Gerard Butler: Photo shoot? Noooo. This is training!

- It was simply necessary. Every drop of sweat falling from your forehead, every kilogram lifted and repetition squeezed through your teeth will still be counted later,- Gerard Butler tells us about the fitness nightmare he experienced. - Putting on a combat helmet with a cloak and not thinking: “Damn it, I should have trained more!” - it was incredibly cool. I stood in front of the line of Spartans and felt like a real lion.

At the moment when Gerard Butler received an offer from the producers to play the role of King Leonidas, he, in his own words, was in almost perfect shape.

- According to the original plan, Leonid should have looked much frailer, but I said: “Let me figure out my character myself!”

The military readiness to give his life for victory and the indomitable fighting spirit, cultivated during four months of hellishly intense training, immediately made adjustments to the actor’s life and almost finished him off.

WHO'S IN BOSS?

To achieve his goals, Gerard Butler enlisted the help of Mark Twight, a world-renowned trainer and former climber known for his fierce obsession with training. Mark always worked out as if his life depended on it. It’s quite difficult to blame a coach for such a thoughtless approach to one’s own health. Twight always countered that it was much better to vomit out the entire contents of your stomach during training than to feel your back fall from a kilometer high onto sharp stones or simply lose to a more determined opponent.

To get Gerard Butler's body into shape, Mark Twight created what he called the spartan "300 reps" routine, although in reality this miracle of fitness technique should have a more satanic name, something like "Beelzebub's Three Hundred"! In addition to this circuit training from the underworld, the future Leonid was daily subjected to a number of other, no less sadistic types of stress: he turned over truck tires, tortured himself on gymnastic rings, ran over rough terrain, and so on. A similar regime was expected by most of Gerard Butler's partners in the film. One of them described his feelings during preparation for filming: “I felt like someone had just killed my beloved dog!” Whatever it means, the guy experienced powerful emotions.

Exactly five weeks before the first scenes, the noticeably stronger and leaner Butler hired another specialist in the field of physical torture in the name of beauty. A Venezuelan bodybuilder named Franco Licastro made an invaluable contribution to the actor’s form, adding the final details to the masterpiece named Leonid. Of course, Licastro also did not want to fall on his face and tried his best - Gerard received another deadly portion of the load. “I wanted to look very strong on screen, - Butler justified himself. - How many times in similar roles have we seen actors whipping up pathos with a bulging belly or skinny arms, it’s unclear how they were holding a heavy sword! The Spartans enjoyed the feeling of belonging to an elite military class; no one was as strong and brave as them. If no one trains as hard as you, what's the point of being embarrassed about being the best. Enjoy! Go and take what is yours!”

Well, all this work of body and spirit was not in vain. On screen, Gerard Butler looked like a testosterone-fuelled discus thrower with model abs, enormous shoulders, columnar legs and the terrifying gaze of an angry king, growling furiously through the slits of his combat helmet. Undoubtedly, he was scary and cool, but for these seconds of glory he soon had to pay a serious price.

In his free time from training, Gerard Butler worked part-time in a car repair shop.

THE WAY OF THE BODY

Over the course of filming, training with Twight, pumping iron with Licastro and spending hours practicing sword, shield and spear techniques, Gerard Butler pushed beyond the imaginable adaptive limits of his 37-year-old body.

As a result, every joint and muscle in his body ached unbearably throughout the days and nights of filming. In short, Butler was overtaken by overtraining - a condition in which physical stress exceeds the body's ability to adapt and prevents its recovery resources from working. Gerard's health deteriorated so much that after filming ended, he had to give up training as hard as he started it. Butler postponed any physical exercise for exactly eight months.

Losing muscle mass and inevitably becoming fat, the reflective Gerard blamed his own temperament and personality type. People of his type are incredibly addicted in nature, they are capable of getting stuck in any difficult situation for many years, be it work, collecting wooden elephants, sports or drugs. It was in the latter that Butler was by no means an angel. Of course, he didn’t bring syringes with prohibited contents to filming, but he still couldn’t get rid of his long-standing habit of smoking a pack a day. Concerned about his health after filming and clearly understanding that these cancer-carrying smoking sticks are no less deadly than the swords of Xerxes’ elite guard, Butler even underwent psychotherapeutic treatment to help reduce stress. As a result, he quit smoking, and this was the first step towards his former form.

