This Daniel Craig Workout Will Turn You into ONE Good Looking SOB
Updated 04.01.2012
This post will provide you with the Daniel Craig Workout, namely the workout this top actor used to prepare himself for the role in Casino Royale.
James Bond… who wouldn’t want to be like that? Kick some serious butt, without suffering any consequences?
“Just shoot the sucker, you got a license for it!” Oooo yeah!
Get all the hot chicks, dispose of your boss if he as much as looks at you in the wrong way, travel the world, pack a Walther, drive an Aston Martin…
And check out this guy’s shape! —->
Alright alright, you might not have the car, you (hopefully) don’t carry the gun, but well at least you can look like the guy, and here’s how:
First, I give you Daniel’s exact workout, straight up, the way he’s reportedly been doing it.
Then, I make some comments on how I would tweak the whole thing so it’s even more effective for the training goal: building a good looking beach body.
OK so here’s Daniel Craig’s original routine:
Daniel Craig’s James Bond Workout
Day 1: Upper Body
Chest
Incline dumbbell press
Flat barbell bench press
Pec dec fly
Shoulders
Dumbbell lateral raise
Reverse pec dec fly
Mark’s Tweak:
I’d do legs on Day 1, then chest & shoulders for Day 2 (Day 3 is off) and arms & upper back on Day 4.
As far as chest, I would do a dumbbell fly, otherwise it’s OK.
Day 2: Biceps/Triceps
Biceps
Barbell bicep curl
Dumbbell hammer curl
Triceps
Lying tricep extension (skullcrushers)
Dumbbell tricep kickback
Tricep Rope press-down
Mark’s Tweak:
Why not add a third biceps exercise, like say EZ Curls, and make a tri-set out of it?
Ditto for triceps.
It could look like this:
A1:Dumbbell hammer curl
A2:Barbell bicep curl
A3:EZ Curls
B1:Lying tricep extension
B2:Tricep Rope press-down
B3:Dumbbell tricep kickback (they make fun of this exercise, but it’s ok as a body builder).
And did you notice? James Bond forgot his upper back! Best to start the whole thing off with some Pull-Ups and Dumbbell/Barbell Rows, then do the arms after that.
"Top this, Baby!"
Day 3: Legs/Abs
Dumbbell lunges
Leg extensions
Prone hamstring curl
Standing cable glute pull superset with abductor machine
Hanging leg raises/oblique cable twist superset
Standing cable oblique twist
Mark’s Tweak:
Like I said, I’d do legs first in the week, then follow with the easier stuff. As far as the leg extensions, I’d exchange that with leg press at the end, as a finisher. And I’d ditch all the twisting this and that’s and definitely leave out the abductor machine and all that jive, I mean: “WHAT?!”
So it might look something like this:
Dumbbell lunges paired with
Prone hamstring curl,
Back extensions paired with
Hanging leg raises
Finish up with 1-3 sets of high rep leg press (25-50).
As far as reps I’d recommend 6-10 on average, and about 3-5 sets per exercise/body part, depending.
So you’d do lunges, rest a minute, do the leg curls, rest a minute, start again with the lunges, etc, for some 2-5 sets.
Then you’d go right into the back extensions and leg raises, using the same set up. This is alternating agonists with antagonists and it not only saves time but also is more effective than the standard, one-body-part-after-another approach.
The Split would be
Day 1: Legs,
Day 2:Chest&Shoulders,
Day 3: off
Day 4: Arms
Day 5: off
Repeat, so start again on Day 1.
So say Monday you do legs, Tuesday chest&shoulders, Wednesday is off, Thursday is arms day, Friday off and on Saturday you repeat the cycle, starting again with legs.
Well there you have it, a James Bond, or rather Daniel Craig Workout with a tweak.
Sounds pretty cool, if you’re not an athlete, meaning if sports performance doesn’t matter, this could be pretty good!
If you are for instance a soccer player, then here is the Cristiano Ronaldo Workout…with a tweak.
I even might give this one a try myself, just for kicks.
More into bodybuilding? Try Schwarzy’s approach.
Target specific body parts? Here are some of the best workouts for…
Chest training
Biceps workout
Leg training
Best of TSM Training page with tons of links to all training related posts
Mark
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20 Comments
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Great post! Mark has helped my tremendously in my quest for fat loss, muscle gain, and over all health pursuit. I have lost over 100lbs of fat and gained 10lbs of muscle in just a couple of years time. There are many “internet fitness gurus”, but Mark has the credentials, sincerity, and knowledge to set him apart from the rest.
Hey Sol,
welcome on my Blog Brother!
