There's no better laboratory demonstration of this hypothesis than the psyops that go into Jackman's Wolverine weight-lifting program. "For Wolverine, I ramp it up," he says. "I do an hour and a half a day in the gym and eat a thousand calories more a day than I would normally. And I train really hard. I crank up the Godsmack and Metallica. I yell and scream, which helps me get into the character and have a bitch of a workout."
The workout itself is not groundbreaking. Lots of heavy iron: bench-press variations, barbell lunges, light squats, and leg presses, among other staples. "I'd change it up every 3 weeks," he says. "Three weeks heavy with lots of rest between sets. Then change to lighter weight, slower reps, four count up, four count down. Then mix in fast, explosive lifting, always changing the workout."
The mental approach, however, remained constantly vicious and very Wolverine -- and that ability to shove the mind out of the way is what allowed Jackman to do what he'd never done before: bench a six-plate barbell. "When I have 315 pounds above me, there's that little breaking point," he says. "You either get really pissed off at that weight, or you ask for help from your spotter. It's that exact point -- and every guy reading this article will recognize it -- when Wolverine gets not just pissed off, but insanely pissed off. I try to reach that point every day in my workout. And then push through it."
