Inside Matt Damon's gruelling transformation for The Odyssey after he adopted specific diet
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Health, Diet
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Health, Diet
To quell Christopher Nolan’s intense physique demands, Hollywood icon Matt Damon was forced to adopt a new diet and weekly strength training routine in order to portray the protagonist of The Odyssey.
Based on the Homeric epic of the same name, The Odyssey documents the King of Ithaca’s 10-year struggle from the war-torn shores of Troy to the banks of his beloved island home, where his son, Telemachus (played by Tom Holland) and wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) have spent the last decade thwarting a team of suitors.
Before stepping into the role of Odysseus, Damon, 55, underwent a total body transformation, thanks to his coach and direction from two-time Oscar-winning director Nolan.
And according to a nutrition expert, the star’s chiselled figure is apparently achievable in a much shorter timeframe than you would believe.
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During a stint on the popular chat show Live with Kelly and Mark, the Interstellar favourite revealed the direction Nolan gave him about his physique ahead of becoming the Homeric hero.
“He said, 'I just want him to look lean and strong like somebody who's a veteran of the Trojan War and can handle himself, but wouldn't pass up a meal if it was offered to him,'" Damon recalled.
"And that's kind of the hardest shape to get into, you know, that kind of lean-strong thing, but it just kind of took over my life.”
Speaking about the time he told Travis and Jason Kelce on their New Heights podcast that he had slimmed down to his ‘high school’ weight for the role, the father-of-four continued: "I was talking to the Kelce brothers on their podcast like six months ago, and we were talking about it [and] it felt more like an athlete's regimen, kind of like those guys who have to just dedicate every moment of their day to thinking about everything.”
However, in an interview with People, Damon reiterated that he didn’t drop weight to play the King of Ithaca dramatically.
"I didn’t change it in an unhealthy way. I think if I had done the opposite and put weight on, that would have been dangerous and it’s not something I’ll do anymore. I was happy to do it earlier in my life.”
To achieve Odysseus’ slim build, Damon adopted a gluten-free diet.
Prior to following the eating plan, which is essential for managing medical conditions like coeliac disease, The Talented Mr. Ripley icon claimed he was not aware how many foods actually contained gluten, including beer.
“Listen, I had to give up beer. That was tough…There are some gluten-free beers though. I'm learning about all this.
He continued: "It's in bread. It's in pasta. It's in a lot of the stuff that we love.
Since completing the project, Damon has continued to eat gluten-free, claiming he feels ‘so much better’ for it.
According to experts at Holland and Barrett, following in the actor’s footsteps and eating gluten-free foods may come with a myriad of health benefits.
These include: helping with your gut health, encouraging you to eat more fresh foods, and maintaining and controlling your weight.
For five months, Damon worked closely with personal trainer and physical therapist Gabe Stump, whom he’d previously employed while starring as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in the biographical sports film, Air.
After assessing Damon’s body, which had a solid foundation of muscle, Stump informed him that he needed to drop around 15lbs to get into Nolan-approved shape.
“For The Odyssey, we had a very specific goal and look that we were trying to achieve, and it was decided between Nolan and Matt, and I guess whoever the advisers are that decide what they want the movie to look like, historically,” Dr Stump told GQ Magazine.
To achieve the demands, the expert programmed two upper body and two lower body strength days every week, alongside a cardiometabolic day in the middle of the week.
Strength days consisted of between six and eight exercises and lasted between 45 and 60 minutes.
“The general idea was to do higher volume,” Dr Stump recalled. “Lots of sets, versus really intense strength work.”
Dan Richardson, Performance Nutritionist at Warrior, has explained that Damon’s Odyssey body is achievable for the average Joe—you just need to ‘start training gradually’ and remain consistent with your efforts.
“Most people can expect to notice early improvements in strength and body composition within eight to twelve weeks,” he explained.
“Depending on training history and genetics, a comparable physique would realistically follow at around the six to twelve month mark. Past the beginner stage, gaining 0.25-0.5kg of muscle a month would be fantastic progress.”
He added: “It’s never too late to start, either. We lose muscle as we age, roughly three to eight percent a decade after 30, but resistance training can help slow or counteract that decline.
“It’s exactly why a man in his mid-fifties, like Damon, can get into the best shape of his life. It isn't a Hollywood trick, it's just what the body does when you train consistently.”
Richardson, who holds a sports science degree from Durham University and a master’s degree in sport and exercise nutrition, also explained why creatine is a supplement worth taking if you’re embarking on a fitness journey.
"Creatine has long been a staple among Hollywood actors who transform for roles, from the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who have all built it into their routines - and for good reason,”
"It's one of the world's most researched supplements and supports the energy system your muscles rely on during repeated, high-intensity efforts. This can seriously improve strength and training quality over time, which may support greater gains in muscle when combined with a structured resistance-training programme.”
However, he warned: “It won't hand you a physique like Damon's on its own, but it helps you get more from the work you're already putting in.”