Throughout Christopher Nolan\u2019s three-hour film adaptation of Homer\u2019s The Odyssey, Damon\u2019s world-weary fighter goes mostly sleeveless thanks to the costume design\u2019s anti-swords-and-sandals approach. This means we\u2019re getting plenty of arm and shoulder action, and guys of any age would be impressed by Damon\u2019s lean, toned physique, even more so by his six-pack. It was Gabe Stump, DPT, who helped the actor get into fighting shape, pun intended, for the role. Well, \u201cget into\u201d is maybe an overreach, as Dr. Stump notes that Damon had the wind in his sails and started from a great foundation. To get him ready for the grueling 91-day shoot, it was more about fine-tuning and modulation.<\/p>\n
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Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pictures<\/p>\n
Related: 7 historical epics to watch before Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey<\/a><\/p>\n In fact, the goal wasn\u2019t to just get jacked or ripped but to build a credible body that served the character. \u201c[Odysseus] is not this buff super soldier, he\u2019s more of a tactician,\u201d said Dr. Stump, who has been working with Damon since 2022. A Marvel movie, this is not. \u201cHe\u2019s got this grizzly beard, and he looks really lean. You can see he\u2019s still strong. He\u2019s got good definition everywhere, but he\u2019s not packed on.\u201d Yes, even Odysseus\u2019s body was a topic broached with director Nolan before being brought back to Dr. Stump. From there, a plan was put in place.<\/p>\n In the five months leading up to the shoot, Dr. Stump and Damon had a goal of dropping 10 pounds of fat while retaining muscle, with the actor starting around 180 pounds and ending around 165 pounds. They worked together four to five days a week at a modest home gym in the actor\u2019s basement. \u201cYou\u2019d be shocked at how crappy it is,\u201d Dr. Stump said, noting it consists of just the essentials: dumbbells, a cable pull-down machine, and a barbell.<\/p>\n Together, they focused intensely on strength training in a traditional upper-lower split, using Mondays and Thursdays for upper body, Tuesdays and Fridays for legs, and Wednesdays for cardio and\/or metabolic work like incline walking in a weighted vest.<\/p>\n Related: The connection between longevity and cardio<\/a><\/p>\n All of which allows them to hit each muscle group twice per week while giving time for adequate recovery. Overall, Dr. Stump programmed for 8 to 10 sets per muscle group per week and particularly focused on the chest. He adds that the chest was a slightly harder muscle to build for the actor compared to his shoulders and arms. Specifically, that meant bench presses in a horizontal and incline position, plus chest flies to target the muscle from all angles.<\/p>\n Melinda Sue Gordon\/Universal Pictures<\/p>\n I took my learnings and set up a Matt Damon-esque task for myself: Could I get a body worthy of completing an Odyssey, or a Bodyssey?<\/p>\n I currently do HIIT training around three times a week, which is a pretty 50-50 mix of strength and cardio, but Dr. Stump stressed that strength training with progressive overload, i.e., adding weight as your muscles get stronger, was key, as is consistency and, crucially, allowing ample time for your body to recover, which includes plenty of rest.<\/p>\n Also, Damon benefits from having someone to prepare his meals in times like these. I regret to inform you, but you can\u2019t out-train a bad diet.<\/p>\n I took the exercises he suggested and built myself an Odyssey-like program with an emphasis on standard functional movements: bicep curls, shoulder presses, chest from all angles, and squats and deadlifts on leg day. I got a Planet Fitness membership, only $15 a month, to add strength-only days to my workout, using an app to track weight, reps, and sets and trying to inch myself up gradually. As opposed to my beloved Barry\u2019s HIIT class, taking time to focus on strength and push myself to failure, the point at which you cannot do even one more rep, was actually a shocking shift in my training. Not to brag, but I felt that I was in pretty good shape to start and already strong. I usually am the heaviest lifter in my group classes. But I would come away from these sessions sore. Like really sore. Some leg days I was wobbly while walking out of the gym.<\/p>\n I also found a big adjustment was mental, that I didn\u2019t need to be dripping in sweat and out of breath to get a good workout. That 45 to 60 minutes of lifting is taxing in a different way.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CT-04168_MSGCROP-300x209.webp\")
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