Tom Holland built one of the most functional physiques in Hollywood not through bodybuilding, but through a training approach rooted in gymnastics, bodyweight circuits, and real athletic performance. His years of competitive gymnastics training gave him a foundation of body control, coordination, and explosive power that most gym-goers never develop.
For Spider-Man, Holland worked with trainers George Ashwell and Duffy Gaver to add lean muscle without sacrificing speed or agility. The goal was never to bulk up.
It was to move like a superhero and perform his own stunts on set.
This article breaks down Holland's exact training split, key exercises, weekly structure, and the supplement protocol that supports his athletic physique in 2026.
Training Philosophy
Tom Holland's approach centers on functional fitness. Building a body that performs, not just looks good.
He avoids heavy bodybuilding-style training in favor of full-body circuits, bodyweight progressions, and gymnastics conditioning that keep him lean, fast, and explosive.
His trainers designed programs that hit multiple muscle groups per session, keeping rest periods short and heart rate elevated throughout. The goal was always to match the physical demands of the Spider-Man role: agility, body control, and the ability to perform real stunts safely on set.
"I do it on top of my gymnastics training, and it's a lot of good fun."
Holland doesn't train to get big. He trains to move better, perform better, and maintain the lean athletic physique that's become his signature look.
Trainer George Ashwell described the approach: because they weren't aiming to bulk up, Holland could train more muscle groups in one session, using full-body circuits that combined pushing, pulling, leg work, and core all in the same workout.
Weekly Training Split
| Day | Focus | Training Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Full Body Circuit / Ladder Workout | Bodyweight, high volume |
| Tuesday | Upper Body Strength + Gymnastics | Compound lifts + skill work |
| Wednesday | Lower Body + Core | Functional strength |
| Thursday | Boxing / HIIT Conditioning | Cardio + athletic performance |
| Friday | Full Body Functional Circuit | Bodyweight + dumbbells |
| Saturday | Gymnastics / Stunt Training | Mobility + skill development |
| Sunday | Active Recovery | Stretching, surfing, golf, hiking |
Monday: The 1,500-Rep Ladder Workout
Holland starts every week with the same grueling bodyweight ladder. A session he has credited as the hardest routine in his entire Spider-Man prep.
He completes it with a training partner, every Monday morning, as a benchmark for his conditioning.
The structure is a pyramid: start with 1 pull-up, 2 dips, 3 press-ups, 4 sit-ups, and 5 squats. Then go all the way up to 10 of each (10, 20, 30, 40, 50), then back down to 1.
Totalling roughly 1,500 reps in a single session.
"Start with one pull-up, two dips, three press-ups, four sit-ups, five squats. That's round one, and you basically go all the way up to 10, so the last round is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.
And then you'll go all the way back down to one."
The session takes approximately one hour to complete and targets the chest, back, arms, core, and legs in one continuous effort. It develops both muscular endurance and the mental toughness required for long days on a film set.
- Pull-ups
- Dips
- Press-ups (push-ups)
- Sit-ups
- Bodyweight squats
Tuesday: Upper Body Strength + Gymnastics
Upper body days combine traditional compound lifts with gymnastics-influenced bodyweight movements. Holland focuses on building pulling and pushing strength that translates directly to the stunts and wire work required on set.
Trainer Duffy Gaver incorporated a four-exercise strength circuit performed for five rounds, with the first round as a warm-up and the remaining four as working sets. Rest is kept to 30 seconds between exercises and two minutes between rounds.
- Pull-ups. 3 sets x 6-12 reps
- Bench press. 10 reps at 145 lbs (in circuit)
- Weighted dips. 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Renegade rows. 20 reps each arm (dumbbells)
- Shoulder taps. 20 reps each arm
- Floor wipers. 10 reps at 145 lbs
- Ring push-ups or gymnastics ring work
Holland has pushed this circuit to 27 rounds wearing a weighted vest during peak Spider-Man prep. Most training blocks cap at 5 working rounds with strict form throughout.
Wednesday: Lower Body + Core
Lower body sessions prioritize functional strength over sheer mass. Holland uses compound movements that develop power for jumping, running, and the athletic footwork required for stunt sequences.
Core training is treated as a performance tool, not an aesthetic one. Every core exercise ties directly to balance, stability, and full-body tension control.
- Deadlifts. 10 reps at 145 lbs (circuit format)
- Dumbbell thrusters. 20 reps
- Goblet squats. 4 sets x 10-12 reps
- Reverse lunges. 3 sets x 10 reps each leg
- Floor wipers. 3 sets x 10 reps
- Leg raises. 3 sets x 15 reps
- Bear crawls. 60-second intervals
- Plank variations. 3 x 45-60 seconds
Thursday: Boxing and HIIT Conditioning
Boxing became a key component of Holland's conditioning work across multiple film preps. It develops hand-eye coordination, footwork, cardiovascular endurance, and the kind of full-body athleticism that transfers directly to action sequences.
