Last updated on June 29th, 2022 at 01:10 pm
The Nightcrawler Workout is the first of our calisthenics and bodyweight themed weeks.
Technically second if you count our Ultimate Calisthenics Workout and Guide, but we’ll say out of the characters.
Nightcrawler, as we’ll talk about later in his workout routine research section, is a perfect candidate for the start of our bodyweight and calisthenics workouts being that Kurt Wagner was a circus performer!
I also wanted to start with a character I could make fairly beginner friendly, while still making more difficult than we’re used to with our Cosplay Workout & Guide category that will also stay in theme with the bodyweight training.
That being said, you should also head over to our Workout Database if you’re not specifically looking for calisthenics workouts at the moment; but either way this one is going to be awesome!
Nightcrawler Stats:
Height: 5’9
Weight: 161 lbs
Real Name: Kurt Wagner
Powers: Yes
I imagined Nightcrawler being shorter for some reason.
Although I suppose 5’9 isn’t exactly tall compared to many of our other characters.
Vegeta were tied Wolverine for the shortest spot among comic characters we’ve seen at 5’3, prior to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles coming in at 5’2, (and Gimli even shorter) – but Damian Wayne (Robin) is only 5’4. Goku isn’t that tall either, though, standing only 5’7, with Miles Morales only an inch above him.
One Punch Man falls in at 5’9 right there with Ryu, Nightwing at 5’10, and then Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Green Arrow coming in around 5’11 and Beast joining them.
We’ve had Superman and Eddie Brock’s Venom at 6’3, and Captain America, Scorpion and Batman at 6’2, and Carnage at 6’1. Thor and Cyborg are towering over them at 6’6, Thanos and King right there with them at 6’7, Bane at 6’8, and Deathstroke right below at 6’5, and Black Manta at 6’4.
Ronan and Sagat are 7’5, and Doomsday came in at 8’10, and I doubt any characters are touching that anytime soon.
But, don’t worry if you’re not the same height or weight range.
We write these routines to be utilized by anyone and everyone.
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Nightcrawler Diet and Nutrition
**Keep in mind: this section will be nearly identical for each hero, unless I mentioned differently (for example someone like Hulk may get something specifically different)**
Every hero needs to still have a good diet.
Unfortunately we can train like them, but I don’t think any of us are suddenly getting their powers, or the ability to magically stop caring about nutrition.
You can’t out train your diet, so I want to still give some pillars for nutrition.
You can start by checking out The Nutrition Pillars on the site, but I’ll break down some more information for you guys as well.
Guys like Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart incorporate 80/20 dieting with big weekly cheat meals, Hugh Jackman, Tom Hopper, Benedict Cumberbatch and Terry Crews utilize intermittent fasting (something I use daily as well), Ariana Grande, Mustafa Shakir and Madelaine Petsch are vegans, Brandon Routh and Frank Grillo opt for paleo, and tons of others utilize their own variations as well.
It’s all about sustainability.
AND, there are a thousand different ways to reach your goals, so finding the most sustainable way is what’s important.
Which is why our Academy utilizes multiple different Nutrition Classes (Greek Gods, Vikings, Spartans, Hunter Gatherers, Monks, Samurais, Minimalists, SuperHumans) to allow people to choose what is right for YOU!
Curious where over a hundred celebs fall in their dietary choices ranging from High Protein and Keto to Vegetarian, Vegan and Intermittent Fasting? Want exclusive celeb meal plans? Check this out.
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Nightcrawler Workout Routine Research
We’ve made it to “the fun part”.
And, if you don’t know by now, I say that every single time we get to the workout routine research section for character workouts.
So first things first I’d love to start with a bit of a biography for our Nightcrawler, AKA Kurt Wagner.
Here’s what his Wiki Fandom tells us about his beginnings:
In the form of a German noblewoman, the shape-shifting mutant Mystique married Baron Christian Wagner. Meanwhile, Mystique had an affair with the mysterious Azazel from La Isla des Demonas and became pregnant with their child. Azazel told Mystique to raise their child as if it were the Count’s. A heartbroken Raven agreed and, while Christian did become suspicious as to the baby’s paternity, his sudden “accidental” death ensured no one else heard his suspicions. The baby was born visibly mutated with blue fur all over, pointed ears, iridescent eyes, and a prehensile tail. Due to the shock and the strain of the boy’s difficult delivery, Mystique lost concentration and accidentally revealed her true form. Word spread of her and the baby’s condition and mother and son were chased by a torch-wielding angry mob. Mystique passed out and left young Kurt Wagner floating down a river during her escape.
Did you guys know Nightcrawler’s parents were Mystique and Azazel?
