When Jamie Roy first stepped onto the set of Outlander: Blood of My Blood as the sculpted, charismatic Brian Fraser, he was already in peak physical condition. However, as the production gears up for its highly anticipated second season, the Scottish actor found himself facing a new, more grueling challenge. The narrative arc for Brian Fraser in Season 2 demands a transformation: he is no longer just a heartthrob, but a maturing, battle-hardened clan warrior.
To meet the physical demands of the script—which features intense close-combat sequences and the requirement to wield heavy period-accurate weaponry—Roy knew he needed to move beyond the aesthetic "lean" look he perfected for Season 1. He needed functional, rugged mass. Muscle & Fitness caught up with Roy’s coach, the renowned Ultimate Performance trainer Giulio Palau, to dissect the science, discipline, and sheer intensity required to mold a Hollywood star into a Highland powerhouse.
The Evolution of a Warrior: A Strategic Chronology
The journey to Brian Fraser’s new physique was not a singular event but a carefully mapped, multi-phase progression. The collaboration between Roy and Palau began in 2025, ahead of the show’s debut, with a singular goal: cinematic lean-ness.
Phase 1: The Cut (Season 1 Prep)
For the inaugural season, the focus was on aesthetic refinement. Roy needed to maintain muscle mass while dropping body fat to ensure his physique was "camera-ready." By implementing a strictly controlled calorie deficit, Palau guided Roy to a body fat percentage of roughly 10–12%. The success of this phase—evidenced by Roy’s sharp, defined abs—earned him accolades from fans and producers alike.
Phase 2: Maintenance and Foundation
Following the wrap of Season 1, the duo entered a maintenance phase. This was crucial for metabolic recovery, ensuring that Roy’s hormonal profile remained healthy before pushing for the significant physical shift required for the second season.
Phase 3: The Bulk (Season 2 Prep)
As the Season 2 script landed, the objective shifted. The requirements were clear: more muscle, more functional strength, and the endurance to survive long days of sword-wielding and physical stunts. Palau transitioned Roy into a brief, controlled caloric surplus. This wasn’t a "dirty bulk"; it was a calculated increase in nutrient intake to support the hypertrophy needed for combat readiness.
The Science of Intensity: How Palau Built the Fraser Physique
Building mass while remaining "Hollywood ready" is a tightrope walk. Palau’s methodology centers on a principle often overlooked in modern fitness: the primacy of technique over sheer weight.
Hypertrophy and the "Reps in Reserve" (RIR) Framework
Palau emphasizes that while rep ranges matter, intensity is the true driver of change. Instead of focusing solely on hitting a specific number of reps, the team utilized the "Reps in Reserve" (RIR) metric.
"For hypertrophy training, the specific rep ranges are secondary to the overall intensity of working sets," Palau explains. In the initial weeks of a new training block, they targeted 2–3 RIR, allowing Roy to adapt to the volume. As the weeks progressed toward the 4-to-8-week mark, they scaled the intensity to 0–1 RIR.
Crucially, Palau notes that training to absolute failure is not a mandatory requirement for building muscle. "You must know where failure is," Palau clarifies, "but training to that threshold isn’t the only way to stimulate growth. We focused on the quality of the contraction."
The Feedback Loop: Digital Coaching
Geography often separates trainer and client in the film industry, but technology bridged the gap. Roy was required to film his working sets, which Palau reviewed meticulously. This remote "technical audit" ensured that Roy’s form remained standardized, preventing the "ego lifting" that often leads to injury.
"Jamie has a great work ethic and an innate intuition for movement," says Palau. "Because he had previous training experience, our communication about biomechanics was efficient. We fine-tuned his technique in real-time, which allowed him to safely increase the load over time."
Training Structure: A Functional Approach
Roy’s training sessions were organized to maximize systemic recovery while ensuring that every major muscle group was hit with high intensity. The workouts were primarily structured as supersets or tri-sets, which served the dual purpose of building muscle and maintaining cardiovascular conditioning—a necessity for the "high-jinks" of 18th-century combat.
The Foundation of the Program:
- Split Routines: The week was divided into upper/lower splits or full-body days, depending on the training phase. This allowed for adequate recovery between sessions.
- Joint-Specific Training: Every basic joint action (hinging, squatting, pushing, pulling) was trained at least once a week to ensure balanced development and injury prevention.
- Standardized Execution: No movement was performed without strict control. By standardizing the tempo and range of motion, Palau ensured that Roy’s progress was measurable and, more importantly, sustainable.
Implications for the Actor: Art Meets Athletics
The physical transformation was not merely for the vanity of the lens; it was a professional necessity. Jamie Roy reported that the additional strength and muscle mass fundamentally changed his performance on set.
In the high-stakes environment of Outlander, where "violent confrontations" and "sword-wielding high jinks" are the order of the day, physical fatigue can lead to sloppy stunt work or, worse, injury. By increasing his raw strength, Roy found that the physical toll of filming was significantly reduced. He could maintain his posture, handle heavy period weaponry with grace, and repeat complex choreography without his form breaking down under the weight of exhaustion.
"His training plan focused on the fundamentals," Palau notes. "Consistency and discipline are what make a transformation successful. Jamie is a client who understands that the gym is an extension of the rehearsal room."
Official Context and Release Information
The partnership between Roy and Ultimate Performance highlights a growing trend in Hollywood: the shift from "starvation-based" body transformations to longevity-focused, performance-oriented strength training. As actors take on increasingly physical roles, the reliance on high-level coaching and evidence-based training protocols has become the industry gold standard.
The results of this intense preparation will be on full display when Outlander: Blood of My Blood returns to screens. The show’s producers have hinted that Season 2 will be more visceral and action-heavy than its predecessor, a claim supported by the sheer amount of work Roy put into his physical development.
Key Details:
- The Coach: Giulio Palau, Ultimate Performance.
- The Goal: Functional mass and increased power for combat-heavy stunt work.
- The Methodology: Caloric control, RIR-based intensity tracking, and technical video auditing.
- The Premiere: Season 2 of Outlander: Blood of My Blood is set to debut on Starz on Friday, September 18, 2026.
For fans eager to keep up with Jamie Roy’s continued fitness journey and his preparation for the upcoming season, he remains active on social media, where he occasionally provides behind-the-scenes glimpses into the grueling reality of his training regimen.
As the countdown to the premiere begins, one thing is certain: Brian Fraser will be returning to the screen not just as a character, but as a testament to the power of structured, disciplined athletic preparation. Whether it’s the intensity of the fight scenes or the subtle physicality of his performance, Roy’s dedication to his craft—and his body—is set to redefine the expectations for the modern historical drama lead.
