Ready to Train Like a Spartan with the Spartacus Workout?

This routine is one that I used to do quite often in the past but haven’t done that recently. I am upping my cardio over the next couple of weeks, so I decided to mix in this non-Beachbody routine to keep things fresh.

I received the The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago, long before I had gone through P90X2 or Body Beast. What is great about this book is that it has a ton of exercises for each muscle group along with high quality photos that demonstrate each move.

One of the gems of the book is the list of workouts/plans found at the back of the book. There are 14 different plans that references the exercises found in the book and allow you to pick a plan/routine that help you get started or just add some variety. Depending on your own fitness goals, you are sure to find a routine that will fit in with your plans.

However, one of the drawbacks of the book is that it while it does provide a great workout plan and schedule, it doesn’t provide you with specific training queues or a pace to keep you moving and get your workout done as efficiently as possible like a typical Beachbody workout. Which is why I haven’t really had much of a chance to incorporate the Spartacus Workout in my schedule recently, I really enjoy doing through the workouts at the pace set in the DVD and it keeps me more focused.

The Spartacus Workout

The Spartacus Workout routine was created by Rachel Cosgrove, CSCS, for the the actors of the television show Spartacus. This is really a total body workout, it works the legs, the shoulder, the core, everything. It combines some older classic exercises in with some newer more advanced technique exercises.

What’s great about this routine is that it is less than 15 minutes in total length. It is suggested that you stack the circuit for 3 rounds, which would bring the total duration to roughly 45 minutes. Trust me, by the end of that 45 minutes you will be drenched in sweat and more importantly FEEL GREAT!

Spartacus Workout – The Exercises

The routine only consists of 10 exercises in total, some are body weight, some use a single dumbbell and others incorporate 2 dumbbells. However, you don’t need a lot of weight to make this workout effective. For example, the most weight that I will use on any of the exercises is 30 lbs. The reason is that this is an interval style workout, all of the exercises are performed for a 1 minute duration and you really can’t lift a serious amount of weight with proper form and technique for that amount of time. So pick a lower weight to start with and you can always adjust as needed.

Goblet Squat or Sumo Squat
Mountain Climber
Single-arm Dumbbell Swing
T-push up or Push-up Side Arm Balance
Split Jump or Weighted Mary Kathryn
Standing Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell Side-Lunge and Touch
Pushup Position Row
Dumbbell Lunge and Rotation
Dumbbell Push Press

Spartacus Workout – The Interval

Each exercise is performed for 1 minute or 60 seconds. Give yourself about 15 seconds between each exercise and transitions. You will rest for 2 minutes at the end of the 10th exercise and then repeat the circuit. I try to get in 3 complete circuits, but if you are short on time, 2 circuits will still be a great workout in under 30 minutes!

I use an online interval timer to keep track of the different exercise durations and rest periods. Here is a link to the interval timer that I use, you are welcome to use it as well! Spartacus Workout Interval Timer

Demo of Spartacus Workout Exercises

Since you may not have the book I referred to above, I have taken the liberty to create a quick YouTube video that demonstrates all of the exercises found in the Spartacus Workout. Use this as a reference if you are unfamiliar with any of the exercises and then after you have done them enough times, you can probably just use the name listed in the Interval Timer above to jog your memory.

Summary

The Spartacus Workout is certainly one that you should consider mixing in on those days that you might not have a full hour to get in your normal workout, or if you just simply feel like giving something new a try. Adding variety in your fitness programs is key to both keeping your body guessing as well as keeping you interested and pushing your body to new limits.

Have you given the Spartacus Workout a try? I’d love to hear your feedback of the workout. I hope that this introduction to the Spartacus Workout and the demo video included have been helpful to you.

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