your shoulders away from your ears, and squeezing the abs and glutes.
Think about pulling your elbows down and pulling the bar apart as you bring your chin up to the bar.
Slowly lower down. That’s one rep.

2 Tricep Dips

How to Do It:

Sit on the edge of a bench with your arms extended and your hands on the bench. To start, keep your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. As you progress, you can straighten your legs and rest your heels on the ground to ramp up the difficulty.
Place your hands on the bench so that your hands are facing out away from yourself.
Push up off the bench, which will help you drive your shoulder blades down and create scapular depression. Squeeze your shoulder blades to create tension.
Lower down with control to a depth that feels comfortable. You shouldn’t lose tension in your mid-back. Your elbows should never exceed your shoulder height.
Extend your elbows and squeeze your triceps hard to raise back up.

3 Pushups

How to Do It:

Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor, stacked directly below your shoulders.
Squeeze your shoulders, glutes, and core to create full-body tension. Your spine should form a straight line, with a neutral spine.
Bend your elbows to descend to the floor, stopping with your chest just above the ground. Your elbows should be at a 45-degree angle relative to the torso.
Press back up off the floor, raising up to the top position with your elbows fully extended.

4 Situps

How to Do It:

Begin lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your hands by their sides with palms facing up, instead of behind the neck to avoid pulling your head and neck as you sit up.
Engage your core and lift your upper body toward your knees, exhaling as you rise.
Inhale and slowly lower your upper body back down, maintaining control throughout.

5 Squats

How to Do It:

Place your feet so they’re a little wider than shoulder width, with the toes pointed slightly outward.
Start by pushing the butt back and tilting the torso forward just slightly before you start bending the knees. Take a deep inhale right before you lower. Take your time lowering down—about two seconds.
Open the knees as you lower down. Lower only to the level where you’re able to keep your lower back straight.
As you push up, raise the torso and hips at the same time. Keep the knees pushed out.