We’ve seen plenty of talk about the rippled ads of the actors who play the Spartans in the recent movie “300.” (Which I still have not seen.) The workout regimen, as designed by Mark Twight of the (brilliantly dubbed) “Gym Jones,” ignores traditional weight training for a cross-training system. Here’s some more talk about it, with moving pictures.
A few people more knowledgeable than I about muscle building have questioned if this program, however effective, could turn these actors into the man-panthers in such a short time without the forbidden cocktails. Have any of you guys ever used a program like Twight’s or Crossfit to get this badass in as short of a time?
Since high school I haven’t gotten into any kind of workout regime whatsoever, short of daily yoga and biking, which was great at slimming and toning but not building much. I think I’d cough up a lung if I were to take something like this on today. Would probably help me quit smoking, though. Hmmm.
So 300 – I saw it , lots of fun, not a great movie, but more like a fun ride. I left feeling gayer than ever, it’s all about freaky mancake. Xtine’s yet to see it and she really wants to see it on the IMAX.
Anyone see 300 on a 12 story tall screen like that? Was it worth the extra five bucks?
It’s not like they spent 30 minutes, 3 times a week. This was their JOB …nothing else on their plate …they were probably rehearsing lines while they did it. It doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable to achieve such results…
Saw it on IMAX and I have to say it was worth it. I agree that its more of a fun ride than a deep engrossing movie, but I went in expecting that, and I believe I got my money’s worth.
Saw it on the IMAX as well, and left very impressed. Definitely worth the extra couple bucks.
They are also not the heaviest of guys here either. Without a doubt they easily could have looked the way they did doing this stuff.
Also oil goes a LONG way to making you look much more buff than you are.
1. This guys were fit before they started this crazy work out. They were hired cuz of their shape. Actors, models and LA people make most of us look like fat slobs.
2. Workout itself doesnt realy look like MUSCLE BUILDING type. More like fat burning. And we dont know what kind of diet and coctails they were on.
3. As was mentioned before – OIL.
4. They were pumping on the set , seconds before the shoot. Muscle, veins expand, make you look bigger (same as bodybuilders before showdown).
5. As digital graffic related professional am I can say that movie was digitaly enhanced to make them look more ripped. That besides picking better angles and putting them in better looking positions most of the time.
6. In some shots I even suspect that SIXPACKS were drawn by paint right on the stomacs of acters :) I practiced that couple of time in my young bodybuilding days. Drawing sixpack on your fat belly wont fool anyone at the beach. But if you are nicely build, tanned and oiled, paint will look very real on pictures (and probably on video). I noticed couple of moments in the movie when sixpacks werent moving as they should and werent changing shape properly.. looked weird, but i saw movie only once, so cant confirm this yet :)
7. Narrator (One-eyed guy) didnt get in shape on time (or didnt get paid enough) so they had to hide his stomacs all the time (cropping images, covering by clothing, shield, someones shoulder). They showed his torso couple of time – no signs of sixpack on him..
Work out itself looks a bit unorthdox, which probably explained by trying to be original, unique in every way and strict deadlines for results. In my opinion they could just hire bigger guys, or use more traditional build it/ burn it course.
I’ve done Crossfit for two years now. I do it 4 days a week, and I’m a Crossfit level 1 trainer. So, I may be biased. Have I seen people get these kind of results that quickly? Fuck no. Like thaddeus said, this was their JOB. They got paid to train for two hours a day and I guaran-damn-tee they had someone watching their food as well.
Now, what I have seen is this: ordinary folks getting one beastly workout in a short span of time that build actual, functional strength. Not the ‘appearance of strength’ that bodybuilders shoot for. When I go to a regular gym, I’m lifting 50-100% more than guys twice my size, because my muscle is functional, it’s not just ‘pumped’ for appearance. Nearly everyone I know that in law enforcement, firefighting, military service, or jujitsu SWEARS by Crossfit as the best thing they’ve ever done. They’re stronger, faster, more agile, get hurt less, and can do the job expending less energy. Crossfit increases your funtional work capacity–that’s what it’s designed for. It’s not to make your delts larger or give you a six pack. That MAY happen as a side effect, based on your diet and body type, but it isn’t the goal.
My girlfriend recently began going insane with Crossfit. There’s a new Crossfit gym in Midtown (www.crossfitnyc.com), and she’s there at 7AM five days a week.
In a little over two months, the change in the way she looks and her level of fitness is dramatic – and we are talking about a person who was always very fit, who ran mutliple half-marathons last year.
She tells me all about what they had her do every day – it is insane.
Her new nickname is “The Incredible Hulkette”.
A lot of that looks fun! I’d do that for hours a day if I were being paid for it. If I weren’t so lazy I’d do it without being paid for it. As it is, I can’t even get myself to the gym, that’s on the next block, regularly. I should do that tomorrow.
