What do you think about Superman "working out?"

[Superlad93]

The workout room should have a giant kind of weight lifting setup that looks like it could apply about 500 kilotons of pressure on Superman.

So, in Vik Bogdanovic's upcoming issues of Action Comics with Jurgens, it will be established/heavily implied that Superman actually works out. I remember when I first got really into Superman comics, I actively resisted the concept of Superman "working out."

Thoughts on the concept of Superman working out?

Me? I'm into it. I'll go into a little later.

[GreatKungLao]

I think it would be cool and inspiring, because of the fact that even Superman needs to workout in order to look amazing.

And it also would make sense. Earth's sun only gives him all these super powers like flying, heat vision, etc. But it was never established if yellow sun works like protein or something and simply builds him his muscles. If it was the case, then Supergirl and Jon should also look like bodybuilders by now.

[Kuwagaton]

My first thought is seeing him as lesser for not doing so, but it's not really like he's ever spent any time doing that on panel, and it's certainly not the most practical thing. He should, but I guess he doesn't. I dunno lol.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

I don't mind it, but 500 kilotons seems way too little to be an adequate workout for Superman, considering the strength he's displayed. H'el on Earth is one of the few New 52 Superman stories we know is still canon, and in that he was benching nearly six sextillion tonnes for several days.

[Kuwagaton]

He was in a vulnerable way. Maybe Veritas just lied about the numbers to appease his self esteem.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

He was in a vulnerable way. Maybe Veritas just lied about the numbers to appease his self esteem.

They could retcon it that way.

In the story though it was meant to establish a certain level of strength, so that readers are supposed to be impressed with the He'l fight when we're told Superman's surpassing the level of power he displayed at the start of the arc.

[Jon Clark]

It makes no real sense to me as Superman's power level is so high I can't picture his having any conventional means to exert himself. He could juggle asteroids in the center of Jupiter and not break a sweat. He could jog around the world at the equator for days without getting the type of exercise the average joe gets running to the corner. Chin-ups and sit-ups are going to require Kryptonian conditions to do anything.

Exercise for Superman is more a matter of having opponents that give him a workout than any gym equipment.

[Frontier]

I think it's cool that Superman works out. It just should be on his level to actually give him a workout, like bench-pressing mountains or some equivalent .

Might even be cool to see him spar with Jon and Kara (or Conner). Race Barry just for the fun of it. Go asteroid-busting with Hal...

[Kuwagaton]

He could juggle asteroids in the center of Jupiter and not break a sweat.

His resources are as fictional as his powers. If he used those resources to find ways to test himself he could probably enhance his powers dramatically. Why not?

[Ra-El]

Some times I spend a while thinking about some practicalities that Superman could use. One of them was a special room in the Fortress full of red sun radiation, so he could work out and training martial arts and let loose.

[GreatKungLao]

It makes no real sense to me as Superman's power level is so high I can't picture his having any conventional means to exert himself. He could juggle asteroids in the center of Jupiter and not break a sweat. He could jog around the world at the equator for days without getting the type of exercise the average joe gets running to the corner. Chin-ups and sit-ups are going to require Kryptonian conditions to do anything.

Exercise for Superman is more a matter of having opponents that give him a workout than any gym equipment.

But he is suppose to gain his muscle sizes somehow. If it was because of the sun, then every other kryptonian, Supergirl included, should look like a bodybuilder.

[Jon Clark]

But he is suppose to gain his muscle sizes somehow. If it was because of the sun, then every other kryptonian, Supergirl included, should look like a bodybuilder.

He's male and an adult. She is female and a teen. May just be that Kryptonian males are naturally muscular and either females aren't or Kara hasn't finished growing.

And I don't recall non-muscular Kryptonians. I've seen ones more or less muscular in comics, but never ones that really didn't have a better build than the average human.

[W8IN4KAL-EL]

Some times I spend a while thinking about some practicalities that Superman could use. One of them was a special room in the Fortress full of red sun radiation, so he could work out and training martial arts and let loose.

Superman working out with 500 kilotons is as nothing for him..There is no way that he can workout efficiently without destroying the solar system so I thought the same thing that you did Ra-El .. If he used red sun radiation he could work-out like any other human. He would get stronger so when he goes back to being Supes (via no red sun radiation) he should be stronger/buffer.

[Jon Clark]

Superman working out with 500 kilotons is as nothing for him..There is no way that he can workout efficiently without destroying the solar system so I thought the same thing that you did Ra-El .. If he used red sun radiation he could work-out like any other human. He would get stronger so when he goes back to being Supes (via no red sun radiation) he should be stronger/buffer.

I thought about that but have an aversion to heroes weakening themselves especially when it reinforces the idea that ways of removing Superman's powers are something so common he can do it just to work out.

[Superlad93]

Just FYI for everyone, engaging muscular hypertrophy ( increase muscle tissue size) doesn't require a person lift weight that is anywhere close to their max. Very often hypertrophy can be reached through lighter weights. What Superman was engaging when he lifted the equivalent of the planet Earth for 5 days with no solar power was muscular endurance and strength training. But if Clark were just looking for some aesthetics and some more endurance training then 500 kilotons is likely enough.

What is likely is that due to the fact that his physical power is directly dependent on his solar cells, he might be engaging in something closer to cardiovascular training. The idea for cardio training is not really to up one's speed, but instead how much oxygen and blood your lungs and heart request/pump out to keep you moving. Olympic level swimmer, Michael Phelps has a lung efficiency that most of us can only dream up. This is through genetics and hard, hard training. To put it simply, Phelps need less oxygen per movement than most of us. His resting heart rate is also far lower than most people due to his training.

So if we look at it this way, and replace heart rate and oxygen with solar radiation, we might have an idea on what the true functional benefits of a workout for Clark would be. They idea would be for Clark to workout his cell absorption rate, so he can do greater feats while drawing on less solar radiation.

So lets say Clark increases the intensity of that 500 kiloton load by either cutting himself off from solar radiation or by introducing red solar radiation. The objective would be to still move the load comfortably with less and less radiation.

This would also in turn increase his "muscular" strength because if he's able to lift more with less then logically if he had more he'd be able to lift more.

Warning: Apologies in advance for my oversimplification of cardiovascular training and hypertrophy. I'm well aware of how both work, and I'm also aware that both are quite different. But for the purposes of getting my point across, dumbed it down and smushed it together. So please keep that well in mind. Regardless, I think my actual point still stands.