So, how the hell did Gerard Butler get those massive muscles for his role as King Leonidas in the movie, “300?” Well, for starters, he spent four months training his body and transforming his mind. He also enlisted the help of trainer, Mark Twight, who created what he calls the “300-rep Spartan workout.” This workout should be done consecutively and without resting in between exercises: 25 pull ups, 50 dead lifts with 135 pounds, 50 push ups, 50 jumps on a 24-inch box, 50 floor wipers, 50 single-arm clean-and-presses using a 36-pound kettle bell and then 25 more pull ups. Butler also enrolled in extra sessions with Venezuelan bodybuilder, Franco LiCastro in order to exaggerate the physique he was after. However, these types of workouts can overtax and burden your mind and body. So, after he finished filming, he took a very long (8-month) break from working out. These type of extreme plans are not overly healthy for the body, which Butler understood. However, as an actor, he needed a quick transformation. A better plan for the rest of us is a more balanced approach, which Butler adopted after his 8-month hiatus. He now goes to the gym 4 times a week and still does some of the routines recommended by Twight. Here are some tips that you may want to incorporate into your routine:

“Start off by doing 100 reps using four to six different exercises, 10 to 25 reps per exercise. Build up from there until you can do 300 without rest. Feel free to swap in exercises such as jumping jacks, dumbbell curls, and Swiss-ball crunches.” – Joe Dowdell, C.S.C.S. (Butler’s current trainer)

“Lie on the floor holding a 135-pound bar straight overhead. Keeping his legs straight, Butler touches his feet to one plate, lowers them to the floor in the center, and then raises them up to touch the other plate.” That’s one repetition. Try it yourself, but with an empty bar first, raising your feet until they’re about 8 inches away from the bar (since there’s no weight plate to touch). Mark Twight

Tags: 300, 300-rep Spartan workout, actor, dead lifts, floor wipers, Franco LiCastro, Gerard Butler, Joe Dowdell, jumps, kettle bell, Mark Twight, presses, pull ups, push ups, trainer