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Daniel Craig trained with an ex-military operative to play James Bond in 'No Time to Die' - here's his workout

Daniel Craig
  • Daniel Craig had to take on an intense fitness regimen to play James Bond in "No Time to Die."

  • Craig did more of his own stunts than any actor who previously played Bond, Men's Journal reported.

  • This required grueling, year-long nutritional preparation, and workouts in between filming.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

British actor Daniel Craig might be the fittest 50-year-old on the planet, as his role as James Bond requires a grueling diet and training regimen.

Craig, who reprised his role as Bond for the last time in the upcoming installment "No Time to Die," wanted to do more of his own stunts than any previous actor who played Bond, according to Men's Journal. In order to do so, he ramped up his training routine to the highest intensity its ever had for his last Bond performance.

To get into "Bond shape," Craig has had to embark on year-long preparatory workouts and diets to get in shape for the role, and then engage in regular routines during the filming process.

Craig's trainer, Simon Waterson, has been working with the star since his first performance as Bond in "Casino Royal" in 2005, and shared the grueling details about how he's transformed Craig into the stunt-happy Bond star he's been for the last 15 years in an interview with Men's Journal.

Craig's trainer used his military background to design a 2-week bootcamp

Waterson's experience as a special forces operative for the UK's 845 Naval Air Squadron helped him visualize how Craig should prepare to perform the physical feats of a secret agent. Waterson designed Craig's workout routine based on the film's script, and what he believed Craig would need to practice in order to perform the action sequences.

Craig got a first-hand taste of Waterson's military training in the year leading up to "No Time to Die's" shooting, as he did a two-week bootcamp every month. The focus of the sessions was speed and agility training, and even included soccer and rugby drills.

The workouts included 12 to 20 reps per session of these workouts:

Daniel Craig
The NBA is now using methods found in spy novels. AP

Each workout included recovery with a foam roller and protein shakes

After working out, Craig's recovery methods involved stretching his arms out with light resistance bands to relieve chest soreness, rolling on a foam roller to relieve back and shoulder soreness, and using a percussive massager to relieve soreness in his legs and glutes.

His post-workout recovery meals included plant-based recovery shakes with nut milk, plus protein and green vegetables. He also often had a shot of turmeric root juice and a probiotic shot.

On set: 30-40 minutes of stretching, and black coffee

When the crew began filming "No Time to Die" in April 2019, Craig's fitness and nutrition transitioned into focusing on injury-prevention and conditioning.

Before each filming session, Craig spent 30 to 40 minutes doing stretching and muscle activation depending on what type of stunts he'd have to perform that day.

Craig then ate his pre-shoot meal of eggs, rye bread, avocado, kimchi, turmeric shots, and black coffee 10 minutes before filming started.

The routine paid off when Craig suffered a serious ankle injury while filming an action sequence, as he was right back in the gym the next week doing an upper-body workout with an aircast on his injured foot.

"I am constantly impressed with him and his mentality," Waterson told Men's Journal. "Our goals for this last round weren't just about the film. We also made personal goals. And my goal was to help him be the fittest 50-year-old on the planet. I think we got there."

Read the original article on Insider