Tom Hardy’s ‘Warrior’ Workout – His Traps, Shoulder, Back, Neck, Abs, & Full Body Workouts

Tom Hardy Workout

Tom Hardy is a British actor who never imagined he would become a movie star when he was little.

He got expelled from school in his youth and was addicted to alcohol and drugs in his teenage years.

But thanks to his good looks, he won a television modeling competition in 1998.

This led to a contract for him and he started studying acting at the Drama Centre London.

He got expelled from there as well, but in 2001, he earned himself some small roles in television.

After entering a drug rehab program after collapsing on a London street, he appeared in a few more television series.

His first major role was in RocknRolla in 2008.

But his big breakthrough came in Bronson, a movie about the movie legend, Charles Bronson.

After that he has continued to be in many movies, ones where he had to get his physique in peak condition – For Warrior, to The Dark Knight Rises, to Batman, and many others.

He lives and produces from his home in Richmond, UK.

Tom Hardy’s Workout & Diet – All You Need to Know

Current Stats

  • Weight: 75 kg./165 pounds
  • Birthday: 15 September 1977
  • Birthplace: London, UK
Accolades/accomplishments
BAFTA Awards
  • 2011 – Winner – Rising Star Award
British Independent Film Awards
  • 2015 – Winner – Best Actor for Legend
  • 2009 – Winner – Best Actor for Bronson
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2016 – Winner – Best Actor in an Action Movie for Mad Max: Fury Road
C21’s International Drama Awards
  • 2017 – Winner – Best Male Performance in a Drama Series for Taboo
Chlotrudis Awards
  • 2015 – Winner – Best Actor for Locke
Faro Island Film Festival
  • 2019 – Winner – Favorite Actor for Venom
Houston Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2016 – Winner – Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant
London Critics Circle Film Awards
  • 2016 – Winner – British/Irish Actor of the Year for Legend, London Road, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Revenant
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2014 – Winner – Best Actor for Locke
MTV Movie + TV Awards
  • 2011 – Winner – Breakthrough Male Performance
Nevada Film Critics Society
  • 2015 – Winner – Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant
  • 2012 – Winner – Best Actor for Warrior
Online Film & Television Association
  • 2016 – Winner – Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant
Sant Jordi Awards
  • 2015 – Winner – Best Foreign Actor for The Drop and Locke
Scream Awards
  • 2010 – Winner – Breakout Performance – Male for Inception
Teen Choice Awards
  • 2015 – Winner – Choice Movie: Fight for Mad Max: Fury Road (shared)
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2015 – Winner – Best Actor for Legend
  • 2014 – Best Actor for Locke

Workout Principles of Tom Hardy

Most of Tom Hardy’s movie roles have been about brute strength.

Whether it was Bane’s huge physique or getting the right physique for his in-the-ring Warrior workouts, Tom ensured he has the matching physique to meet the needs of the movie.

He maintains and works out for whichever role he needs to play.

He really lives the roles, for example, he was quite skinny in Band of Brothers.

But then when it came time to play Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, Tom had to add 30 pounds of pure muscle to his body, and he did.

But all his workouts for specific roles have come at a cost and he says…

“I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes, it was alright when I was younger…but I think as you get into your 40s you have to be more mindful of the rapid training, packing on a lot of weight, and getting physical, and then not having enough time to keep training because you’re busy filming, so your body is swimming in two different directions at the same time.”

Tom Hardy’s Training Methods

Tom is known for his perfectionism when it’s about developing his body for all the many roles he has played over the years.

For instance, for Warrior, Tom acted as an MMA wrestler.

For that role, he sported a magnificent athletic physique.

When he trained for this role, he continued incorporating MMA training styles in his training methods.

Then when he played Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, his physique was bulkier and he sported huge biceps and traps.

His workouts to achieve that look included a mix of abs working out, press-ups, and resistance training.

Tom Hardy’s Workout Routine

Tom always delivers in his villain movies – he transforms himself into physically dominating villains with his training.