LESSONS

“The obsessive, blind, maximalist approach that I followed before filming was good only for Leonid himself - he knew that he had no future. But this method only works for very short periods of life.”, says Butler.

Today Gerard clearly controls his lifestyle. After eight months of rest, he returned to Gym. Now he works out four times a week and has a more balanced approach to fitness. He acts a lot and often in action, with virtually no stunt doubles - for which he received an award from the World Stunt Organization. And the experience gained in “300 Spartans” helps him now, in particular, with regard to proper nutrition. He eats a lot of vegetables and chicken, and has forgotten about hamburgers and other nonsense.

What is the result? Butler regained his eight-pack abs and a peaceful state of mind. What more could a real king wish for?

TRAINING “KING LEONID”

Start with number 100 - do 4-6 different exercises 10-25 repetitions. Gradually, from week to week, increase the total number of repetitions to 300. Perform the exercises without rest, in a circle. 1-2 laps per workout is more than enough.

(25 reps)

Pull yourself up without allowing your body to sway.

IN Ancient Greece an athletic and strong body was an integral extension of a powerful mind. Theory healthy mind, which was only in a healthy body, played a vital role in the life of the Greeks and Romans. The highest nobility constantly argued over whose mind was the sharpest and whose body was the most beautiful.

In Athens, there were three institutes that taught not only philosophy and science, but also physical culture. The Lyceum was founded by Plato, and the Academy by his no less great student, Aristotle. Plato often said that power training can cure any illness, and as soon as the child began to walk, he should have been introduced to physical education.

The word "GYM" comes from the Greek word "gymnasium", and the latter was derived from the word "gymnós", which translates as "naked". These gymnasiums were very interesting place, in which men trained exclusively naked, and women had no place there.

It was the ancient Greeks who created such a concept as “areté”, which characterizes the highest peak of human mental and physical development. For only the sacred harmony of soul and body will allow you to fully comprehend the secrets of the universe and enjoy a happy life.

We have already written about what we ate, now it’s time to talk about what nutritional principles the athletes adhered to.

In 460 BC. e. classic champion Olympic Games Dromaeus developed a meat diet, which became very popular among his colleagues in the sports workshop.

It was very similar to modern speed dial diets. muscle mass. For 10 days you need to eat high-quality protein foods and vegetables that do not contain starch. No alcohol, strict regime, hardcore training and no pity or mercy for yourself.

Strength training was combined with endurance and flexibility exercises. Special attention was devoted to martial arts, with the help of which the boys of Sparta were raised to be courageous and strong warriors.

When actor Gerard Butler was preparing to film the film 300, he trained for several months in a program that was based on the principle of cyclic training in the CrossFit system. It consisted of three cycles and three hundred repetitions, and it was impossible to take a break while performing them. Butler completed one cycle in 19 minutes. The program increases muscle strength and works out the relief due to high intensity exercises.

Now you know what you'll do tonight.

"300 Spartans Program"

1. Wide grip pull-ups - 25 times;
2. Deadlift(50 kg) - 50 times;
3. Push-ups - 50 times.
4. Jump on the jump box 60 cm - 50 times;
5. Lying leg raises - 50 times;
6. Lifting a weight (16 kg) with a push up - 25 repetitions for each arm;
7. Wide grip pull-ups - 25 times;

“Star” trainer Mark Twight promises that by exercising three times a week, impressive results will be visible within 4 months.

Strength training is typically performed in a range of motion of 1 to 5 repetitions.

If you don’t know how to do pull-ups, but want to learn, then training in preparatory exercises 1-5 reps will be strength training.

If you can do 20 pull-ups, then pull-ups are no longer strength training. In this case, it makes sense to think about one-arm pull-ups.

For the vast majority of people, bodyweight training can be strength training if you choose the right exercise in the 1-5 rep range.

