As a huge One Punch Man fan, I am pretty well impressed with his athletic ability and also his extremely monotone manner in which he carries himself. For newbies, One Punch man is an anime character that lives in a city that is riddled with villains. His job is literally that of a hero among a collective of others  competing for the top ranking spot.

Although hes the strongest one around, he is usually not the crowd favorite and is constantly undermined by the citizens and the Hero Association that ranks and classifies all the fighters.

Saitama is by far one of  the strongest being in the world that can literally obliterate an opponent with one simple punch and he became that by sticking to a very strict workout routine. A routine that would intimidate many as a daily routine.

Yes, you read that right. This workout is Saitama’s daily bread and butter. As a gym aficionado this workout is a great isolation of muscle groups, but is mostly cardio and high intensity interval training. As I’ve been curious as to how this would actually affect one’s body, I took the time to go over each individual workout and its intended effects, The Player Way, just to keep everyone knowledgeable about the intricate nature of this training. Also it’s springtime and I want abs again.

First, start with Ramen. Just because Saitama would do it, too. 

Ramen is delicious and a filling meal to prepare for a workout of such caliber. The soup itself is high in sodium, so be sure to hydrate before attempting to  start the workout. Headaches while working out are no bueno. Anyhow, consume and enjoy!

Other Saitama Approved Tips:

• Stretch your muscles to avoid cramps
• Consider taking a pre-workout mix for extra energy
• Make sure you’re running with shoes that have adequate support
• Grab some headphones and set an awesome pace station to listen to
• DON’T WATCH YOUR TIME UNLESS NEEDED! Pace yourself without monitoring the miles tracked. Most apps will remind you when you reach your markers.
• Also, expect to be sore the next day.

Though the workout isn’t specific in order, to make things flow a bit more productively, I was able to implement the push-ups, sit-ups and squats within the interval of the 10km run.

 

100 Push Ups: This was a breeze for the most part, as the push ups gave my legs a needed break as the running was definitely wearing my calves and quads down  . Since the 10km run was mixed into it,  I was able to split the push ups into 3 sets of 33 within each 2 miles.

Its always a great idea to manipulate your workouts to focus on other areas as needed. In this case the push ups gave me a nice upper body pump and increased blood flow, making the rest of the 10km run a lot more feasible.

Note: I did 40 something push-ups here, for extra hero credit. Who’s counting anyhow?

 

100 Squats: During any other basis, 100 free form squats wouldn’t be too difficult, but during a pretty intense run, the extra impact on the legs can be intense. I would honestly recommend doing these BEFORE the run. After running for almost 6 1/2 miles, you can barely walk, let alone squat down to the ground using solely your own body weight.

I did my squats AFTER the run, so speaking from experience, do them beforehand.

Extra Hero credit applies if you do burpees instead of squats. 

100 Sit Ups: Another easy-to-implement exercise to add to your routine. Core is often worked in multiple ways, and even if you don’t do sit ups within your workout, you’ll feel the tightness of your core the next day.

• Stabilize the core – Make sure you’re not half-repping just to get 100 out the way.
• If you’re outdoors, do sit ups on a flat, yet soft terrain.
• These can be split up or done outright in one set. The order in which you do them will not affect your 10km run.

Extra Hero credit if you throw in some planks between miles. Choose your own time.

The Dreaded 10km Run: This was by no means easy. The running felt like it would never end. Legs were aching by the beginning of the third mile. The exhaustion was real, I kept checking the mileage on my Nike Run Club app every minute or so which essentially made time drag along. By the time of the sixth mile, my legs were essentially Jello and I was awaiting a date with carbs. Cramps were happening. But the important thing is that i got through it and the next day every area that was worked (and some others) were aching.

What to take from the workout?

• It’s suggested as an “Every Single Day” routine, but for the sake of your joints and muscle growth, i would limit this to once a week. Running a 10KM run a day can hinder muscle growth. Its a great way to give yourself a physical gut-check every now and then, however.
• Get a workout partner to join in on the fun with you, for accountability purposes (and selfies/video)
• This was basically Cross-fit and I particularly don’t like cross-fit.
• The best way to build gains are in the gym, while focusing on low to mid rep workouts. I’ll focus on the Saitama workout when its time for either a Spartan race or intense quarry run coming up.
• Overall the routine is fun and challenging, but not a realistic workout for muscle building and strength training.