Read this before you start taking Crossfit classes:
NYT: Getting Fit, Even if it Kills You
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/fashion/thursdaystyles/22Fitness.html?ex=1292907600&en=60e8cc2df444a18f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Hmmm….from reading all the comments I think it would be safe to assume that we have a very mixed bag of nuts here. I’m a 46 year old professional who has been working out for quite a few years. No, I don’t have the bodybuilder type of physique, just somewhat muscular and tight. I would definitely have to agree with whoever said that these dudes were getting paid to do it. If all i ever had to do was workout christ I’d be in amazing shape too. But work, kids, girlfriend, wife and life in general just doesn’t give you the time.
I tried one of these 300 workout routines, they are friggin demanding for sure and not for the faint of heart. You would be foolish to start off with something this intense. That is a recipe for injury. Starting off with a good full body workout for a few months would be highly advisable.
I am going to adjust my workouts somewhat to sort of mock the 300.
i was just wondering what kind of diet these guys were on. did they have to eat a ton of protein and no fat? what are some of the foods they ate alot.
My guess would be that they ate a TON of carbs to keep their energy up to be able to perform at those levels, And ofcourse atleast a gram of protein per lb of body weight.
speaking of the 300 workout, i ran across this article on Men’s Health:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=guy.wisdom&category=life.lessons&conitem=de42ad5c08450110VgnVCM10000013281eac____
I like how everyone says, “yeah, I could do it too if I had time.” No, you wouldn’t & couldn’t. You don’t have the mental discipline, no matter how much you were paid. You lack the spirit & the fight. You would quit & say everyone is on The Juice . No one wants to admit they couldn’t achieve what others did. There must be a trick they say – some kind of short cut.
Well in all honesty the people who are most fit are gymnasts I will admit my biased opinion, but I did it for 13 years and quit only cause there were not enough gyms around once I moved and cause It’s considered a gay sport which really gets to me. I did wrestling for 2 years and I would say thats a way gayer sport then gymnastics but they are both tremendously physical sports and I commend everyone involved in both. I will add that there is no way a normal person could do the 300 workout without being in the proper mindset. Discipline is more powerful then physical power in this case. The main character in 300 ate a shitload of fish that was his main source of protein, just to answer your question on what some of them ate. Everyone has a different view though so I would say whatever works for you. Goodluck everyone
Personally have been doing variations of the workouts posted on the Gym Jones website since I heard about it in early January. Weighed in at 250 to start. Am currently at 215.
My workouts consist of two-a-days, 45 mins each 5 days a week. Morning workout a combination of lifts, alternating sprints, mixed with body-weight calisthenics and swimming sprints.
2nd workout is all lifting.
Never have done the same combination twice.
figured my own eating plan which is all clean food, complex carbs early and late morning with a fist size of protein at each, and then taper carbs to nothing for last 3 meals of the day. Carbs are primarily grains, nuts and berries. Drinking at least a gallon of water a day.
Taking creatine 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off. Take l-glutamine pre and post workout and before bed. Take a multi vitamin, garlique, and an aspirin each day.
Have a cheat meal each weekend with a huge slice of cheesecake!
Take sat and sunday off. Very happy with the result. I am 47 years old.
My wife hates me, but loves the way I look;)
Best of luck everyone!
First of all, no there was no CGI involved into making these guys bigger, it was all natural. They trained for roughly 10 hours a day for months on end. They were also on a caloric restristion diet. The only things these guys ate was nuts, berries, fruit, and meat.
Please do yourselves a favor and educate youe selves befor you talk about the training on this movie. go to http://www.gymjones.com and go under the knowledge section and read the 300 stuff.
Gym Jones were the guys to train the actors.
Secondly the “300″ workout was only the final test workout. Not all the actors got to do it. Only the tuffest, most diciplened ones were invited to the final workout.
Anyone can do this workout, but not everyone can come even close the the times that these guys posted on it.
“First of all, no there was no CGI involved into making these guys bigger, it was all natural. They trained for roughly 10 hours a day for months on end. They were also on a caloric restristion diet. The only things these guys ate was nuts, berries, fruit, and meat.
Please do yourselves a favor and educate youe selves befor you talk about the training on this movie. go to http://www.gymjones.com and go under the knowledge section and read the 300 stuff.
Gym Jones were the guys to train the actors.
Secondly the “300″ workout was only the final test workout. Not all the actors got to do it. Only the tuffest, most diciplened ones were invited to the final workout.
Anyone can do this workout, but not everyone can come even close the the times that these guys posted on it.”
I don’t think there was any CGI, but they definetely did everything they could(lighting, angles, body make-up like oils and paints, etc.) to make them look better on camera, it’s hollywood don’t be stupid. That said you have to be in at least pretty good shape for any of that to work, and they were. But if you watch the actual filming in front of the green screens they look a lot different than in the movie. Also, I went to the gym jones site and nothing on there said anything about 10 hours a day. 10 hours a day would be counterproductive. Don’t be stupid. You’ll never read this, but anyone else who comes here will, so I guess it means something.