Everyone's talking about Tom Holland's workout—here's how to attempt Spider-Man's routine at home if you can't do that tricky pull-up
Swap out some moves but keep the challenge
If you’ve seen the latest Spider-Man, you already know that Tom Holland is in great shape.
But as someone who has completed CrossFit workouts myself, I know the real proof of his fitness is completing 27 rounds of the notorious Cindy workout in just 20 minutes.
The routine consists of three bodyweight moves—pull-ups, push-ups and squats—repeated as a circuit over 20 minutes.
Holland revealed his all-time best Cindy score in an interview with Men’s Health last year.
That clip has recently gone viral again, as people are recording themselves trying to beat his record, with most people falling short.
The beauty of this routine is anyone can do it—yes, even if you can’t do pull-ups or don’t have Holland’s strength and stamina.
While CrossFit workouts can be notoriously challenging, they can also be easily modified to individual levels.
Here's how to do it.
How to do Tom Holland’s workout
The goal of this workout is to put a 20-minute timer on and complete as many rounds as possible of the following circuit.
- Pull-up x5
- Push-up x10
- Squat x15
The workout packs in a lot of pulling, pushing and squatting in a relatively short time, so not only is it functional (mimicking the natural demands of everyday life) but it’s a tough cardio workout.
The pull-up is what most people will need to modify and there are many ways to do this, depending on what equipment you have.
If you only have access to dumbbells, then I'd recommend doing the below:
- Bent-over row x5
- Push-up x10
- Squat x15
1. Dumbbell bent-over row
How to do it
Reps: 5
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding heavy dumbbells.
- Hinge from your hips, pushing your buttocks back and lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Keep your back flat and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
- Pull the dumbbells toward your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
- Lower the weights back to the starting position.
While it doesn’t replicate the exact movement pattern of a pull-up, this variation will still get you to practice a pulling motion and provide a challenge for your back muscles.
If you only have resistance bands: Use a long-loop resistance band to perform a seated banded row.
If you’re at a gym: You can use the assisted pull-up machine, lat pull-down machine, or use a long-loop resistance band to make the pull-ups achievable.
2. Negative push-ups
How to do it
Reps: 10
- Come to your hands and knees on the floor.
- Position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Step your feet back, so your body is in a straight line.
- Lower your chest to the floor.
- Keep your knees on the floor as you push-up, keeping your upper body straight.
- Step your feet back, raise your hips and repeat.
Doing a negative push-up will challenge you to keep your body in that plank position, targeting your core muscles and getting you used to controlling your weight for the descent.
Make it easier: You can do wall push-ups if the above is too hard, or an elevated push-up, with your hands on a box or chair.
3. Squat
How to do it
Reps: 15
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and pointing out slightly.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips, until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push through your feet to stand.
Make it easier: Perform chair squats by positioning a chair, box or bench behind you and squatting down on it.
Tips for completing Tom Holland’s workout
- Choose your pace. You don’t have to go for speed (or even aim to get anywhere near Holland’s time) so choose a pace that you can maintain for the whole 20 minutes without compromising on good form and technique.
- Adjust the workout length. If 20 minutes is too much, then reduce the workout to 15 or 10 minutes until you build your capacity.
- Take breaks if you need them. Holland built his fitness skills over years, so don’t expect superhero results overnight. Take a breather in between sets and reps as you need it.
