# \[Does Superman\] workout **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620 "2011-08-05T18:12:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/1 "2011-08-05T18:12:13Z")
Does Superman need to work-out? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/2 "2011-08-05T18:15:02Z")
I don’t think he can. Working out involves stressing muscles to their limits. Does Superman have such limits? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/3 "2011-08-05T18:23:12Z")
Superman doesn’t do pushups, he pushes the Earth down. You knew someone would say it. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/4 "2011-08-05T21:01:43Z")
Sup uses a different form of physical control. When he flies, you don’t see his arms flapping do you? The most you see is an arm orientation to make turns and barely that. Yea, he looks muscular, but that’s just so he can look cool to earthlings like Lois. I can only guess that his powers are consistent over time and depend on a different form of energy conversion than we are conditioned to. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/5 "2011-08-06T00:40:34Z")
Yes. But nowadays, Superman’s workouts come in the form of sips and puffs. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/6 "2011-08-06T00:57:02Z")
I’ve edited the title a bit so it’s a little more specific. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/7 "2011-08-06T02:47:41Z")
Yes, he does. Over the years, we’ve seen him using exercise equipment in the Fortress Of Solitude and working out in the Legion gym. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/8 "2011-08-06T03:17:14Z")
IIRC it’s been stated various times that while under a yellow sun his physiology is based on (more or less) direct solar energy conversion. It’s been stated several times in canon that he (and Supergirl) don’t even really need to eat while under a yellow sun, and can go without sleep for very long periods although he eventually does need some sleep to maintain mental stability. Re working out, I don’t think he actively does this except as lark or to fit in. His body (under a yellow sun) pretty much keeps itself in shape magically, plus historially there was always the implication for the very earliest Superman comics that even non sun powered Kryptonian physiology is well beyond human standards genetically. Kryptonians are usually shown as near physically perfect specimens. I’ve seen some thin (usually evil scientist types) Kryptonians but I don’t think I’ve even seen a truly fat Kryptonian. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/9 "2011-08-06T03:23:26Z")
It is of course worth pointing out that Superman’s nature has changed from the Golden Age to Silver Age to Modern Age. His continuity has also been rebooted several times. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/10 "2011-08-06T04:49:58Z")
Superman is not infinitely strong. Quite often he is placed against foes that are as strong or stronger than he is. Quite often alien technology is at least a challenge. And there are other Kryptonians that pop up every now and again, against whom he is essentially like any human against another. And his powers get taken away quite often, and he still winds up having to use at least some brute strength. That strength even seems to be necessary for not dying under green Kryptonite. To argue that he does not need to work out is silly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/11 "2011-08-06T05:44:32Z")
If he worked out while in the presence of a non-lethal but debilitating amount of kryptonite, would the gains made while affected scale up once you took the kryptonite away, or would it just mean greater resistance to kryptonite? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/12 "2011-08-06T08:17:09Z")
And what happens if you feed him after midnight? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/13 "2011-08-06T08:50:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If he worked out while in the presence of a non-lethal but debilitating amount of kryptonite Not really such a thing. Kryptonite’s simply toxic to him, and the dosage size affects the speed with which it works, not the level of effect - it makes him sick and weak as a kitten even in tiny doses - and his powers come back once he’s well enough to stand up under his own power. Post-Infinite Crisis _Gold_ Kryptonite could work, I suppose, but the effect is short lived - it’s not clear if it’s ‘5 minutes after exposure ends’ or ‘the body develops an immunity to it after 5 minutes, no matter if exposure continues or not’ (albeit a short lived on, since IIRC, the same people were affected by Gold K multiple times) - so it’s not a good solution to the problem at hand. Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Gold K was _permanent_, so…while it would allow him to work out, it’s also not a good solution to the problem at hand. To reduce him to human level to allow him to work out without bench pressing whole planets, what you need is red solar radiation. (How does that differ from red light? Simple. It’s…LOOK OVER THERE! _points, then runs in the other direction_) It takes away his powers without actually _harming_ him. Magic should, theoretically, work, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/14 "2011-08-06T09:06:08Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > To reduce him to human level to allow him to work out without bench pressing whole planets, what you need is red solar radiation. (How does that differ from red light? Simple. It’s…LOOK OVER THERE! _points, then runs in the other direction_) It takes away his powers without actually _harming_ him. Magic should, theoretically, work, too. Red sunlamps were used in the tragically award unwinning _Superman vs. Muhammad Ali_, in which Superman sets up a training ring surrounded by depowering red-sun lamps so Ali can school him on the finer points of pugilism. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/15 "2011-08-06T11:13:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Red sunlamps were used in the tragically award unwinning _Superman vs. Muhammad Ali_, in which Superman sets up a training ring surrounded by depowering red-sun lamps so Ali can school him on the finer points of pugilism. Not as dumb an idea as it sounds actually; Superman doesn’t normally have the opportunity to train how to fight properly given that whole “accidentally reduces his sparring partner to pulp” problem. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-superman-workout/591620/16 "2011-08-06T13:51:52Z")
What is true about his need for exercise changes from decade to decade, and so far we have been given no clues as to the nature of the NewDCU Superman, except that he is younger(around 25).