They continue to tell us about the early beginnings of his circus life:
Miraculously, the baby survived and was saved by Margali Szardos, a sorceress and Romani queen, who became a fortuneteller at Herr Getmann’s Traveling Menagerie. Margali took the baby back with her to the circus. Wagner was never legally adopted by anyone but was raised within the circus, mostly with people who had no prejudices against “freaks” save for the ringmaster, Herr Max Getmann. Margali acted as Wagner’s unofficial foster mother. Wagner grew up in Max Getmann’s Circus and his two closest friends were his “adopted” brother and sister, Margali’s natural children Stephan and Jimaine Szardos. Later, Kurt and Stephan forged a true friendship as they grew older, and Stephan knew that his magical heritage might lure him to evil one day. So, Stephan had Kurt promise him a blood-oath, that if he ever killed without reason, Kurt would kill him as well. Long before his teleportation power emerged, Wagner had tremendous natural agility and by his adolescence he had become the circus’s star acrobat and aerial artist. Circus audiences assumed that he was a normal-looking human being wearing a demon-like costume.
And we focused in on his bio and circus life being that his main power is something we won’t be training around.
While I’m sure you already know, this is how they explain it on his Wiki:
Teleportation: Ability to teleport himself, the clothes he is wearing, and within limits a certain amount of additional mass which is in contact with him. He teleports by displacing himself into the Brimstone Dimension, traveling through it, and then returning to his own dimension at a certain distance from his point of departure. He consciously determines his point of return. The entire process occurs so quickly that Nightcrawler is unaware of being in the Brimstone Dimension at all. Nightcrawler guides himself through the Brimstone Dimension by a subconscious, natural direction-finding sense. Although Nightcrawler controls his teleportation ability with his conscious mind, his power to teleport is not psionic. Rather it is the result of an unknown biochemical/biophysical reaction which he triggers mentally.
So, like I mentioned earlier, we will be building this around a high flying calisthenics/bodyweight workout.
Think you can handle it?
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Nightcrawler Workout Routine
Training Volume:
5+ days per week
Explanation:
We’re going to train 5 days per week with this bodyweight workout. Three of the days will be formatted around a set and rep scheme with fairly basic movements followed by mini circuits, and the other two days will be long circuits that’ll whip your butt. I’ll also add some Parkour and MMA resources as well.
Calisthenics / Bodyweight Explanation:
This is part of a calisthenics and bodyweight theme we have going for the next few weeks. I suggest also checking out our new Ultimate Calisthenics Workout and Guide for [The Ultimate Calisthenics Workout] and tons of other resources and workouts.
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Nightcrawler Workout: Sample Workout Schedule
Monday: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit A
Tuesday: Super Calisthenics Circuit A
Wednesday: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit B
Thursday: Super Calisthenics Circuit B
Friday: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit C
Saturday: Rest Day, MMA or Parkour
Sunday: Mandatory Rest Day
Nightcrawler Workout: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit A
Warm Up:
Jumping Jacks
2×10
High Knees
2×20
Jumping Lunges
2×5 each leg
Workout A:
Wide Push Ups
4×25
Air Squats
4×20
Dips
4×15
Wide Grip Pull Ups
4×10
Mini Circuit A:
3 Rounds for Time:
5 Burpees
10 Sit Ups
5 Double Unders
10 Inch Worms
5 Jumping Lunges (each leg)
Nightcrawler Workout: Super Calisthenics Circuit A
Warm Up:
Light Yoga/Stretching
Super Circuit A:
3 Rounds for Time:
10 Wide Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
10 Close Push Ups
10 Lying Leg Raises
10 Normal Push Ups
10 V-Ups
10 Pause Push Ups
Nightcrawler Workout: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit B
Warm Up:
Jumping Jacks
2×10
High Knees
2×20
Jumping Lunges
2×5 each leg
Workout B:
[Normal] Push Ups
4×25
Pistol Squats
4×20 (10 each leg)
Dips
4×15
Chin Ups
4×10
Mini Circuit B:
3 Rounds for Time:
25 Russian Twists
20 V-Ups
15 Second Superman Hold
10 Sit Ups
Nightcrawler Workout: Super Calisthenics Circuit B
Warm Up:
Light Yoga/Stretching
Super Circuit A:
3 Rounds for Time:
30 Double Unders
20 Pull Ups
10 Clap Push Ups
5 Wall Climbs
Nightcrawler Workout: Basic Calisthenics Training and Mini Circuit C
Warm Up:
Jumping Jacks
2×10
High Knees
2×20
Jumping Lunges
2×5 each leg
Workout C:
Close [Tricep] Push Ups
4×25
Jump Squats
4×20
Dips
4×15
Close Grip (Natural) Pull Ups
4×10
Mini Circuit C:
1 Round for Time:
100 Jump Ropes
50 Sit Ups
40 Second Handstand (Against A Wall)
30 Mountain Climbers
20 Burpees
10 Inch Worms
Nightcrawler Workout: Parkour and MMA Resources
For Parkour we have our go-to option (although, spoiler alert: there’s more to come soon):
And for mixed martial arts we have a good handful of options:
- Deathstroke Workout Routine
- Daredevil Workout Routine
- Moon Knight Workout Routine
- Sagat Workout Routine
- Anna Diop Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Frank Grillo Workout Routine and Diet Plan
- Ryan Potter Workout Routine and Diet Plan
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