The Influence of the Avengers on Fitness

And we’re not only talking about us avid fans; Scarlet Johansson – the spectacularly buffed Black Widow reprising her role in Endgame – admitted she’d never set foot in a gym prior to the Avengers.

It’s safe to say the superhero series has had a marked influence on Scarlet, who says she is stronger and more capable than she was 10 years ago. No kidding!

But less about the Black Widow and more about you; at least for now – we’ll get to Scarlet’s transformative workout later.

How has the Avengers franchise affected you? Clearly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a box office hit and a money-making machine parading the likes of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Robert Downey Junior’s Iron Man and Chris Evan's Captain America across our movie screens in all their glory.

Admittedly, Robert Downey gets away with a much more everyday man frame due to a sturdy, muscle-man-in-a-moment bodysuit, but we can’t deny the back story. Here’s a man who has overcome more demons than all the Avengers put together.

However, here we’ll focus on two Avengers workouts that have had the spotlight and got bums off couches in a big way.

Chris Hemsworth’s fitness app

Thor is a Marvel in more ways than one, and it’s astonishing to think he’s totally made out of real person – no special effects, Thor is all Chris Hemsworth top to tail. He packed on a whopping 20 pounds of muscle for the role.

Admittedly, that crazy gain was a one-off, and Thor's training is now on a far more reasonable scale, but you’ve got to admire the physique, one that’s now revered across the world.

In fact, such has been the interest in emulating the Hemsworth hulk, the man himself has released workout apps so you can thunder into your training like Chris Hemsworth.

The app created by Chris and his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, is called Centr and features recipes and workouts they’ve perfected over the years, as well as meditations for all-around well-being.

And, believe it or not, Centr is proving to be as popular with fitness enthusiasts as Thor is with movie fans.

Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow workout

Okay, so she’s a superhero Hollywood A-Lister with a heavy schedule, and she also happens to be a mum. So not a lot of time for training – plenty of us can relate to that.

So the Black Widow workout is a fast and furious 45-60 minute workout, 4-5 days a week. For most of us, 3-4 workouts per week are well and truly sufficient.

Scarlet is in the gym at 6 am and blowing the Black Widow cobwebs out with some serious exercise nice and early. That way, there’s no chance of the day finding excuses, and she is then free to focus on feeding, bathing and bathing in and around shooting and learning lines.

Preparing for the Black widow role

The first phase of her plan was well before shooting even began, with explosive swinging and jumping sessions to ready her for stunts.

Phase two was strength focused with deadlifts, push-ups with weights on her back and single-leg pistol squats, to name a few.

Phase three was all about getting lean with some frantic cardio – sprinting, battle ropes and explosive kettlebell exercises.

And to top it off, Scarlet mixed in yoga, Pilates and fight training to keep things interesting and vary the intensity.

So is it fair to say the Avengers franchise is having a positive influence on fitness? Undoubtedly, they’ve become role models for a healthier, fitter lifestyle that spikes our motivation and helps us keep to our own workout challenges.

And the best way to do that is by using a personal trainer or becoming a trainer yourself. Find out how right HERE.