Casino Royale Workout
Daniel’s nutrition plan when he was training for Casino Royale looked a little bit like this: Breakfast: 2 poached eggs and 2 pieces of wholegrain toast Snack: Protein shake or fruits and nuts. 007 is a long way from the angry young man we met in Casino Royale. He’s been heartbroken, jaded, cast down, and resurrected, and he has the look of a man who wears his suit with a hard-won poise. He’s been heartbroken, jaded, cast down, and resurrected, and he has the look of a man who wears his suit with a hard-won poise. Naturally, things took a little longer than they would have 15 years ago, when the pair were gearing up to shoot Casino Royale. Accepting that Bond is ageing alongside Craig, Waterson says, was key.
How Rigorous Fitness Regime Helped Revive James Bond Franchise
Daniel who?
That was the world’s reaction to the relatively unknown Englishman’s selection as “James Bond” back in 2005. Fortunately, EON Productions and MGM Studios knew what they were doing, as Daniel Craig’s boffo performances in “Casino Royale” (2006) and “Quantum of Solace” (2008) were instrumental in getting the action thriller franchise back into our consciousness.
While earlier James Bond films highlighted gadgetry and humor (and the Bond Girls), the last two installments showcased a colder, grittier, and more physically imposing Bond – thanks to Daniel Craig’s fierce commitment to getting into shape prior to and during filming. Whether in a tuxedo or tight swimsuit, his “Casino” performance lived up to and arguably exceeded those of his Bond predecessors: Connery, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan et al.
So what did Craig, now forty-two years old, do back then to get a physique guys half his age would die for?
Daniel Craig’s “007” Circuit Training Routine
After quitting smoking (a move fully endorsed by Free Muscle Building Tips!) and signing on with noted personal trainer Simon Waterson, Daniel embarked on a “no-holds barred” fitness and nutritional plan to build his smokin’ hot “Casino Royale” body.
Circuit training was at the heart of Craig’s routine, because it favors simultaneous muscle-building and unwanted body fat elimination. Here are the highlights:
- 4 supersets; each superset consisting of seven solid exercises of 15 repetitions: Clean and Jerk, Squats, Bench Press, Pull-ups or Chin-ups, Dips, Barbell Curls, Dumbbell Lateral Raises.
- Minimal to “no rest” within each set.
- First set acts as warm-up to get proper form and technique down pat.
- Benefits: great calorie burner, strong cardio workout (elevated heart rate), accelerated muscle growth.
Abdominal and Cardio Focus to Round it all off
Most folks would be spent after four intense resistance circuits. However, when you’re “licensed to kill”, you cannot afford half measures. Consequently, Daniel Craig would follow up his circuit training with three “abs” sets – fifteen, twenty, and then twenty-five repetitions of the following: Sliding-hand crunches, Raised Leg Crunches, and leg raises.
To finish of his workout, Daniel would do a thousand meters on a rower at maximum pace with the highest resistance.
Craig worked out five times a week (with ‘active’ rest weekends) and claims that his sessions were forty-five minutes of non-stop action. However, you might be best served with 3-4 sessions weekly for 6 weeks, depending on your conditioning.
Some Healthy Nutrition Tips
No training plan is sustainable without proper eating habits, even on a limited basis. Here are some highlights of Daniel Craig’s daily plan:
James Bond Casino Royale Workout
- Three meals, two snacks.
- No refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, pasta, rice) after 2:00 P.M.
- No starchy foods (e.g. potatoes, rice, sugary drinks) after 5:00 P.M.
- Multiple vegetable servings; two servings of fruit.
- Two liters of water
- Immediate post-workout energy snacks.
- Moderate alcohol consumption limited to weekends.
Courtesy of health coach Sam Omidi , we have an idea of how Daniel put theory into practice:
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 2 pieces of toast.
Snack: Protein shake or fruits & nuts mix with raisins.
Lunch: Lean meat or fish with small amount of brown rice or a baked potato.
Snack: Protein shake or yogurt mixed with nuts.
Dinner: Lean meat or fish with leafy green vegetables (e.g. asparagus, spinach, broccoli).
James Bond Daniel Craig Workout
The Cannon Conclusion
Daniel Craig’s “James Bond” physique requires the right balance between “He-Man” muscularity and athleticism. In post “Casino” interviews, Craig admitted that he was focused on bulking up quickly – perhaps too quickly.
A possible reason why he sustained numerous injuries while filming many stunts. For “Quantum”, he scaled back on weight training in favor of more aerobic conditioning and flexibility activities like running, jumping, and boxing. Still, the “Casino” workout should be rated a success for allowing Craig to excel in his breakout action hero/leading man role.
We will return to the “Quantum of Solace” workout in a future blog entry…
The “Bond 23” film, rumored to be set in New York and/or Afghanistan, has been postponed due to MGM’s fluid ownership situation. It would be a shame if such a durable franchise ended, especially with the “Daniel Craig” Bond films grossing over a billion dollars worldwide. Hopefully, fans of the MI6 super-assassin will have at least one more chance to see how optimum fitness training pays off both physically and at the box office.
Source: Sam Omidi, “Daniel Craig Workout”, www.weightlossandtraining.com http://weightlossandtraining.com/danielcraigworkout 04 Aug 10.