When Daniel Craig emerged from the Bahamian surf in Casino Royale, cinema didn’t just gain a new James Bond.
The fitness world gained a blueprint for building a body that looked as lethal as it was functional.
This wasn’t Roger Moore in a dinner jacket—this was Bond 2.0: brutal, explosive, and built to sprint three miles before ripping a door off its hinges.
The architect behind Craig’s physique across five films was Simon Waterson, a former Royal Navy commando who understood that looking dangerous is simply a byproduct of being dangerous.
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The Man Behind Bond’s Body
Waterson’s approach never remained static. As 007 evolved from reckless assassin to seasoned operative, so did his training protocols.
What follows is a deep dive into Craig’s five-film tenure, broken down by function rather than film. These are the three training doctrines that earned Bond his license to kill—and look exceptional doing it.
Phase One: The Casino Royale Beach Bulk
Craig’s 2006 debut demanded raw mass and imposing strength. Waterson prescribed heavy compound movements designed to force rapid muscle growth and establish Craig’s rugged physical dominance.
Training sessions lasted 45 minutes daily, Monday through Friday, with weekends reserved for “active rest”—swimming and stretching rather than grinding iron.
The goal? Make Craig look imposing enough for that now-iconic beach emergence.
The Foundation Circuit
This full-body, high-intensity circuit formed the backbone of each week. Perform 10 reps of each exercise back-to-back with minimal rest between movements. Complete three full circuits.
Clean and Press
- Position feet under hips, hinge forward, and grip the bar at shoulder width with palms facing inward
- Maintain a flat back with chest lifted and core engaged
- Explosively pull the bar off the floor, keeping it close to your shins
- Snap hips forward and shrug shoulders powerfully, bringing the bar into front rack position with elbows high
- Slightly bend knees, then drive through heels to press the bar overhead until arms are straight
- Reverse the movement under control back to the floor
Weighted Step-Ups
- Hold dumbbells at your sides with palms facing your body
- Place right foot on an elevated platform and drive through the heel to lift yourself up
- Bring left foot onto the platform, then step back down leading with the left
- Focus on controlling the descent by flexing hip and knee of the right leg
- Alternate sides
Pro tip: Use a step high enough so your leading knee forms a right angle.
Hanging Knee Raise
- Grab a pull-up bar and lower into a dead hang
- Straighten legs and pull pelvis back slightly
- Tense core and raise legs toward chest
- Pause at the top, then lower under control
Increase intensity by holding a weight between your feet.
Pull-Ups
- Hang from the bar with an overhand grip, palms facing away, grip slightly wider than shoulders
- Engage abs and lock body into position—legs straight with flexed feet or knees bent with feet tucked behind
- Initiate by pulling shoulders away from ears
- Drive elbows down until chest touches the bar
- Lower back down with control
Incline Push-Ups
- Place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width on a bench, feet planted on floor
- Bend arms and lower body until chest touches the bench
- Push back up to starting position
Tricep Dips
- Grab bars with palms facing inward, arms straight
- Slowly lower until elbows reach right angles, keeping them tucked against your body
- Drive back up to the top
Key insight: Tricep dips primarily target the long head of the triceps, especially with deep range of motion. Lateral and medial heads provide support but activate to a lesser extent.
Phase Two: Lean and Mean for Quantum of Solace
Craig’s second outing demanded speed, leanness, and agility. Waterson stripped away approximately 10 pounds to create a physique that was pure sinew and whipcord.
Training pivoted from mass-building to muscle retention while emphasizing cardiovascular endurance and functional speed. The same exercises remained, but with lower weight and higher reps to induce a new level of muscular fatigue.
We stuck with the same things, but messed with weights, reps and tempos. So, some circuit-based training, but split-routine.
Speaking to Gentleman’s Journal, Waterson explained the evolution.
We’d split down into back and biceps, sprinkling cardio in between that. We’d also make use of the accumulated method, where you do one exercise for back, and then another, and another. You’re still getting that fatigue, but you’re also raising your heart rate.
