The Buff Stars of '300' Share Their Exercise Secret: The 'Man-Maker'

The Buff Stars of ‘300’ Share Their Exercise Secret: The ‘Man-Maker’

Being in a muscle-bound movie like “300: Rise of an Empire" requires a seriously sculpted body to go with the super scanty wardrobe. So it comes as no surprise that the two leading men in the follow-up to Zack Snyder’s 2006 runaway sword-and-sandals hit bonded over their workouts. In fact, Sullivan Stapleton and Rodrigo Santoro’s first face-to-face meeting was in-between exercises — difficult, intense exercises, of course.

"I think the first day I got to [the set in] Bulgaria I met Rodrigo in the gym, said ‘Get out,’" Stapleton joked.

"Yeah. "Whenever we’d have a break [we’d chat]," added Santoro. "I was dividing [my time] between cardio and weights, so a good three to four hours of weights every day and then an hour of cardio."

"Mine would be an hour-and-a-half of swords, which I always did to warm up," Stapleton said. "Then an hour-and-a-half at the gym."

But what exactly were these focused lads doing at the gym? We know from what we’ve seen of the toned torsos in the trailers and posters that the hard work paid off.

Sullivan Stapleton in ‘300: Rise of an Empire’

"Basically these trainers take every exercise that everyone else knows and try to find out the hardest possible way of doing that," Stapleton explained of the methods of trainer and Gym Jones founder Mark Twight, who, along with his team, also whipped actors into warrior shape for the original “300.” (Yes, they were responsible for Gerard Butler’s legendary eight-pack.)

"There was one thing that I loved called the ‘man-makers,’" Stapelton continued.

"I love that one too, unforgettable," said Santoro. "I dream about that."

Stapleton then demonstrated the exercise, which involves holding two dumbbells, doing a pushup with the dumbbells and then pressing the weight above your head. All of that is one set.

"And that is the warmup. It’s not funny." he said. "You’d think, ‘Sweet, I got through that,’ after doing it 60-70 times, and go ‘So that’s it?’ And they’d say, ‘Now we start working out.’"

Rodrigo Santoro in ‘300: Rise of an Empire’

So when it was all said and done, what did the disciplined actors indulge in as a treat for finishing the film?

"Foie gras, cheese, red wine," chimed in co-star Eva Green. "Full on."

"Ice cream, chocolate, pizza, pasta, risotto, and so on," admitted Santoro with a smile.

"All of the above," added Stapleton.

"300: Rise of an Empire" opens Friday.