The training regimen according to Warner Bros press kit “To support fight preparation the training emphasized athleticism by combining compound movements, lifting, and throwing. Primitive tools – medicine balls, Kettlebells, rings – were used instead of machines. Each session was competitive, with a penalty-reward system tied to performance and results posted daily for all to see.”
It worked, the actors looked the part in every way. Fighting and weapons choreography was second to none I thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which was based on Frank Millers graphic novel 300. In short, the movie and novel were based on the battle of Thermopylae.
Gym Jones was responsible for training the actors. They were flooded with inquiries and rumors floated across the internet concerning the training of the actors. Gym Jones took a different approach to that of body building. They wanted the actor to look natural or according to the part, like those “living from the land”.
So in terms of training they were in the gym 10-12 hours a day, five days a week for four months. Workouts changed daily to shock the muscle. The workouts were random and would cause “stress-reactions” which could make a person look bad, but in the end help the actors trust each other as a unit. They had to become a fighting unit. The training was both the physical and psychological.
In the end it takes physical and mental disciplines, control what you eat, and train as hard as you possibly can. That’s what I got from it.