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I’ve always been a fan of old Greek and Roman mythology.Stories of men and women who battled against or with the gods and goddesses of Olympus and prevailed or faced the wrath of Olympus. That stuff gets me too hyped. I love the sense of adventure, the danger, suspense, and who doesn’t like to see the underdog come out on top. 300 was nothing like I’d ever seen when it first came out and I’d already seen the original Clash of the Titans…..(I’m a geek and proudly admit LOL).
I cannot wait for this to arrive over here in England. It looks similar to 300 but more gritty…..heaven LOLThe gladiators of Ancient Rome were the best combatants in the land. These men were usually slaves (sometimes there were volunteers) and were trained in the harshest conditions for one purpose only. They fought in the truest sense of the word—in that there had to be a victor, and the loser was killed. Plain and simple. Seems very harsh, but that was life back then and however cruel their life may seem, it was considered one of the best form of entertainment.The actors had to be in excellent shape Because of the nature of these type of films and the story being told, actors have to look and portray the essence of gladiators as best they can. They had to look as if they had been prepared for combat and were physically equipped for war.
To prepare the actors for the physicality of the series they had to come in weeks before production started to get their bodies right. The main theme for this “Gladiator camp” was to move more and eat less. That simple. (Funnily enough, thats the same equation needed for fat loss and body transformation.) The movement part included gladiator themed workouts where the actors strength trained by using free weights and bodyweight resistance. Also included in the camp was acrobatics, gymnastics, combat training and cardiovascular activity. Putting all of these together while eating less will get anyone in excellent shape.(These guys are going hard in this video.Adam Campbell and Rachel Cosgrove designed a circuit for the actors to go through to get them in the best shape possible to play the Roman gladiators. The workout itself is a high intensity circuit, much like a bodyweight interval circuit, using compound exercises to work the full body. This is the sort of training I promote as I do not favour working on a single body part per day etc.but full body workouts several times a week. Working out in this high intensity fashion but introduing weights and resistance to the muscles, anyone can build a lean athletic physique while stripping fat to define the muscles and give them the hardened look.
“The Spartacus Workout”
The great thing about this circuit is that it needs little equipment and many of the exercises can be replaced by bodyweight alternatives. You also dont need a lot of space to do this workout in, it can be done anywhere and in a short period of time.
Goblet Squat: Go as deep as you can with the squats and if the goblet squats are too hard you can replace with regular squats.
Mountain Climber:
DB 1 arm swing: Replace with a kettlebell if dumbbelss are too heavy for you.
- T-Pushup
- Split Jumps
- DB Bent over Row
- DB side Lunge and touch
- Renegade Row
- DB lunge and rotation
- DB push press
Note: Go as hard as you can in each exercise for 60 seconds, using a weight that is challenging for 15-20 repetitions. Rest 15 seconds between stations and 2 minutes between cicuits. Perform this circuit 3 times per workout, 3 times a week with a day in between each workout for maximum results. This workout is not for the faint hearted. It will test your limits so be warned. If you do want to try a similar workout but dont feel up to the task of the Spartacus workout then you can try a bodyweight alternative.
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