"300: Rise Of An Empire" isn't just a battle of Greeks: it's a battle of the sexes.

That is, at least, according to Eva Green and Lena Headey, the two female stars of the blockbuster sequel.

"The biggest challenge was to be believable as a woman commander," said Green, who plays the maniacal Artemisia in the sequel. "How are these men going to obey a woman like me? In real life, I'm like a little bird."

Green wasn't a little bird for long, as both she and Heady underwent intense training to transform them into two of the most badass warriors, male or female, on the screen.

"It gave me the confidence to find the aura of this mad character," said Green. "It was just very empowering."

"I made a character choice to shave my beard," Headey joked. "I didn't want to compete.

While Headey's character Gorgo returns from the first film, she couldn't stop talking about Green.

"She's kind of cutthroat, without remorse in this movie, and such a badass," said Headey.

But Headey didn't shortchange her character, saying that, coming from Gorgo's Spartan background, "glorious death" is always in the back of her mind.

"Rise of an Empire" clearly delivers when it comes to the ladies, but the guys aren't exactly short-changed either, especially in the ab region. Callan Mulvey, who plays the warrior Scyllias in the movie, describes how he got those washboard abs with one word.

"Brutal," said Mulvey. "Two to three hours in the gym in the afternoon, with strictly controlled meals to be eaten at specific times, probably six days a week, sometimes seven days a week ... so it was pretty intense."

Don't worry, Callan. We're sure the ladies will be very appreciative of your efforts.

Find out who wins this epic battle of the sexes, as well the struggle for Greece, in "300: Rise Of An Empire," out Friday (March 7).