Bodyweight workouts for bulking

In any bodybuilding textbook you will read that for gaining mass strength exercises you need to do it with weights that you can lift for 6-8 repetitions in 3-5 approaches.

Home bodyweight workout

Workouts with own weight It’s better to do it outside, but you can do it at home.

Bodyweight training requires a minimal amount of living space. This compares favorably with training with additional equipment, which take up square meters of housing.

For harmonious development body you only need a horizontal bar.

Bodyweight circuit training

Circuit training with your own weight is aimed at developing both muscles and heart. In a word, it trains the heart a little and the muscles a little.

Circuit training won't give you the heart it does for athletes cyclic species sports or muscles, as in athletes of strength sports.

That is why my method does not include circuit training, but there are separate strength and cardio training.

Circuit training is more often used in spontaneous sports, where the competition lasts for up to 3 minutes in unpredictable movements: these are martial arts or game types sports.

The goal of my technique is appearance, therefore, are used to gain muscle mass, and low-intensity cardio training helps burn fat.

Bodyweight 300 workout

The 300 workouts are the movie version of circuit training.

Action actors often need to take part in staged fights and therefore need not only fight choreography, but also the strength, flexibility and endurance to match it.

If you have already gained basic strength and have approached the ceiling of natural muscle growth, then you can sometimes entertain yourself with a circuit training session with the movie title “300 Spartans.”

But for this you need to develop basic strength and basic endurance. The technique allows you to do this as a bonus to a good appearance.

Coming soon to the website:

“Functional bodyweight training”, “bodyweight training”, “Bodyweight training every day”, “Bodyweight training results”, “Bodyweight training for beginners”, “bodyweight”, “Back training with your own weight", "Bodyweight leg training", "Bodyweight training for men", "Bodyweight training for girls", "Bodyweight training for women", "Bodyweight training plan", " Annual program Home workouts with your own weight"

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Do 300 Spartans training. Three hundred repetitions, madness and muscles

All the actors in the movie "300" went through this hellish training and got into great shape.

All the actors in the movie “300” went through this hellish training and got into excellent shape. “Workout 300” is the name by which this workout is known in the world of fitness. It consists of 300 lifts in one session, including 50 deadlifts and 50 pull-ups. If you want to be like King Leonid, try to go through them all and not break.

MADCOACH

“It was terrible!” said actor Gerard Butler, who plays Tsar Leonidas, about Workout 300. This workout was specially developed for the movie “300” by fitness trainer Mark Twight, a former mountaineer and owner of the GymJones gym chain.

Twight's goal was to get the entire cast in tip-top shape in four months. Twight is a person with a specific humor and a real hardcore person in terms of physical training. In the 1980s, he sported a mohawk and made daring climbs of mountain peaks in the Himalayas, Canada and Alaska. In the 2000s, Twight opened his own gym, which he named after Jim Jones, the notorious leader of the Peoples Temple sect. In 1978, 909 members of the sect, including Jones himself, committed ritual suicide in the jungles of Guyana.

"Transform or die!" - this is approximately how you can describe the philosophy of Coach Twight. Another 300 actor, Andrew Plevin, recalled: “When Mark rolled out Workout 300 in front of us, we all felt like he had just killed our beloved pets.”

However, all the actors had to go through this training. When “300 Spartans” was released, viewers were amazed at their perfect shape. The film became a cult favorite among bodybuilders and football fans.

TRAINING

“Workout 300” consists of 300 repetitions of different movements. Mark Twight specially adjusted the amount of repetitions to the title of the film.

Exercises should be done in the style of circuit training, trying to reduce rest time or do without it. Everyone needs to try to complete the “workout 300” in more than a short time.

The training consists of: 25 pull-ups (wide grip), 50 reps of deadlifts, 50 push-ups, 50 box jumps, 50 prone leg raises, 50 weightlifting or dumbbell snatches (25 reps with each arm) and 25 final pull-ups (wide grip).

Deadlift weights – 60 kg, jumping box height – 60 cm, dumbbell lift weight – 16 kg. Pull-ups must be performed in a strict classical style - without swinging and kipping, characteristic of CrossFit.