He will do four training sessions every day to bring the desired results.

Workout Day One: Back and Traps

Session One:
  • ‘Lateral Pulldowns – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Barbell Shrugs – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Dumbbell Rows – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Wide Grip Barbell Shrugs – 3 ×10’
Session Two:
  • ‘Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Cable Rows – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Wide Grip Pull Ups – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Deadlifts – 10-8-5-5-3-Max’

Workout Day Two: Chest

Session One
  • ‘Push Ups – 3 × 20’
  • ‘Wide Grip Push-Ups – 3 × 20’
  • ‘Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Dumbbell Flyes – 3 ×10’
Session Two
  • ‘Cable Flyes – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Incline Cable Flyes – ‘3 ×10’
  • ‘Dips – 3 × 20’
  • ‘Barbell Bench Press – 10-8-5-5-3-Max’

Workout Day Three: Arms

Session One
  • ‘Dumbbell Bicep Curls – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Hammer Curls – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Push Downs (Cable) – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Kick-Backs (Cable) – 3 ×10’

Session Two

  • ‘Chin Ups – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Dips – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Skull Crushers – 5 ×10’
  • ‘Preacher Curls – 5 ×10’

Workout Day Four: Shoulders and Legs

Session One
  • ‘Dumbbell Shoulder Raises – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Calf Raises – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Weighted Lunges – 3 ×10’
Session Two
  • ‘Leg Press – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Barbell Shoulder Raises – 3 ×10’
  • ‘Squats – 8-5-5-3-Max’
  • ‘Military Press – 10-8-5-5-3-Max’

Saturday and Sunday

These are active rest days. He will avoid heavy lifting.

He will stay active by hiking or walking – he does everything to keep his muscles in recovery mode, and loose.

Tom Hardy’s Diet

When Tom needs to bulk up, then his diet will include quite a lot of complex carbs.

Nevertheless, he makes sure he avoids simple carbs, particularly sugar! For the movie, Warrior, Tom ate 5-6 meals a day.

This diet contained complex carbohydrates like oats. He ate plenty of lean proteins like chicken and fish – he also had to stay lean for this role.

That was for Warrior. Here’s what his typical diet would look like for one day:

  • A cup of oatmeal and 6 – 8 egg whites
  • Mixed veggies with some lean red meat, and cottage cheese
  • 2 grilled chicken breasts, veggies, and brown rice
  • Tuna, brown rice, a little mayo, and some green veggies
  • A protein shake
  • Grilled chicken breast and green beans
  • A casein protein shake

When he was in The Dark Night Rises, for instance, he followed a different type of diet.

Tom Hardy’s Supplements & Recommendations

Tom hasn’t spoken a lot about the supplements he takes, but he does rely on –

Protein Shakes

When you are building muscle mass, your body works overtime for protein synthesis.

You also need to get in boosts of vital amino acids so your progress isn’t limited. That’s why Tom relies on a high-quality grass-fed whey protein to give him the boost he needs.

Fat Burner

If he needs to take in an excess amount of calories for certain roles that help Tom to bulk up, then he will also take fat burners to assist in keeping his physique toned at these times.

Tom Hardy’s personal trainer, PNut’s noteworthy recommendations

Patrick PNut Monroe, Tom’s trainer says of Tom:

1) Formidable perseverance

For someone to claw their way out from addiction the way Tom did show amazing strength – “The warrior in Tom is a formidable one.”

2) Endurance and perfectionism

Patrick says about Tom when Tom flew to Pittsburgh to continue training with the stunt team and the fight choreographer; that “I think I speak for all of us when I say we wanted fans of MMA and fight fans in general not to notice Tom was acting.”

3) Going the extra mile

Ultimately it is a person’s willingness to go above and beyond what will make them successful. And that’s what Tom did and does. He is that guy.

“It doesn’t matter who you are. What matters is your plan.” Tom Hardy