Becoming Batman

by Zehr, E. Paul

• ISBN13: 9780801890635
• ISBN10: 0801890632
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-07
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it?Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman?Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian.A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable -- though extreme -- level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.

Author Biography

E. Paul Zehr is a professor of neuroscience and kinesiology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, where he is also a biomedical research scholar. He holds black belts in both empty hand and armed martial arts. For more information about finding your inner superhero, visit www.becomingbatman.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Bat-Building Blocks: Exploring what Batman became by beginning where he started
The "Before" Batman: How Buff Was Bruce?	p. 3
Guess Who's Coming for Dinner: Bruce's Twin Brother, Bob, and the Human Genome	p. 11
The Stress of Life: Holy Hormones, Batman!	p. 30
Basic Batbody Training: Laying the foundation for Batman's physical prowess to be later exploited by his skill
Gaining Strength and Power: Does the Bat That Flies the Highest or the Fastest Get the Worm?	p. 45
Building the Batbones: Brittle Is Bad, But Is Bigger Better?	p. 64
Batmetabolism: What's for Dinner on the Dark Knight Diet	p. 76
Training The Batbrain: Batman on the path to mastery of the martial arts
From Bruce Wayne to Bruce Lee: Mastering Martial Moves in the Batcave	p. 101
Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: But What Was Batman Doing?	p. 123
The Caped Crusader in Combat: Can You Kayo without Killing?	p. 138
Batman in Action: Knight moves with Batman when he acts as the Caped Crusader
Batman Bashes and Is Bashed by Bad Boys (and Girls): What Can He Break without Getting Broken?	p. 161
Hardening the Batbody: Can Sticks and Stones Break His Bones?	p. 180
Gotham by Twilight: Working the Knight Shift	p. 199
A Mixed Batbag: Pondering possible pitfalls along the path to bathood
Injury and Recovery: How Much Banging until the Batback Goes Bonk?	p. 219
Battle of the Bats: Could Batgirl Beat Batman?	p. 239
The Aging Avenger: Could the Caped Crusader Become the Coped Codger?	p. 247
The Reign of the Bat: Can You Really Become Batman and Remain Batman?	p. 260
Batman's Training Milestones	p. 265
Bibliography	p. 269
Index	p. 285
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