I came across my old college roommate, and he told me he's maintaining his form by doing a Goku workout and that he was surprised how much it improved his overall well-being.
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.
So, I decided to conduct in-depth research for three weeks to explore the kinesthetics and the actual basis of this plan's purported effectiveness.
Here's what I found out.
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.
With the special divine training, Goku ultimately reaches his Saiyan full potential transforming into Super Saiyan forms known as Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue.
So, a Goku workout routine might also help you reach your Super Saiyan level - the best version of yourself.
How to Perform Goku's Routine?
To perform Goku's Routine, the crucial thing to possess is dedication and perseverance.
The philosophy of the Goku workout routine is simple - no matter how strong you are, you should always opt to advance to the next level and raise your athletic performance.
So, every time you feel like you have overcome something, raise the bar and don't settle. You should push yourself to the limit and often leave your comfort zone.
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
There are several ways you can remake Goku's strength workout routine, which include performing weight-lifting, calisthenics, or both.
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 [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
With weight-lifting, an important note is you should try to increase weight each week by a minimum of five pounds per exercise.
Practically if you have 100 Lbs on the bar for your bench press one week, the same day next week, you should lift 105 Ibs. It will become harder to go up each week and still hit your sets and reps goals with the time.
Here's an example of 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.
You could do it simply by incorporating a regular run each day - at the top of your speed for as long as you can or by running uphill.
You could also improve your speed and endurance by doing a cardio workout routine once a week, including four reps of 100 meters sprints, four reps of sled pulls and finishing off with a one-mile jog.
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
Without proper fighting and spiritual training, you can't imagine a Goku workout routine.
Goku has the privilege to jump into a time capsule where he can train for years that are equivalent to one day here.
Unfortunately, we don't have that equipment, but we can compensate by doing some martial arts every day.
You can pick any martial art you like - boxing, kickboxing, karate, krav maga, taekwondo, etc.
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 minutes session and gradually increase as you become better at it. 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.
Related Article: Mikasa Workout Routine
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.
Is Goku's Routine a Good Option?
Goku's routine may be a good option if you opt to improve your athletic performance and physique as it combines resistance training, cardio, and meditation.
Dragon Ball Z workout may break the monotonous routine in the gym and offer you some new perspective with functional exercises.
Bear in mind 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.
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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