Anyone who has seen the movie "300" (and almost anyone who hasn't) knows about the buff physiques of the film's actors.

The actors and stuntmen in "300" made it their full-time jobs to get into fighting shape in a matter of weeks. The so-called "300 workout" refers to a finishing test including 7 exercises for a total of 300 repetitions done as quickly as possible. About half of the stuntmen in the movie took this fitness challenge after weeks of strength and interval training as well as fight training.

Their full-time training regimen may not fit into the schedule of even a dedicated fitness fanatic, but the "300 workout" includes several basic moves that anyone can incorporate into his or her routine.

Here's the 300 challenge:
-25 pull-ups
-50 deadlifts of 135 pounds
-50 push-ups
-50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
-50 "floor wipers" (an exercise involving the shoulders and core muscles using 135 pounds of weight)
-50 clean and press exercises using 36 pounds
-25 more pull-ups

The "300 workout" is not something to do regularly, and not without a significant base in strength training.

According to an interview with Mark Twight, the fitness guru who trained the stuntmen and actors for the film, this routine is not for beginners, and was not designed as a routine fitness program. But the popularity of the film means that modified "300 workout" classes may be coming soon to a gym near you.

Even if you are an experienced exerciser, and especially if you are new to strength training, consider a few sessions with a personal trainer to hone your techniques before you attempt a 300-inspired workout.

The back and the butt are target areas for many fitness fanatics, and famous individuals face the same challenges as the rest of us. In fact, celebrity workouts often focus on these problem areas. Celebrity trainers (whose clients have included Reese Witherspoon and Heidi Klum) have some tips for toning these trouble spots:

For glutes:

• Stability ball scissors: Lie across a stability ball with your hips resting on the ball and your hands and feet on the floor. Walk your legs out behind you to a V position. Lift your feet about a foot off the floor and squeeze them together, supporting yourself on the ball and with your hands on the floor. Lower your feet back to the floor and return to the V shape. Repeat 15-20 times.
• Sidekicks: Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and your knees slightly bent. Kick your right leg out to the side and slightly behind you. Lower down and repeat 15-20 times, then repeat on the opposite side. To make this tougher, use ankle weights or a pulley machine.

• Lateral pull-downs. You need a lat machine for this, but an important point is to think about trying to touch your shoulder blades together behind your back as you pull down. If this seems too difficult, reduce the weight and focus on form.

Actor Brad Pitt is among the buffest guys in Hollywood, but he earns that reputation with tough workouts for film roles in movies such as Fight Club and Troy, in which his muscular appearance is essential to the character.

According to the website bradpittworkout.com, Pitt spent about a year training for his lead role as the Greek hero Achilles in the film Troy. His regimen included workouts for chest, back, forearms, triceps, shoulders and legs that--for the most part-- involved 6 sets of 6-10 reps.

Some highlights from those workouts to inspire you:

-Chest: 5 sets of 6-10 reps on the bench press, 6 sets of 6-10 reps on the incline press, and 6 sets of 6-10 reps of cable crossovers.

-Back: 6 sets of 6-10 reps of seated pulley rows, 6 sets of 15 reps of straight leg deadlifts, 5 sets of 6-10 reps of T-bar rows

-Legs: 6 sets of 8-12 reps of squats, 6 sets of 8-12 reps of leg presses, 6 sets of 12-15 reps of leg extensions

-Biceps: 6 sets of 10-12 reps of barbell curls, 6 sets of 10-12 reps of seated dumbbell curls, 6 sets of 6-10 reps of dumbbell concentration curls.

Remember that Pitt and other celebrities have personal trainers to guide their workouts; to make sure they are using the correct form and weight for their current fitness level. If you usually do 3 sets in the weight room, don't jump right to 6 to be like Brad. Start with 4, and then work your way up.

There is a link between exercise and beauty; looking better is a major motivation for working out. But many of us, even the fittest athletes, are prone to dissatisfaction with our bodies because we don't look like the buff celebrities and professional athletes that we see every day on television and online.

Athletes in particular need to be aware of body image dissatisfaction because desperation and frustration with self image can promote eating disorders, especially in sports such as dancing, running or wrestling, where there is pressure to maintain a particular weight.