Phase Three: Strength and Stability for Skyfall and Spectre
Stakes became personal and physical in 2012’s Skyfall. Craig was older now, which meant his training regimen required smarter recovery strategies.
Focus shifted to classic, heavy strength movements performed three to four times weekly, prioritizing lift quality and recovery over grinding volume.
For Spectre, Craig needed a physique that filled out a tailored suit while remaining injury-proof. Waterson doubled down on core exercises and stabilization movements.
We would start with goblet squats on a BOSU Balance Trainer to create instability, which was great for legs and great for core. And then, for some more core exercises, we did a lot of roll-outs and planks.
The Finisher: No Time to Die
Craig’s final outing as 007 demanded peak performance. Training returned to agility and full-body activation, ensuring he could perform six days weekly for seven months.
Waterson emphasized agility ladder drills, Bosu mountain climbers, and 60-second WattBike sprints to prime Craig for three demanding supersets.
Superset A
Low Cable Chest Fly
- Stand in staggered foot position, facing away from cable pulley machine
- Grab handles, slightly bend knees, extend arms forward until cables are taut
- Maintaining a slight elbow bend, sweep arms out and back to sides
- Stop when fists align with chest, achieving peak pectoral stretch
- Squeeze and reverse motion slowly back to start
Barbell Roll-Outs
- Load barbell with 5kg plates and grip with overhand, shoulder-width grip
- Position shoulders directly over barbell and slowly roll forward
- Pause, then reverse
The further you roll, the harder it gets. Choose a distance that’s challenging without letting hips sag.
Superset B
Pull-Ups
- Hang from bar with overhand grip, palms facing away
- Engage abs and lock body into position
- Pull shoulders away from ears to initiate movement
- Drive elbows down until chest touches bar
- Lower under control
Kettlebell Side Oblique Bends
- Hold kettlebell in one hand, feet shoulder-width apart
- Slowly lower kettlebell toward floor, bending at waist
- Explode back up and over toward opposite side
- Repeat, then swap sides
Superset C
TRX Row, Curl, and Pistol Squat
- TRX Rows: Maintain straight plank position from head to heels. Pull body up by driving elbows past torso until hands reach chest. Complete 15 reps
- TRX Curls: Stand straight with handles at sides. Keep upper arms stable and curl fists toward collarbone. Complete 15 reps
- TRX Pistol Squats: Use straps for balance. Lift one leg straight out parallel to floor, then lower body by bending opposite knee until glutes near floor. Alternate legs for 15 reps per side
Superset D
Hanging Leg Raise and Windshield Wiper
- Grab pull-up bar and lower into dead hang
- Straighten legs and pull pelvis back slightly
- Tense core and raise legs
- Maintaining elevated position, powerfully twist lower body, swinging legs side to side like a wiper blade
Reverse Cable Fly
- Grab left pulley with right hand and right pulley with left hand, crossing them in front
- Move both arms back and out to sides, keeping them straight throughout
- Slowly return handles to start position
Crucial cue: Squeeze shoulder blades together as though crushing a tennis ball between them.
The Other Half: Nutrition for Cinematic Athleticism
Training accounts for only half the battle. Sustaining a decade of cinematic athleticism required meticulous, performance-driven nutrition.
Waterson enforced clean eating focused on whole foods, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates. Crucially, the approach evolved alongside the workouts.
During the initial bulk phase for Casino Royale, calorie surplus ruled—fueled by quality food to support heavy lifting. Later, for the lean Quantum of Solace physique, focus tightened on timing and nutrient density, ensuring every gram of fuel was optimized.
Waterson consistently emphasized hydration and recovery nutrition, often relying on high-quality plant-based shakes to deliver protein and essential nutrients immediately post-session.
Your Mission Briefing
Finishing the final superset doesn’t complete your mission. You must refuel, rebuild, and recover with the same discipline Bond applies to disarming nuclear devices—or sinking Vesper martinis.
Apply this blueprint in your gym and back it up with a kitchen built for performance.
That’s how you earn your own license to thrill.
