Last updated on February 15th, 2021 at 09:42 am

From Spartacus to Arrow, being a complete badass, ripped superstar is just another day at the job for Manu Bennett.

Wow, that felt like I was some kind of announcer or something…

Being a huge fan of the Spartacus series I was super happy to find out Manu Bennett was going to be a part of Arrow.  Now, this isn’t news, but I feel it needed to be said that I’m a big fan.

For those of you who haven’t seen him in Spartacus and only know him as the guy who made it off the island on Arrow and eventually became Deathstroke (or always was…whatever), you’re missing out.

BUT, why am I dwelling on this Spartacus thing?  I thought this was more geared to his role as Deathstroke?

Good questions… Well, unfortunately for this article, Bennett was already jacked for his role in Spartacus!

For that reason, this is going to be a mixture of both his badass roles and how he trained to get AND STAY in shape.

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We’ve been doing a lot of punching…

Alright, I can’t make this stuff up…I’m really not doing it on purpose…

Actually, I blame you guys!

It might just come with the whole “Superhero” thing, but first you voted and got the Sebastian Stan Winter Soldier Workout which was based around aero-boxing, then you voted and we had Jake Gyllenhaals Southpaw workout, which was obviously based around boxing, and now this week we have the Bennett workout you voted for – which will also include some punching!!!

Well, I’m over it if you are.  Punchings always fun.

Sidebar: Did I mention Bennett was also in The Hobbit as Azog?  And he’s also this jacked at 45 years old!?

Impressive Mr. Bennett, you’re really giving Paul Rudd a run for his money in the “ripped Superhero while kind of old”, department!

In an interview with Mens Health Bennett describes how he keeps it all together, making some great discussions about his mindset:

MH: So what’s the key to keeping it all together?

Bennett: The big thing today is the challenge of getting up the energy to perform at the level that people expect and require. I have to stay at the top of my game. All of my fitness and the journeys I’ve taken—a lot of the adversity, as well—have led me to the point where I compete on my own terms. I don’t compete against other people; I compete against myself. That’s a powerful mindset. I go from one benchmark to the next, on my terms. What’s required to get this done? Now what’s required to get to the next place?

This is huge.

We’ve talked about how to stay motivated and have great self control, but having a powerful mindset can be the key to keeping both of those things in check.

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Is this going to be a bootcamp/circuit workout?

Another great question from Mens Health was in regard to the type of training going from Spartacus to Arrow.

I mean…Does Slade Wilson train like Crixus?  

MH: How does your workout differ from a project likeSpartacus, where all the actors participated in the notorious Gladiator Boot Camp, to something like Arrow?

Bennett: Coming out of Spartacus, I had some shoulder injuries from the repetitive strain of wielding all of those swords. Gladiators must have all shredded their rotator cuffs, because it’s rather grueling work! [Laughs] So keeping in mind the injuries and the fact that the character I’m playing on Arrow right now does not really require an enormous amount of bulk, I’m doing a lot of swimming. I also do a lot of rowing to strengthen the back muscles and support the rest of my body. But I swim to elongate my muscles and softly work the shoulders. I once was told by a very experienced physiotherapist that he never, ever treated swimmers. That’s because they don’t get hurt! [Laughs]

There’s that active lifestyle again.  We’ve seen it with tons of actors, but most recently brought up with Jason Momoa and even Gal Gadot for the ladies.  Staying active and doing things like swimming, surfing, playing sports and hiking – all plays a huge role in your physique and health!

If you’re interested in another Gladiator Boot Camp workout routine, other then what we’ll cover here, you can check out the Spartan 300 Workout!

We’ll finish off with one last quote which is mainly for my own humor and to give you some info:

MH: What else do you do to stay in shape?

Bennett: I’m also doing a lot of hot yoga, which helps lengthen the muscles and really centers me. I’m not worried about building a lot of muscle just yet. But soon, my character on Arrow will require a big physical transformation. I’m not going to say the word “Deathstroke,” but there’s a big change coming very soon.

See, even Deathstroke does yoga!!!

Now, time for the workout…

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The Manu Bennett Deathstroke Workout Routine

Explanation:

Unfortunately, we’re not going to be covering yoga in this routine.  I will also not be giving you specific “active” things to do throughout the week.  That part is entirely up to you.  If you want to sub one of the days for swimming or being active, that’s fine and is encouraged.

Training Volume:
5 days per week

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Manu Bennett Workout Day One: Chest and Triceps

Warm Up:

Run 800m

Workout:

Incline Dumbbell Press

3×10

Skull Crushers

3×10

Chest Flys

3×10

Overhead Tricep Extension

3×10

Barbell Chest Press

5×10

3 Round Circuit:

10 Push Ups

10 Double Unders

10 Dips

Manu Bennett Workout Day Two: Bennett Workout

Warmup:

3 Sets of 2 Minute Punching Drills

Workout:

Crabwalk 10 meters forward and back

3 sets of 4 laps

Bear Crawl 10 meters forward and back

3 sets of 4 laps

30 Second Sprints

5 Sets

Punch/Kick Drills

3 Sets of 2 Minute Bag Drills with the addition of kicking

Weighted Burpees

3×10 – On the way up from your burpee lift 20 lbs. with you

Manu Bennett Workout Day Three: Back and Biceps

Warm Up:

Walk 400m

Workout:

Lateral Pull Downs

3×10

Dumbbell Curls

3×10

Dumbbell Rows

3×10

Preacher Curls

5×10

Deadlift

5×10

3 Round Circuit:

10 Wide Grip Pull Ups

10 Burpees

10 Wide Grip Push Ups

Manu Bennett Workout Day Four: Bennett Workout

Warmup:

3 Sets of 2 Minute Punching Drills

Workout:

Crabwalk 10 meters forward and back

3 sets of 4 laps

Bear Crawl 10 meters forward and back

3 sets of 4 laps

30 Second Sprints

5 Sets

Punch/Kick Drills

3 Sets of 2 Minute Bag Drills with the addition of kicking

Weighted Burpees

3×10 – On the way up from your burpee lift 20 lbs. with you

Manu Bennett Workout Day Five: Legs and Shoulders

Warm Up:

Run 800m

Workout:

Leg Press

3×10

Dumbbell Shoulder Raise

3×10

Weighted Lunges

3×10

Shoulder Flies

3×10

Back Squats

5×10

Military Press

5×10

3 Round Circuit:

10 Air Squats

10 Double Unders

10 Pull Ups

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