HIIT rounds keep heart rate elevated in a way that mimics the physical demands of a shooting day. Short bursts of intense effort followed by incomplete recovery, repeated over 45 to 60 minutes.
- Heavy bag work. 5 x 3-minute rounds
- Speed bag. 3 x 2-minute rounds
- Shadow boxing. 3 x 3-minute rounds
- Jump rope. 5-minute intervals
- Burpees. 4 sets x 15 reps
- Battle ropes. 4 x 30-second intervals
- Sprint intervals. 10 x 20 seconds on / 40 seconds off
Friday: Full Body Functional Circuit
Friday's session mirrors the five-step circuit that trainer George Ashwell designed for Spider-Man prep. A full-body workout using mostly bodyweight with minimal equipment.
The circuit hits every major muscle group in a single flowing session.
Ashwell's approach paired a posterior chain leg exercise with a horizontal push and pull, then added an anterior leg movement with a vertical push and pull. Making each round a complete athletic conditioning stimulus.
- Bear crawls. 60 seconds
- Shoulder taps. 20 reps each arm
- Dumbbell thrusters. 20 reps
- Renegade rows. 20 reps each arm
- Push-ups. 20-30 reps
- Incline push-ups. 3 sets x 15 reps
- TRX rows or bodyweight rows. 3 sets x 12 reps
Complete 4-5 rounds with 30 seconds rest between exercises and 2 minutes between full rounds.
Saturday: Gymnastics and Stunt Training
Holland trained gymnastics throughout his youth and continues to use it as a core part of his athletic development. Gymnastics-specific sessions focus on body control, spatial awareness, and the movement skills that make his stunt performances look effortless on screen.
These sessions are less structured than gym workouts but often more physically demanding. Practicing tumbling runs, handstands, ring movements, and mat-based stunt rehearsal that challenge coordination as much as strength.
- Handstand holds and walks
- Gymnastics ring work (muscle-ups, dips, holds)
- Tumbling and rolling sequences
- Box jumps. 4 sets x 5 reps
- Broad jumps. 4 sets x 5 reps
- L-sits. 3 x max hold
- Mobility and flexibility circuits
Pre-Workout Protocol
Holland trains hard enough that pre-workout nutrition matters. He typically starts morning sessions with a bowl of porridge, fruit, nuts, and a protein shake to fuel the work ahead without feeling heavy during circuit training.
On days when he uses a pre-workout supplement, the priority is clean energy without excess stimulants that could interfere with the coordination demands of gymnastics or stunt work.
Holland aims to train within 60-90 minutes of waking. His pre-session routine includes light mobility work and dynamic stretching before any loaded movement, reducing injury risk across the gymnastics and strength-focused sessions that make up most of his week.
Post-Workout Recovery
Recovery is treated with the same seriousness as training. Holland prioritizes 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and rest days are used for light activity, surfing, hiking, golf, or basketball, rather than complete inactivity.
Post-session nutrition centers on fast-absorbing protein paired with carbohydrates to replenish glycogen and accelerate muscle repair after high-volume bodyweight and circuit work.
Holland's favorite protein sources are cod and chicken, which he batch-cooks in advance to make hitting daily protein targets easier. Each meal targets two fist-sized portions of protein, two fists of carbohydrates, and two fists of vegetables.
A straightforward framework that scales up or down depending on whether he's in a building phase or maintaining.
The System
Tom Holland's physique is the product of a system built on four pillars: gymnastics-based movement quality, functional full-body circuits, consistent protein intake, and disciplined recovery. He never trained to get big.
He trained to get capable, and the aesthetics followed naturally.
The 1,500-rep Monday ladder, George Ashwell's five-step circuit, Duffy Gaver's strength blocks, and the ongoing gymnastics training combine into a sustainable approach that produces an athletic, lean body without the joint strain of heavy bodybuilding programs. Holland's sobriety and early bedtime also demonstrate that lifestyle discipline matters as much as the training itself.
Replicating this system means committing to bodyweight volume, gymnastic skill development, and real athletic conditioning. It is not easy.
Holland has called his Monday ladder one of the hardest things he does. But it is effective, and it is built around movement patterns that carry genuine physical benefits far beyond aesthetics.
Explore Similar Routines
Around the core training fuel, Holland leans on recovery, fish oil to manage the joint load of high-volume gymnastics and bodyweight work, and a post-session repair formula he treats as seriously as the training itself, paired with 7-9 hours of sleep a night.