During a recent reunion, my old college roommate unveiled his secret to maintaining an enviable physique - the Goku workout.
I was intrigued and skeptical, so I embarked on this journey myself, and the transformation was nothing short of astonishing.
I've come across many different workout plans in years of my fitness coaching practice, but I never thought I'd hear about one based on an anime character.
This workout routine may be overbearing, so make sure to always have enough rest and use supplements like pre-workouts for men before every workout session to at least get closer to the energy of a superhero.
I dedicated three intense weeks, immersing myself in the Goku workout, analyzing every movement, and consulting with fitness experts to unravel the science and kinesthetics behind its effectiveness.
Here's what I found out.
How to Perform Goku's Routine?
The Goku workout philosophy is straightforward: always push beyond your limits to enhance your fitness. Never settle; instead, continuously challenge yourself to improve.
For example, as Dragon Ball Z characters perform their workout routine in the gravity chamber and hyperbolic time chamber, making Goku's training ever more challenging, you can try to simulate it by wearing a lightweight vest during your workouts.
Following Goku throughout the series, you could reshape his superhuman routines into real ones as they present a combination of high-intensity interval training, weight training, martial arts, and meditation.
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His Strength Workout Routine
With calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups), it's vital to perform a movement as slowly as you can, double the reps per set, and try every hour to sit with your back against the wall or hold a plank as long as you can to create more significant strength and hypertrophy, according to the BMC Public Health [1].
"So if you like to lift weights, add the calisthenics exercises to the end of your workout to burn them out fully or start with body-weight exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and dips to warm up before lifting weights. Both types of resistance training will develop muscle growth, strength and stamina if you use a moderate high-repetition workout program."
- Stew Smith, Former Navy SEAL & Fitness Author
Practically if you have 100 Lbs on the bar for your bench press one week, the same day next week, you should lift 105 Lbs. It will become harder to go up each week and still hit your sets and reps goals with time.
Here's an example of his routine:
Variant A
- Back Squat - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Deadlift - 1 sets x 5 reps
- Bench Press - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Chin Ups - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
- Hanging Knee Raises - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
Variant B
- Back Squat - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Hang Cleans - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Overhead Barbell Press - 3 sets x 5 reps
- One-Armed Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
- Planks - 3 sets x 10-15 seconds
Variant C
- Back Squat - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Deadlift - 1 sets x 5 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
- Chin Ups - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
- Arnold Presses - 3 sets x 5-10 reps
- Planks - 3 sets x 10-15 seconds
These weight-lifting and calisthenics combo exercises are designed to give you a solid foundation in physical strength with complex exercises focused on the core strength movements.
His Cardio Workout Routine
To fulfill Goku's abilities and skills, you shouldn't overlook the importance of cardio.
I found solace and challenge in the Goku workout. It's not just physical exertion; it's a journey to endurance and speed. It's a canvas where sweat paints a story of transcendence.
If you like to have a more disciplined Goku workout routine, you can do next:
Cardio A - 0-60 minutes run (start with walking if in the beginning running is too difficult).
Cardio B - Twenty minutes run, three minutes easy pace, one-minute hard pace, repeat five times.
Cardio C
- 20 seconds sprint
- 10 seconds jog
- 20 speed skaters
- 20 calf bounces
- Rest 30 seconds
- Repeat four times
Cardio A builds your stamina and cardiovascular health, cardio B is for overall speed, and Cardio C is for anaerobic conditioning and explosive speed.
Combine strength and cardio exercises, but leave one day a week for recovery. The striking routine could also count as a form of cardio.
Striking and Meditation Routine
A Goku workout isn't complete without martial arts and mental focus. While we lack Goku's time-bending training gear, daily martial arts practice is a solid real-world substitute.
While exploring the Goku workout, I learned about martial arts, including boxing, kickboxing, and karate.
These weren't just movements but exemplified power and discipline.
It wasn't merely selecting a martial art; it involved a journey where each punch and kick symbolized the balance between power and grace.
The important thing is to repeat combos until they become part of muscle memory.
Meditation is something that Goku doesn't skip, so you shouldn't either.
You can start with a five-minute session and gradually increase as you become better at it. According to the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, it may bring you some benefits regarding calmness and personality transformation [2].
In the end, it may even lead you to master a spirit bomb technique. Who knows.
Beyond the sweat and toil, the Goku workout is complemented by a meticulously crafted nutritional regimen.
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Goku's Background
Goku (Kakarot, Son Goku) is the main character in a worldwide-famous anime Dragon Ball series - Dragon Ball Z (Frieza saga), Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, etc.
To achieve superhuman strength and superhuman durability, he must follow strict workout routines and train in martial arts and meditation.
The first notable mentor Goku learned the basics from was Master Roshi.
Throughout the series, Goku constantly strives to reach the super Saiyan warrior power level to become the greatest fighter and make the universe a safe place.
So, a Goku workout routine might also help you reach your Super Saiyan level - the best version of yourself.
FAQs
Can A Human Train Like a Goku?
A human can't train like a Goku in a literal sense. Goku trains in 100 times Earth gravity, and humans start to lose consciousness about 9-10 times normal gravity and risk severe injury and death.
Does Goku Train Everyday?
Yes, Goku trains every day, and it's evident in the example when King Kai made Goku catch bubbles to get used to the planet where he could barely jump on and run.
So Goku was trying every day 24/7 to catch those bubbles until he overcame those obstacles.
References:
- https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA634934581&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=fulltext&issn=14712458&p=HRCA&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E1edf359c
- https://journals.healio.com/doi/abs/10.3928/02793695-20040701-04
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