Matt Damon’s functional‑strength training for “The Odyssey” film

Actor Matt Damon, age 55, underwent a five‑month strength program to portray Odysseus in the upcoming film “The Odyssey.” He trained five days a week with trainer Matt Stump, dividing sessions between upper‑body work, lower‑body work, and a cardio/metabolic day. The regimen emphasized functional strength, using triceps pushdowns, overhead extensions, dumbbell curls, shoulder raises and forearm curls, and incorporated a high‑protein diet to reduce body fat.

Spanish trainer Iván Perujo highlighted the shift from purely muscular aesthetics to a “strong, agile, resilient and functional” physique, describing the “Odysseus body” as suited for surviving shipwrecks, drawing a bow, and enduring long voyages. The articles also provide example workouts and note that much of Damon’s preparation took place in a modest home gym equipped with dumbbells, a pulley machine and a barbell.