Thanks a bunch for the kind words, I really appreciate that you know?
Thanks again,
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for a great post !
On Bi/Tri day i personaly would prefer going heavier and superseting (instead of triset) with bi and tri and take say:
A1:Barbell bicep curl
A2:Tricep Rope pressdown
B1:Dumbbell hammer curl
B2:Lying tricep extension
C1:EZ Curls
C2:Dumbbell tricep kickback
This works better for me if i’m in muscle gaining phase.
Hey Emil,
That’s GREAT man!
Thanks for the feedback:
Yeah, this is a very sound training protocol as well, both works really good. I can see you know your stuff!
Mark
I was just Googling a Daniel Craig 007 pic!
We are in tune mate
Maya xxx
Hey Maya!
Heehee, coooool!
Is a funny pic, isn’t it…
Mark
Hello Mark!
That’s exactly my workout
I don’t want to end up looking like him though: a bit of more definition is definitely better.
I’ve done some researches when he did Casino Royal and apparently his shape is more due to the high protein diet he was on (you know, the usual protein shake 24/7 lol).
My guess is that when a celebrity get buffed or ripped for a role they always blast about their training but seldom about their diet (see Brad Pitt in Fight Club: he got ripped ’cause of his diet and cardio).
What do you think Mark?
I wonder because I follow the same work out but I don’t look like David Craig at all!
Good post mate.
Pat
Hey Pat!
Cool stuff, making good progress? I’m thinking of trying it out myself…
Yeah diet is super important, yet most seem to be not nearly as interested as in the training…
I guess training is easier for many than actually eating less, and clean too!
Especially where fat loss is concerned the diet is, like, 90% or so.
So depending on your goal the diet needs to be adjusted for sure, and it’s extra important where getting ripped is concerned.
Thanks Pat, talk soon!
Mark
That’s why I follow your 6 Phase Fat Loss Program man
Thank you for your inspiration.
Too bad Jack didn’t tell me about you much earlier though…!
Pat
Thanks Pat,
my honor!
Thanks for the compliment, I really really appreciate it man you know?
And if you have any requests for a post, any questions, please just let me know right away!
Mark
Well, actually I am a bit confused why Daniel Craig looks a bit “puffy” if you know what i mean but his six pack is pretty visible.
My body fat must be quite low since I can see veins on my abs for the first time in my life and although I train my abs pretty hard since years and the rest of my body has a good definition my six pack is still not visible!
besides those are not “artistic” photos, you know in a studio but they look quite spontaneous taken on the beach…
Don’t know if it makes sense at all and if is something you may clarify with another post…?!?
Thank you Mark.
Hey Pat!
Yeah… that’s quite a interesting idea, who knows man!
Yeah the puffy? Well I ain’t saying, but certain “supplements” can make you look puffy, but then it could be all kinds of reasons for this.
The six pack: man, there is SOOooo much fat on the belly button especially, and all over the body of course, but the most stubborn fat is usually exactly that last little bit around the belly button. It’s usually also the last to go. I got that myself and while I definitely got a six pack, I still have TONS of fat to burn (but I’m right on it!
)
So there’s nothing for it: it’s really all about burning more fat and probably building up them abs a bit more.
How do you train them? Abs are fast twitch dominant, so they should be trained every 5 days, every 3.5 days max (twice a week) and pretty heavy, with a TUT not too much above 40 seconds, most times.
So mainly heavier weights and fewer reps, on the whole. I guess for you loaded abs work and extra fat loss would be the answer. That could be a post too: “The Loaded Six Pack Abs Workout”.
Thanks Pat!
Mark
Thanks Mark.
You are the man!
I actually have a question ans I have seen a lot of confusion lately about this topic.
It is about cumulative fatigue.
Now, they say that you’ve to pick up a not too heavy weight and aim for high reps: 8 or 10 or even 12 and that you have to keep the rest between the sets very short (40 sec).
Lately I have heard a lot on highest reps wit the same principle: 20-25 reps or even better without counting how many reps you are performing, just let the body gets exhausted at the last rep so it cannot lift anymore.
Wait 40 secs and do it again; if necessary reduce the weight.
It sounds a bit like “pumping iron” a la bodybuilding way.
I have tried lately and I must admit it is a good feeling and I also feel the cumulative effect much better than staying in the 10-12 range.
I guess the point here is that if at your 12th rep your muscles could still lift some more, is better to keep on lifting instead of increasing the weight.
I am not sure if this is something doable for long period of time but I was wondering if a month like this could be an idea.
I am looking forward to hear your thoughts
Thank you.
Pat
Ps: I have some more questions so perhaps some more ideas for future post…?
