Daniel Craig Skyfall Workout – Licence To Get Ripped

Who could forget the iconic scene in Casino Royale, where Daniel Craig made his exit from the stunning Bahamas ocean to reveal a buff and ripped physique. As I sat there in the cinema, watching this scene, I remember thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know James Bond was supposed to look like that!” Now Daniel Craig is back in the tux again with the release of the 22nd Bond movie, Skyfall.

In was clear when the very first trailer was released, that Craig was sporting the same killer body that turned heads back in 2006 when Casino Royale was released. The video capture of him sitting next to the pool in his token swim shorts sent a flurry of excitement around the Internet as people began to wonder, “what is the Daniel Craig Skyfall workout?”

To answer this question, I had to switch into “secret agent” mode and do some digging around to find out what Daniel Craig did to transform his body. The last I saw of him onscreen was in the snooze worthy movie Aliens And Cowboys, where Craig was noticeably thinner. Nothing like he looks in Skyfall…

Daniel Craig Looking Ripped In Skyfall

Okay so what did Daniel Craig do to get in shape and transform his body?

The Daniel Craig Skyfall Workout

I have searched the web far and wide, dug through interviews, and swam through the mass of information (while trying not to drown in the rough see of information overload!) about Daniel Craig and Skyfall. So far, there has been no specific information revealing the James Bond Skyfall workout or training. I will update this section as soon as any relevant information comes out.

But for now, what I will do is reveal Daniel Craig’s Casino Royal workout that he used to get ripped for his first outing as the blonde bond. Before I give you the specific daily workout that he was doing, this is what his personal trainer Simon Waterson had to say in GQ about Craig’s training leading up to Casino Royal:

“The workouts were a blend of power lifting, with a lot of compound exercises thrown in. This allows you to work out extremely hard with heavy weights, and because it’s so intense the heart rate is elevated. Therefore, you are working not only on the development of nice lean muscle tissue, but you’re also getting a bit of cardio as well, and keeping your body fat down.”

Waterson also goes on to say that it was vital to boost Daniel’s motivation by adding in competitive elements to really compound the effects and achieve results faster. He recommends using a “buddy system” and working out with a friend who shares similar workout goals and who can push you to raise your standards and performance.

“After a few sessions it was clear Dan was a tough, athletic guy, so I decided the way to get the best results was to add a motivational element, ie competition. I always recommend if you can work out with a friend then it’s ten times easier, so rather than just coach him, we actually trained together, pushing each other that bit further.”

Ah, It’s A Tough Life Being A Spy!

The James Bond Workout – Training Schedule

The following Daniel Craig workout routine was published in Men’s Health and it’s the workout he used to get ripped for Casino Royale. Seeing as there is no specific workout for Skyfall that has surfaced (yet), you’re best bet to get the Bond body is to follow along with this workout plan.

Basically, you will be lifting weights 5 days per week from Monday to Friday and taking weekends off to recover and catch up on any espionage missions you may have been to sore to do during the week. I have also included YouTube video’s where available and appropriate to help you get a visual on each exercise and to make it easy to take action on this workout.

Have fun building the body of a legendary spy!

Monday Workout

Power Circuit
Reps: 10 for each exercise
Sets: 3

Clean And Press

Weighted Knee Raise

Weighted Step Ups

Pullup

Pull ups are done using a pull up bar but if you don’t have one, you can check out the post I wrote on chin up/pull up alternatives.

Incline Pushup

Triceps Dips

Tuesday Workout

Chest And Back
Reps: 10 for each exercise
Sets: 4

Incline Bench Press

Pullup

Incline Pushup

Incline Pec Flys

Wednesday Workout

Legs
Reps: 10 for each exercise
Sets: 4

Squat

Straight Leg Deadlift

Hamstring Curl

Weighted Lunge

Thursday Workout

Shoulders And Arms
Reps: 10 for each exercise
Sets: 4

Incline Biceps Curls

Triceps Dips

Lateral Raises

Shoulder Press

Friday Workout

On Friday’s workout, complete the same Power Circuit that you performed on Monday. Stick to the same exercises and set/rep scheme.

Saturday & Sunday

Rest, drink some martinis, pick up an attractive girl, save the world, these kind of things

The Time Factor In Body Transformation

Building muscle and getting a body like James Bond is actually pretty straightforward. You just need to use the right workout (see above), follow a smart diet program (get plenty of protein and supplement with a protein powder such as Sun Warrior Protein), get adequate sleep to help with workout recovery, and stay consistent with your training.

When you do all these things, then you just have to let the magic of time do what it needs to do. If you consistently take the right approach to training, then it’s just only a matter of time before your body goes through the adaptive process and adds lean muscle mass to your body.

If you’re completely new to the game of building muscle mass, then you might surprise yourself how quickly you can transform your body in only a few short months. Newbies to weight training can typically pack on muscle very quickly.

This is what Waterson had to say about Daniel Craig’s transformation:

“After a few months of training, Dan was lifting and performing like an athlete. He had full focus on what he wanted and the discipline from me to help him execute it. Even now, I still can’t believe the physical changes he achieved. It just shows that with will power and dedication you can achieve anything.”

Daniel Craig’s “Strange” Method For Recovery

At the ripe age of 44, Daniel Craig knew that the task of packing on mass for Skyfall would be a challenge. Especially since slimming down for the movie Cowboys and Aliens. Surprisingly, Craig employed an intense and strange type of training called kriotherapy.

If you have never heard of kriotherapy before, then join the club! I had to get extra click happy with my mouse and do plenty of Google searches to find out more about this underground training method. Basically in a nutshell, kriotherapy involves moving around in a cold chamber, where temperatures are between 100 degrees to 135 degrees celsius, for three minute sessions at a time.

If you’re scratching your head, wondering what this strange method has got to do with building mass, I will give you an explanation of what it’s intended to do. The drop in body temperature while in the cold chamber has the effect of releasing endorphins into the bloodstream, which are your body’s natural source of pain killers and anti-inflammatory agents. The reasoning behind using this method if you’re lifting weights is to help aid the damage done to from your gym session and accelerate the recovery process.

So do you need to subject yourself to freezing cold temperatures and shell out money on this method as part of the Daniel Craig Skyfall workout? Um, no, you don’t! This method may have been the icing on the cake for Craig. The foundation (which is what you should be focusing on), was a carefully planned and thought out workout and diet plan, which would have been responsible for 90% of his ripped body. So there is not need to bother with kriotherapy.

You can certainly experiment with other types of methods of recovery such as ice baths and massage if you want. Additionally, to get the edge when you’re in the gym, you can also use clever training tools such as Fat Gripz to help maximize your results. But at the end of the day, just sticking to the foundational basics will allow you to get the body you’re after.

As more information is released, I will continue to update this page about the the Daniel Craig Skyfall workout. But for now, use the workout I have provided that got Craig ripped in Casino Royale. So take action, stay consistent, and watch with a smile on your face as your body transforms right before your eyes, each time you look at your reflection in the mirror.

All the best on your muscle building adventures,

Alex Siddy