It's not easy to make peace with your body image, but here are some tips to help:

Think positive: Every day that you can enjoy exercise is a good day. Trying to starve yourself thinner can leave you more vulnerable to sickness and injury. And focus on the good things that your body can do--run, bike, swim, lift--and how good those things make you feel.

Don't compare: When you are working out, focus on yourself, your goals and your improvements. So there's someone on the next yoga mat who can put her feet behind her head. Well, maybe you would run her into the ground in a 10K race.

Accept your history. Maybe you had eating disorders in the past, had knee surgery or had children, and working your way back to a higher level of fitness. Don't obsess over the fact that you won't regain the identical shape you may have had as an award-winning college athlete. That doesn't mean you can't be strong, sexy, fit and healthy.

Congratulate yourself. Many (too many) people don't exercise at all, and the fact that you are committed to a regular workout plan to stay fit and healthy is a fact worth celebrating.

You may have been a fan of Jennifer Garner's fit physique from her days on the TV show, Alias. Through multiple movie roles and even pregnancy, Garner has followed a smart and consistent workout plan to stay in top shape.

In an interview in Star magazine, Garner said she has worked back up to cardio and strength training 4-5 days a week. She credits her personal trainer with helping her plan a workout regimen. In addition, Garner said that she strives for moderate-sized meals that are generally high in protein and low in carbohydrates, along with plenty of water.

Jennifer Aniston's favorite workouts include cardio, too. According to an interview in Self magazine, Aniston favors interval workouts on an elliptical trainer, alternating 1 minute of high intensity work with 2 minutes at a moderate pace for a total of 22 minutes. One of Aniston's favorite workout routines combines holding a yoga pose for 30 to 60 seconds and following each pose with 2 sets of 8-10 reps of calisthenics.

Cardio should be part of your overall workout plan, but how hard do you need to work? If you're not into using a heart rate monitor, use the talk test. If you can carry on a conversation without getting totally winded, you're fine for most maintenance cardio workouts. Obviously, you want to do your interval workouts with more intensity (about 80% of your maximum). And make sure you alternate hard workout days with easier days to avoid burnout.

You can follow a celebrity workout, but that doesn't guarantee that you will end up with Jennifer Lopez's physique. Any regular workout will make you fitter, healthier and happier, but remember that genetics also play a role in your body shape.

Health professionals have classified body types (for both men and women) into three general categories:

1. Endomorph: The endomorph shape tends to be rounded, and often goes along with small wrists and ankles and small facial features.
2. Ectomorph: The ectomorph shape features long legs and arms, narrow fingers and toes, and a delicate bone structure.
3. Mesomorph: A mesomorph type tends to have a naturally muscular chest and broad hands, with heavy bone and muscle development.

• Pear: Someone with this shape usually has narrow shoulders, a small chest, and average waist, and he or she tends to accumulate fat in the hips and thighs.
• Apple: Someone with this shape has a rounded tummy and thin arms and legs and tends to accumulate fat around the waist.
• Hourglass: Someone with this type tends to have a broad chest and hips and a small waist, and tends to accumulate fat in both the chest and hips.
• Inverted triangle or star: Someone with this shape has broad hips and chest but a small waist, and most of their body fat accumulates in the chest and hips.

Working out not only makes you physically healthier and stronger, it improves your beauty and self image.

If you need another reason to stick with your workouts, remember that fitness isn't just about building muscle and losing fat. A fit lifestyle promotes better self image and boosts your confidence. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly report feeling better about themselves compared with non-exercisers.

Make exercise a part of your life to look even sexier in your favorite clothes. Your posture will improve, and you'll not only feel more confident, but you will be stronger and better prepared to deal with the stresses of work, family and everyday life. You can't really feel good about yourself unless you feel confident about how you look, so it is important to learn to love your body for what it is.

One helpful hint: Play up your best features. Everyone has them. Maybe you have shorter or stockier legs than you'd like, but you may also have square, sexy shoulders that look great in halter tops, especially as a result of all that shoulder and triceps work you've put in at the gym. Don't like your arms, but have a small waist? Hone those oblique muscles and choose clothing that highlights your killer midsection.

But wait, there's more. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Completing a tough workout will pick you up when you're feeling down, but even a brisk walk does wonders for a case of the blues.