Hey Pat!
Yeah good point, and please keep ‘em comin’, who knows man!
Yeah the fatigue-thing:
It’s great for a change after for example a relative strength phase, as a means of variety, to keep both the body adapting and the mind fresh.
Also it will give the joints a much needed rest and help their recovery.
The main point about the whole thing though is this: the body responds to volume, especially for hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Example: Simple beginners’ routine for chins
Just squeeze in 100 chin ups during the course of one day. That’s it. Still you will have done 100 reps within 24 hours, and that’s a lot of stuff, and your body knows it…and it will respond. Same principle.
This density thing is a good way to get a lot of reps in a relatively short time frame. Most importantly –if done right– this creates high levels of lactate, and that in turn boosts HGH: more fat loss, more anti-catabolism, more indirect anabolism.
So it’s great to lean out and maintain muscle mas, possibly even growing some (but don’t focus on that: always focus on one goal at a time, either muscle or fat loss).
Thing is while it’s possible to do it, actually trying to do both at the same time is a main reason why there’s so many folks in the fitness centers that are always just a little bit fat and a little bit little, if you know what I mean…
Good? Alright please let’s have more of your ideas man, I’m up for it and it’s definitely great for possible future posts!
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have been following your advice since a long time thanks to a good friend of mine (Swarup but perhaps you know his children Maya and Jack).
Anyway, I always wanted to ask you something and then searching through your posts I have always found the right answer!
I’ve a week now at my disposal with no wife and no kids so I can eat when and what I want and since I work at home I can also train at my leisure.
So the idea was to dedicate the whole week to loose as much body fat as possible.
Luckily I don’t have much to loose since I can clearly see my abs but I haven’t done any cardio since a couple of months and since Christmas my diet hasn’t been so great… you know what I mean.
So the plan was to go very low in calories and carbs, little bit of good fat but high on proteins.
Of course I’m planning to do a lot of HIIT on fasted state after taking BCCA and a strong coffee but I don’t know what is the best as far as weight lifting is concerned…
Should I focus on cardio only?
Should I lift every day before HIIT?
Should I do a sort of circuit training (like a non-stop weight lifting session hitting the whole body with compound movements without rest between the sets)?
Low reps? High reps? Heavy weights? Light weights?
Any tip and idea are more than welcome!
I assume there is no much sense on taking creatine but perhaps is better to use caffeine and BCAA before every session…
So basically since I haven’t been very extreme in the last few months I hope that by shocking my body for a short period of time will help me to shed a bit of body fat quckly, so yes I want to go quite extreme for that week! lol
Many thanks for any help and tip you’ll provide.
Walter
Wow hey Walter!
Welcome into the extended family: Maya, Jack, their Dad and now you…this is great!
Yeah I see… so you’re basically wondering what kind of lifting would be right for this short fat burning phase right?
The best type of lifting for a fat loss phase is a High Lactic Acid Protocol, that usually means higher reps and short rest intervals, as you already guessed.
I think the confusion about what type of lifting comes from the fact that some recommend heavy lifting/low reps right?
Well their point is that you keep reminding the body it needs the strength anyways, in spite of a calorie reduction, and also you don’t break down so much muscle tissue… Which is fine, for maintenance! And for a while.
So it’s always important to keep in mind what’s the actual goal: maintaining lean mass? Building it? (not recommended in a fat loss phase)
Building strength?
I always tell my athletes they should focus on one goal only (per phase or program), emphasize that and then worry about the other one later.
So long story short the best protocol for this is a Giant Set type of thing, like you mentioned. I’d recommend a 6-8 rep-bracket, 10 seconds in between stations, 3 minutes rest between circuits/sets, 3 Giant Sets total. You can do whole body, for example alternating lower with upper, or do a split, still alternating agonist with antagonist, like here: Chins/Dips/Rows/Presses/Pullovers/Flys. That would be Back/Chest.
Or for lower: Squats/Leg Curls/Cyclist Squats/Standing Good Mornings/Leg Press/Reverse Hyper. 6-8 reps at a 30X0 tempo all, the last two exercises 20-25 at a 1010 tempo (Pullovers/Flys, Leg Press/Reverse Hyper Extensions)
OK btw the Keto style diet is awesome for your goal, I can see you know your stuff! Of course you’ll still want a calorie deficit, so cal counting it is!
And yeah, BCAA’s are the ticket for sure! Also Glutamine and maybe some Arginine…
So the HIIT Training is best done after the lifting as a finisher, or as a stand alone session. (example that I use with my football players right now: 6×30-40 meters –cutting every 20– 10 seconds pause in between, done)
I got a Super-Ripped short program as a part of my TS Method, if you want I can mail that to Maya (free for you).
