Want to look like James Bond? Try Daniel Craig’s celebrity workout to get in the best shape of your life
Who better to emulate than movie stars who are clearly in the best shape of their lives?
Actors these days – particularly those who have major parts in action hero or classic franchises like Rocky and James Bond – have to get fit. And they often have to do it within a relatively short timeline.
So, how do they do it? Here’s a quick look at three major celebrity workout regimes that successfully transformed Chris Pratt, Daniel Craig and Michael B Jordan for box office busting movies.
3 of the most successful celebrity workout regimes
It’s become the norm to see actors transforming their physiques for different roles. Some of the biggest names are shapeshifters, dropping and gaining weight seemingly at will.
But while Christian Bale may have found it easy to bulk up to play Dick Cheney, he undoubtedly found it more difficult to get in American Psycho shape.
And when it comes to the ubiquitous superhero franchises or the much-loved franchises now enjoying a resurgence, the way the hero looks is even more important.
While strict nutrition, careful selection of high-quality supplements and plenty of discipline are undoubtedly necessary to reach these fitness heights, none of these actors could have done it without a personal trainer who knows what’s up.
Here’s a closer look at three celeb fitness regimes and why they worked so well.
Actor: Chris Pratt
Movie franchise: Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic Park
From pudgy Andy in Parks & Rec to an uber buff Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy, the physical transformation of Chris Pratt was impressive by any standards.
After years of apparently taking it easy on sitcom sets, he underwent a much lauded and very successful transformation into a lean, mean action hero star.
Pratt’s workout was devised and managed by trainer to the stars Duffy Glaver and included a diet plan from nutritionist Phil Goglia. Pratt was known for sharing his ‘snack of the day’ from this plan on Instagram during training.
The combination of strict training and strict diet worked with Pratt shedding a cool 60lbs in just six months.
Training consisted of up to six powerful sessions a week. These included bodybuilding, cardio and conditioning, all aimed at creating the lean but powerful frame Pratt emerged with. Find a detailed breakdown of the workout plan here if you fancy putting yourself through the same paces.
Actor: Daniel Craig
Movie Franchise: James Bond
Before Casino Royale was a huge success, Daniel Craig was watched with interest. What kind of Bond would he make?
Currently, Craig’s fifth (and final) James Bond movie is out in cinemas. Getting into shape for the first film at the age of 38 and then finally 15 years later for No Time To Die took dedication and a carefully crafted regime.
Personal trainer Simon Waterson was asked to create a fitter and more realistic Bond than any previous iterations. And that’s what he did by ensuring Craig followed an intense training plan combining compound exercises and powerlifting.
Craig managed this so well that he continued to work with the same trainer throughout his five movies. During the filming of No Time To Die, Craig turned 50, which posed further challenges.
Training intensely at middle age is different to doing so while young, so Waterson was careful to prioritise longevity, stamina and fitness while minimising the risk of injury. Through natural bodyweight exercises, cardio and conditioning, Craig came out looking like the leanest, meanest Bond yet.
Crucially, he also looked realistic as a lethal weapon – rather more convincing than Roger Moore as an agent with a licence to kill! If you want to give it a go, click here and train like 007.
Actor: Michael B Jordan
Movie franchise: Rocky
The Rocky franchise is still beloved by millions of fans, and that means whenever there’s a new movie, all eyes are on the lead actor.
Michael B Jordan took the lead in Creed, the movie that started a new branch of the franchise by focusing on the family of Rocky’s old rival turned friend Apollo Creed.
Fitness trainer Corey Calliet created an exercise regime to turn Jordan into someone who could feasibly be a world champion boxer. He also had to ensure the actor measured up to the legendary Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films (before being killed in the ring by Dolph Lundgren).
So, there was a lot of pressure on the actor and the trainer alike. Calliet focused on helping Jordan to build both his muscles and his work capacity. He said: “The training was pulled from the fundamentals of athletic conditioning, as well as from bodybuilding.”
Jordan’s training combined cardio and circuits to ensure that muscles became tighter and body fat was lost quickly. Check out the entire workout here if you want to train like someone acting as a world champion boxer.
Is it really feasible to train like a celebrity?
These training programmes will be immensely useful if you’re already at a high level of fitness. Remember that it’s far easier to follow these kinds of regimes and get the results you want if you have a personal nutritionist and trainer on call.
A less intense training regime is just fine for most people to drop some weight, get fitter, and feel better. A lot of the likelihood of your success with any training programme depends on your nutrition.
A clean diet with plenty of protein, good quality supplements and a fitness plan you can realistically stick to.