Last updated on March 5th, 2021 at 08:21 am

Michael Jai White is a freakin’ awesome.

If you didn’t know that already, now you do.

He’s been Spawn, Bronze Tiger in Arrow, Jax in Mortal Kombat, in Blood and Bone, in The Dark Knight, and so much more.

And now we’re going to learn how to train like him.

We actually just recently saw some Mortal Kombat character workouts (Scorpion and Sonya Blade), we’ve seen Scott Adkins from Undisputed 2, we’ve seen Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway’s workouts, and a TON of people from Arrow, which I won’t name all (Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, etc.).

So Michael Jai White’s workout is going to fit right in.

Michael Jai White Stats:

Height: 6’1

Weight: (approximate) 215-235 lbs.

Age: 50 years old

Michael Jai White falls right in there at the average height we’ve seen at SHJ among male celebs.

The average height is anywhere from 6’1-6’3 with celebs like Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans, Adam Driver, Stephen Amell, Clive Standen and so many more.

The shorter range, which Sylvester Stallone recently became a part of if I add in guys like Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, consists of shorter dudes like Zac Efron, KJ Apa, Mark Wahlberg, Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Holland and more.

And, even taller than them are guys like The Mountain, Dwayne Johnson, Joe Manganiello, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Winston Duke, Alexander Skarsgard and a few others.

But, don’t worry either way.

I write these routines to be utilized by any shape and size.

Take the SHJ Program Quiz!
Take The SHJ Program Quiz and find the perfect program for YOU.

Michael Jai White Diet and Nutrition

Michael Jai White is definitely Superhero Jacked.

That being said, he needs to eat a certain way to support his physique.

In an interview with Muscle and Performance he gives us a ton of information that we’ll be using to break down this routine.

To start, though, I want to share some information given about his supplementation and how he eats.

Michael Jai White states in the interview:

M&P: Do you use supplements to achieve your physique goals?

WHITE: Yes, I do. If I had to gain weight quickly, I’d use creatine. It makes me hold a lot more water in my muscle tissue. That’s a quick fix for me, but I pretty much do branched-chain amino acids [daily], and I drink about two protein shakes a day. I eat pretty well, too — I’m pretty consistent. I get a lot of vitamins through my diet.

I also take BCAA’s daily in my water, and do a double scoop protein shake per day.

Consistency in dieting seems to be key as well, which is why we always strive for sustainability above everything.

If you can’t sustain it, what’s the point?

That’s why all of our Academy Nutrition Classes (Greek Gods, Samurais, Monks, Hunter Gatherers, Spartans, Minimalists, SuperHumans, Vikings) revolve around giving you the options to find the right dietary plan for YOU specifically.

We also know, as I’ll talk about more in a bit, Michael Jai White has pretty intense workouts.  They also tend to be pretty high volume.  For that reason he’ll be burning a ton of calories within his training.

And, we know from our Guide to Calorie Counting, that could have an effect on how much we need to eat daily.

There are other options, though.

One place to start for more information about dieting is our Nutrition Pillars.

I personally love utilizing intermittent fasting as a tool, which is something we’ve seen used by Hugh Jackman and Terry Crews as well.

But, keep trying different options and figure out which one you can keep consistent like Michael Jai White.

Take the SHJ Free Workout Placement Quiz
Take The Free Workout Placement Quiz and find the best free workout for you.

Michael Jai White Workout Routine Research

In the same interview with Muscle and Performance Michael Jai White gives some great rundowns on how he trains and breaks down his workout routine.

For that reason I’ll be picking and choosing the best parts of the interview to share with you guys so you better know why I’m writing the routine the way I am.

For example, a good starting place is this question answered by White:

M&P: What is your main weight-training focus?

WHITE: One of the flaws committed by many people who lift is that they neglect the back tremendously. A lot of guys are always doing bench presses [and other front-of-body exercises], and that will cause your shoulders to pull forward, which in turn brings the weight of your arms in front of your hips. Then the lower back suffers because it has to compensate. It’s no wonder why people have so much lower-back pain, because they don’t do enough back work. Men tend to do what’s dominant for them because a lot of them are coming at it out of ego. “How much do you bench-press?” is a common question from guys, not “How much can you row?” Women tend to overtrain their legs, because that’s generally their most powerful part, and neglect their upper bodies.

This may not help us build a routine right off the bat, but it is great to get this type of insight from Michael Jai White’s thinking.

Don’t worry, though.

It gets a lot better.

Let’s get right into it with this follow up question:

M&P: Can you walk us through a typical workout?

WHITE: I pair chest and triceps. I think I’m chest dominant, so I really am a bit careful about how much flat bench I do. I try to concentrate on inclines and shaping movements. I’ll warm up with push-ups, then I’ll start using dumbbells for pressing. I thrust my motions forward and hold to work the fast-twitch, explosive muscle fibers. In essence, I’m punching. Every bench press is a punch.

Right to the point.  This one helps us figure out how he pairs his routines and it’ll allow us to take it a step further with the next response from Jai as well.

This one breaks down the sets and rep scheme he uses:

M&P: How many sets do you do per muscle group?

WHITE: I do three to four sets per muscle group, maximum 15 reps per set, minimum five or six. Sometimes [I’ll do more for] a residual muscle group. [For example], when I’m doing back, I may finish up with six sets of rear delts because they’re already worked indirectly through the back workout.

Which will ultimately bring the whole thing together for us, huh?

Are you ready?  Because I am…

Ready to Transform?!
Check out all The SHJ Programs and start unleashing your inner SuperHuman.

Michael Jai White Workout Routine

Training Volume:

3-6 days per week

Explanation:

For this program we’re going to have 3 training days. Push, Pull, and Legs.  For that reason I am saying you can be training 3-6 days per week because you can go through the program twice per week with one off day, once and take some activity days, or mix it up how you’d prefer.

Day One: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

Warm Up:

Stretch

10 min jump rope

3×20 push ups

Workout:

Dumbbell Bench Press

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Dumbbell Tricep Overhead Extension

3×12

Dumbbell Chest Flys

3×12

Shoulder Front Raises

3×12

Dips

3×25

Day Two: Pull (Back and Biceps)

Warm Up:

Stretch

10 min jump rope

3×10 chin ups

Workout:

Deadlift

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Preacher Curls

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Cable Rows

3×12

Cable Hammer Curls

3×12

Lateral Pulldowns

3×12

Dumbbell Rows

3×12

Day Three: Legs

Warm Up:

Stretch

10 min jump rope

3×20 Air Squats

Workout:

Back Squat

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Leg Press

4×15, 10, 8, 5

Hamstring Curls

3×12

Quad Extensions

3×12

Weighted Lunges

3×12

Glute Pushdowns

3×12

Looking to step it up a notch?
Join The Superhero Academy and start unleashing your inner SuperHuman.