Please let me know if there’s any other questions, like I just told Maya I really enjoy this so please don’t be shy!
Mark
Mark,
thank you for your quick and thorough reply!
Not many expert would do on their blogs/facebook pages. You are outstanding.
If you did mail to Maya your Super-Ripped short program that would be AWESOME!!!
Thank you so much man.
I – of course – have some questions:
Diet: I guess chicken is the best considering that eggs, cheese and tuna contain a lot of fat…?
Green veggies like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, etc a go go or should I limit them…?
What about other veggies like tomatoes… too many carbs…?
Beans…?
About training: so is it ok to do HIIT everyday…?
Weightlifting: is it better say 3-4 workout or short (and intense of course) on a daily basis…?
Again, thank you a lot Mark and I won’t be shy and will ask, I promise!
Walter
Heehee thanks Walter!
But it’s my pleasure man, really is.
OK I will mail it right after this…
Eggs are fine on a Keto diet, seeing that you’ll be emphasizing protein and smart fats, here’s the calorie info: http://www.tsmethod.com/blog/how-many-calories-in-an-egg/
Cheese: low fat would be alright, and tuna in brine is fine.
But really most sources of protein that are very low carb are OK for this phase.
No beans!
They’re great, but not in this phase. Even broccoli and co. should be limited as much as possible, but IF you have carbs those are the best.
Really carbs should not exceed 20, tops 50 on a keto day…
Yeah like it says in my program it’s OK to do every day 6 days a week, Sunday (or any other 7th day) off to recover somewhat.
Cool, looking forward to your questions Walter and please keep me updated?
Thanks man,
Mark
Mark,
thank you so much for the program you’ve sent!>
That explain perfectly everything about working out and now I know what to do. Perfect!
I slam my forehead when I read that it usually lasts 4-8 weeks and made sad I will only have one… well, I guess sometimes is better to have no family if you want to follow a specific diet.. ops, sorry ;-0
Anyway, I was thinking of something like a couple of protein shakes during the day (just proteins no carbs) and then for dinner either tuna in water or chicken or low fat cottage cheese and some vegetables (spinach) or a salad (mainly a big iceberg lettuce, cucumber and perhaps peppers and tomatoes although the latter may have a bit of carbs) as a fuller and also as a source of fibers… What are your thoughts?
I’ve seen you recommended 8 eggs split during the day? Do you think would be better?
I was planning on having a diet which has mainly proteins, very little fat and no carbs therefore 8 eggs may be a bit of too many fat…(?) and I am also a bit concerned of not having any vegetable in my diet ’cause I’ve done it before and got terribly constipated which is not nice!
I’ve noticed that you divided the total amount of calories in several small meals during the day: is it better than my idea of one or two protein shakes and a proteic meal at night?
Hope you are having a day off today Mark
Thank you for reading me and for your patience.
Walter
LOL!
Hey Walter, glad you like the program!
Yeah no you can have 2-3 meals, that works too. But when/if fat content of the food is high I just prefer to split them up to prevent too much fat at any one time.
I hear you about keeping the fats low, which is fine in the short term and if you want to keep overall calories really low, too.
But 8 eggs have only some 40-50 gram of fat, that’s quite alright really (if this is the only source of fats).
Boiled eggs are just so handy: you can have one every 1-2 hours and that’s it! (maybe with some mustard
) Makes it very easy.
BTW, an extreme solution is boiled egg whites: it’s a very good low calorie source of natural protein. One egg white has around a whoopin’ 18 calories!!!
Yeah the fiber: that IS a problem, all of the above sounds great if you can squeeze them vegetables in without too many extra cals, the carbs should be fine, around 20 carbs on a Keto day is alright. (but even when you try to keep carbs at zero, some 20 gram have a way of sneaking in, somehow. Having boiled eggs only is one way to keep it really pretty carb free)
Otherwise there’s the option of a fiber supplement (you know the fiber calories don’t really count because they don’t get utilized much), and a multi is definitely good because of the lack of variety in this type of diet.
Why not switch it up, one day can be with the salad and the shakes and all that, on a busy day you might have only eggs, and other sources of protein on the third day.
Then again, if it’s one week only and you can stand the lack of variety, you might stick with the same diet every day, so at least you will be sure of the exact amounts of nutrients. But I wouldn’t recommend doing that for long, lol!
It seems quite safe to go very low cal for some three days in a row btw, around 800 or so, then maybe crank it up again a little for a day…
Good Luck man, and please let me know how it goes!
Mark