Michael B. Jordan Workout Routine & Diet: The Ultimate Guide

If you’ve seen Black Panther or Creed you know how jacked Michael B. Jordan was in both of them.

I’d say he was a bit heavier in Black Panther and leaner in Creed but he looked great in both.

If you want to learn how to learn how to pack on size and strength like him, then this is the article for you.

Michael B. Jordan stats

Michael B. Jordan height: 5’11 – 6′

Michael B. Jordan weight: 175-185 pounds

I honestly can’t confirm his exact height and weight. Various sites say different things but he’s in the ball park of 175-185 pounds.

I’m not even going to bother covering any boxing or martial arts training he did, because I know if you’re reading this you don’t care about that.

You guys just want to know how you can build a body like Michael B. Jordan.

Which is cool. I get it.

So without further ado, here is a workout inspired by Michael B. Jordan to help you pack on muscle, increase strength, and boost athleticism.

This is not the official workout he used but the principles remain the same: lift weights, get stronger, progress and move forward.

I wouldn’t say this is a routine meant for absolute beginners.

If you’re a beginner, then you’ll probably need to cut back on the volume a tiny bit.

But otherwise this a great routine that can work for guys who have at least a few months of experience in the gym.

Michael B. Jordan workout: 4-day mass building split

Syntax: “[Exercise]: [Total sets], [Reps], [Rest time between each set]”

Day 1: Upper

• Weighted Chin-ups: 3, 4-6, 1.5 min
• 1-arm cable row: 2, 6-8 per arm, 1 min
• Incline bench press: 3, 4-6, 1.5 min
• Dumbbell squeeze press: 2, 6-8, 1 min
• Standing dumbbell shoulder press: 2, 6-8, 1 min
• Dumbbell lateral raises: 2, 8-10, 45 sec
• Rope face pulls: 2, 8-10, 45 sec
• Bicep curls: 2, 8-10, 45 sec
• Tricep extensions: 2, 8-10, 45 sec

Day 2: Lower

• Barbell back squat: 3, 4-6, 2 min
• Reverse dumbbell lunges: 3, 6-8 per leg, 2 min
• Leg extensions: 3, 10-12, 1 min
• Rope pull throughs: 2, 8-10, 1 min
• Calf raises: 3, 10-15, 30 sec
• Cable crunches: 3, 10-15, 30 sec
• Lying leg raises: 3, 10-15, 30 sec

Day 3: Upper

• Arnold presses: 3, 8-10, 1 min
• Lateral raises: 2, 10-12, 45 sec
• Lat-pulldown: 3, 8-10, 1 min
• Pendley row: 2, 8-10, 1 min
• Flat dumbbell bench press: 2, 10-12, 1 min
• Rope face pulls: 2, 8-10, 45 sec
• Bicep curls: 2, 8-10, 45 sec
• Tricep extensions: 2, 8-10, 45 sec

Day 4: Lower

• Deadlift variation (conventional, sumo, trap bar): 3, 4-6, 2 min
• Bulgarian split squats: 3, 10-12 per leg, 1.5 min
• Lying leg curl: 3, 10-12, 1 min
• Dumbbell swings: 2, 8-10, 1 min
• Calf raises: 3, 10-15, 30 sec
• Cable crunches: 3, 10-15, 30 sec
• Lying leg raises: 3, 10-15, 30 sec

Rest one day after Day 2 then do Days 3 and 4. 

Is 4 days per week enough to get a body like Jordan?

Yes definitely.

Once you get super advanced, you can add in a 5th day but unless you’re planning to compete in as fitness model, you don’t need to to.

Not to mention the fact that most guys have a hard time staying consistent as it is.

Working out 5 days per week consistently isn’t exactly easy. It’s the exact reason why so many burn out and give up after 2 weeks.

Plus, working out more does not equal more results. In the end, consistency trumps everything.

When you workout just 4 days per week, you still have a decent amount of time to rest and recover without the workouts taking over your social life.

How much muscle can you gain?

Every single guy has a genetic limit to how much muscle he can gain.

That limit can be extended if you take steroids but that’s a whole other subject.

You’ll gain the most muscle when you’re just starting out and that number gradually tapers off until you’re only gaining 1 pound per year.

What? You expect to gain 5 pounds of muscle per year, every year until you die.

Dream on, buddy.

Here’s the timeline most guys go through when they first start lifting:

This is all assuming they lift weights consistently (at least 3x per week).

