English-language Iranian news outlet Press TV reports that 300 has been dubbed into Persian so it can be shown and discussed on Iranian channel 4. The slant of the story is quite fair and balanced, however:
A flagrant affront to the pride of Iranian nation, the Hollywood movie has provoked the anger of Iranian people all across the globe, who believe “300” insults their ancient culture.
Many historians have called the Warner Bros. film an imprecise narration of history and politically motivated.
Based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller and directed by Zach Snyder, “300” tells the story of 300 Spartans who fight the Iranian king Xerxes and his Persian army.
Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance has called the movie “downright insulting” to the Iranian nation.
Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi said in a meeting with his staff on Tuesday that the response from Iranian artists to the creators of the film will be fair and “magnanimous.”
And so on and so forth. Zack Snyder, heed our words, and do not venture far into Iraqi waters!
MEANWHILE, the”300 Workout” has become a new fad among those looking to score the amount of skirt that the average six-packed Spartan must tally. However, Te Army Times warns that it just isn’t that simple:
But even with diet and exercise, most people will never get the perfect pecs and six-pack abs they see on the silver screen, says Wayne Westcott, fitness research director at South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass. For about 90 percent of people, it is impossible to develop the body of a movie-star warrior. “There’s no way you can change your basic physique,” he says. “You do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
Though they might not wind up looking like Spartans, Westcott says, people can achieve up to a 50% increase in muscle strength in the first three months of a proper strength-training program.
As for the “300 workout” itself, Westcott says, it isn’t practical for the average person.
Apparently Mr. Westcott has never heard of steroids.
It’s totally possible to do the “300 workout”. It requires daily dedication to fitness and living on the Zone diet, but it’s feasible. http://crossfit.com/ My best friend’s husband is a trainer at the SF CrossFit, and holy crap does he look like those 300 guys.
I would not pay any trainer/fitness research director who is quoted as saying, “There is no way you can change your basic physique.” It seems that he is in the wrong profession. He should give his clients back their money and consider a different job.
The 300 workout is practical and do-able. 100 percent of our clients at CrossFit do it. They don’t all look like Spartans (yet), but they sure train like them. It’s only a matter of time, effort and diet before the results show up in their abs.