DETAILS

Do Workout 300 at least once a week, trying to do it faster. The actors from the film “300” at the final stage of preparation performed training three times a week, alternating it with days of cardio exercise - running and fencing.

Before filming began, Gerard Butler completed the Workout 300 in about 19 minutes. An online challenge in which athletes around the world competed on how fast they could complete this workout revealed otherwise. best time– approximately 10 minutes for the entire complex.

Do not attempt this workout if you are a beginner. Learn proper deadlift technique. Start with lighter weights.

RESULTS

A workout that combines strength lifting and intense cardio work will help build strength and eliminate excess weight. Gain ripped, lean muscles, a toned cardiovascular system and explosive reflexes, says Mark Twight.

It’s interesting that after filming “300” was completed, Gerard Butler admitted in an interview that he could no longer see the barbell. In later films, Butler was no longer able to achieve such a perfect physical form.

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• Date of birth: November 13, 1969
• Height: 188 cm.
• Weight: 86 kg.
• Best films: “The Bounty Hunter”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “Rock and Rolla”, “300”, “Lara Croft 2”.

Athletic Butler

Gerard Butler can truly be called sports person- He is interested in football, horse riding, skiing and water skiing. In addition, he is the owner of a medal for bravery, received for saving a drowning boy.

Despite the fact that the actor is actively involved in sports, it is difficult to call him a follower healthy image life - only recently he quit smoking and limited his alcohol consumption. In an interview, he admits that he loves hamburgers, cola, and other fast food.

Why did the actor lose shape?

Comparing photos of Butler before 300, during filming, and several months after, it's hard to believe how quickly he transformed from a fit and muscular warrior to an overweight office worker.

According to rumors, the actor was so embarrassed by how quickly he gained weight and lost his shape that when visiting the gym he carefully disguised himself, wearing a baseball cap and dark glasses (1). Apparently, the secret to his form in the film was not only in the training program.

How does Gerard Butler train?

Gerard says that for the filming of the film "300" he trained for four months according to a special program compiled for him by Michael Twight (2). The program consists of 300 repetitions, and is a variation.

The exercises of the program are performed in a row without any break, and include 1-3 cycles. It took an actor about 19 minutes to complete one cycle, and after the program became publicly known, there were those who performed it in only 12 minutes (3).

"Program 300"

• wide grip - 25 reps
• (50 kg.) - 50 repetitions
• - 50 repetitions
• Jumping onto a platform 60 cm high - 50 repetitions
• - 50 repetitions
• Kettlebell lift (16 kg) with upward push - 25 repetitions per arm
• Wide grip pull-ups - 25 reps

Does this program work?

According to Michael Twight, who developed this program, it is aimed at increasing muscle strength and simultaneous development of the terrain due to high activity. It is not so easy to complete even one cycle, let alone repeat it again.

But while Program 300 does work, and many people love it, Gerard's sudden loss of form after filming the film gives rise to certain thoughts. It is likely that the secret to his form lies not only in training.

Diet for photo shoots

One of the most common ways to dramatically improve shape for a photo shoot is to eat a low-carb, salt-free, water-restricted diet four days before the shoot, followed by a simple carbohydrate crash just before the shoot.

Refusal of salt and restriction of water literally dries out the body, and special gels that remove water make the relief even stronger. Carbohydrate loading and pump training sends all the sugar into the muscles, making them significantly larger.

The secret of actors' perfect figure

Obviously, this method is only suitable for a short-term solution. Add to it preliminary body hair removal, which makes the muscles look even more prominent, the right light and even make-up on the body (the relief of the muscles can be trivially painted on).

After this, the photo and video material undergo computer processing, and at the output you get perfect body. Naturally, it is impossible to make an Apollo out of an extremely thin or overweight man, but an ordinary person can be significantly “improved.”

***

It is likely that the secret to Gerard Butler's shape in the movie "300" is not the training program, although it does work, but the special training before filming, as well as in the use of computer processing.

Sources:

1. Gerard Butler Cleanses, Works Out In Secret To Get Back In Shape,
2. Sequel to “300″ in the Works,
3. 300 Workout