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Zack Snyder directed his first comic book-based film,300, with Gerard Butler in the lead as King Leonidas. The movie, based on the 1998 comic series of the same name, explored a David and Goliath story, where 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas face off against 300,000 soldiers of the Persian God-King, Xerxes. Butler underwent a god-like transformation for the movie, achieving a chiseled body shape.
Zack Snyder’s300also featured talents like Lena Headey, Dominic West, and Rodrigo Santoro, alongside Butler. TheOlympus Has Fallenactor enlisted professional help to attain the physique of a 480 BC Greek warrior.
Also Read:“That was too much?”: Gerard Butler Became Insecure After Screaming “This is Sparta” in 300, Seeked Zack Snyder’s Assurance
Gerard Butler’s Workout Routine For300
Gerard Butlerhired Mark Twight, a mountain climber and gym trainer, to help with his workout. Twight designed an intense routine that lasted for six hours per day, five to six days a week. The gym trainer, who owned Gym Jones in Salt Lake City, Utah, planned a training regime that focused on Olympic lifts, functional training, and metabolic body movements.
In the six hours of training, Butler dedicated two hours to CrossFit-style training, followed by bodybuilding for another two hours, and concluded with fight choreography for two hours. About his workout regimen, theLaw Abiding Citizenactor toldMen’s Healthin an interview:
“I wanted to look really strong. I’ve seen so many actors play these kinds of roles, and you see all this equipment on either a big belly or skinny little arms.”
Twight designed what he called the“300-rep Spartan workout”to accelerate Butler’s mind-body transformation. The 300 reps included 25 pullups, 50 deadlifts (135 lb), 50 pushups, 50 jumps on a 24-inch box, 50 floor-wipers, 50 clean-and-presses (36 lb), and 25 more pullups. In addition to this, Butler also engaged in tire flipping and ring training exercises.
Also Read:“I cut her open!”: Olympus Has Fallen Star Gerard Butler Recalls an On-Set Accident That Made Actor Cry in His Boxer Shorts
Gerard Butler’s Hard Work Eventually Paid Off
Gerard Butler also enlisted the help of a Venezuelan bodybuilder, Franco LiCastro, just five weeks prior to filming. Butler needed to get in shape fast, and he was determined to hasten the process by any means necessary. TheHow To Train Your Dragonvoice actor literally went through hell satisfying the physical demand for his role. Butler later revealed that he felt like he was pushing his body to the limit, but couldn’t resist the amazing physique he was gaining.
Butler was unrecognizable when theZack Snydermovie finally hit the theaters. During the film’s production,The Bounty Hunteractor thought the movie was going to fail big time. But once he saw the final product, his opinion changed. Butler shared withThe Hollywood Reporter:
“When I first saw the final product, I was with 13 of my representatives and friends, and our jaws were dropping. It was like, ‘Look at what Zack did!’ I can’t speak highly enough about him. As a director, as a creative, as a kind, excited, passionate guy.”
Also Read:“She’s the coolest chick on the planet”: Gerard Butler’s Unstoppable Crush on Jennifer Aniston Proves Why Brad Pitt Was a Fool To Let Her Go
300was welcomed in theaters with generally positive responses all across, with film criticRichard Roepercalling it“the Citizen Kane of cinematic graphic novels”. The film raked in $456 million against a budget of $65 million. The massive box office success also spawned a sequel titled,Rise of an Empire. Both films are available for streaming on Max.
Source:Men’s Health
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