• Year 1: Gain up to 25 pounds of muscle
• Year 2: Gain up to 12.5 pounds of muscle
• Year 3: Gain up to 6 pounds of muscle
• Year 4: Gain up to 3 pounds of muscle
• Year 5: Gain up to 1.5 pounds of muscle
• Year 6+: Gain up to 1 pound of muscle (aka. not really worth calculating)

Look, these numbers are not set in stone.

The taller you are, the more muscle you can potentially gain.

But you can expect to gain 50% less muscle each year you consistently train.

There are still a lot of factors in play, mainly genetics, age, and height that will influence how much muscle you could potentially gain but the time line above is a pretty decent benchmark for what you can expect.

If you really want a physique similar to Michael B. Jordan’s, then that will realistically take at least 3 years.

The dude has a substantial amount of muscle and he’s been training for years. You just can’t replicate that (naturally) in 6 months.

Michael B. Jordan Diet: He ate 6 meals per day, do you?

Eating 6 meals per day has become synonymous with bodybuilding and packing on muscle fast.

And to pack on muscle as Killmonger, Michael B. Jordan ate 6 meals per day.

But just because Jordan did it, does that mean you have to?

The good news is the answer is no.

But that doesn’t mean you can eat like you’re eating now and expect to get all ripped n’ shit.

When it comes to building the perfect muscle building diet, here is what you absolutely must do:

Eat in a calorie surplus

If you want to maximize the amount of muscle you gain, then you need to eat slightly above your maintenance levels.

This means that however many calories it takes to maintain your current bodyweight, you need to eat a couple hundred more calories.

These calories will be used to help build new muscle tissue.

As for how many calories you need to eat, I recommend eating 16-18x your bodyweight in pounds.

If you’re paranoid about gaining too much fat, then you can just follow the 16-18x rule on the days you workout while eating at maintenance the other days of the week.

Get enough protein

I’m sure this comes as no surprise.

But to really pack on size you need to make sure you’re getting an adequate amount of protein every day.

Most conventional bodybuilding advice will recommend 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, however you can actually get away with as little as 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight.

Eat the right foods to recover

Technically you eat nothing but white bread, gummy bears, and whey protein to hit your calories and protein.

And you’ll probably see decent results.

But man…your health is going to go to shit and your recovery/performance is going to crash like a motherfucker.

I don’t like repeating this all the time, but focus on eating healthy shit.

It’s not complicated.

It’s not always easy, but it’s simple.

If you have to choose between the deep fried chicken with fries vs. the grilled chicken with sautéed veggies, the smarter option would be the latter.

I’m not here to be a party killer either.

Fried chicken is awesome, but you just can’t eat that in huge quantities every day and expect to be in optimal health.

If you truly care about maximizing your health and performance (physical, and mental), then choose the most nutritious foods whenever possible.

Do you need supplements build a Michael B. Jordan physique

No you don’t NEED them.

But you might want to consider them if you find yourself lacking in a specific area.

For example, if you find it hard to get enough protein and you don’t want to eat another serving of fucking grilled chicken because you already ate 5 servings of fucking grilled chicken….

Then yeah, you’d probably benefit (from pure convenience) to take something like a whey protein powder.

If you don’t eat any fruits or veggies, then you’d benefit from taking a greens powder. But you really should eat your fruits and veggies.

Whereas if someone is already eating 3-4 servings of fruits and veggies per day, they would likely benefit less from a greens powder.

If you already eat a lot of salmon and fatty fish, then you probably don’t need a fish oil supplement. But if you don’t, then you’ll be a the type of guy who benefits the most from fish oil.

Make sense?

Think of supplements as a way to fill the gaps in your diet.

That’s all.

Stop thinking of them as magical ‘end all be all’ pills that will change your life.

Get Michael B. Jordan’s physique in 3 simple steps

No this ain’t clickbait.

Seriously, building a body like Michael B. Jordan (or any other guy) comes down to 3 simple steps:

• Step 1: Workout consistently with weights 3-4 times per week (and actually get stronger)
• Step 2: Eat in a calorie surplus (if your goal is to build muscle) consistently, get enough protein, don’t eat too much crap
• Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for 1-5 years.

That’s it.

Okay that’s a gross oversimplification of the process, but you know it’s true.

So yeah…

If you look in the mirror and hate what you see, then follow the plan I laid out in this article.

If you want something that goes into more detail and gives you the complete workout & dieting system to build a lean and muscular superhero body, checkout my Superhero X12 course.