The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 BC. The Legend states that a mere 300 Spartan soldiers held off a 120-300,000 strong Persian army for over 3 days, and concurrently inspired one of the great workouts: the 300.
Nearing the end of this siege, the Persians demanded the decimated Spartan ranks throw down their weapons.
‘Come get them,’ they said.
The Spartan ethos lives today. It lives in the gym, in books, graphic novels, adventure races, and the movies.
Who here remembers the movie 300?
In 2006 director Zack Snyder married the Spartan legend with cheesy special effects, shirtless hunks, dance fights, and jaw droopingly bad dialogue to make 300, certainly one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen. I left the theater about halfway through. I’ve attempted to finish it on cable several times, but I can’t, I just can’t do it.
Besides, I already know how it ends.
Dance fighting- definition- when the good guy blindly spins and pirouettes like a ballerina while the bad guys run head on into his/her weapon. See also The Matrix sequels, The Hobbit movies and the Star Wars sequels.
And yet here I am still talking about it.
Every actor in this movie was ripped; This was a no shirts allowed set. If you weren’t ridiculously fit you weren’t getting screen time. It piqued my, umm, professional interest. How did every one of these actors get their perfect physique?
My answer: steroids. Probably.**
**my lawyer added that.
This Men’s Health article basically summed up 300 workout: The impossibly tough workout that rounded the actors into shape.
- 25 chin-ups
- 50 Deadlifts
- 50 pushups
- 50 box jumps
- 50 floor sweepers
- 50 clean and press
- 25 chin ups.
Done for time.
I worked at this for 6 weeks. The first time I did it I could hardly breathe at the end. The last time I did it my time handily beat the best amongst the actors (15:40). Moreover my body responded. I looked ready to put on a speedo tunic and shout lines like: ‘This is Sparta! Come home with your shield or on it!’
I subsequently called my Dealer to cancel my monthly steroid order; Didn’t need it this cycle.
I incorporate versions of the 300 into clients’ workouts. They love it despite it being incredibly hard. There is undoubtedly something satisfying about working to exhaustion and seeing your times come down week by week. This week alone two clients who could hardly finish cut minutes off of their best 300 times!
It’s a great workout. For about 6 weeks.
Typically that is the amount of time it takes for the body to adapt to imposed demands. After 6 weeks of Spartan work their muscles won’t be as sore, their results eventually plateau, they get bored.
Everything works for 6 weeks: workouts, diets. Then your body figures it out. Per the legend, Dan John, “Everything works for 6 weeks.” No matter what you try to do, if you stick to it for 6 weeks, it will work. This doesn’t mean that it is what you should be doing long term.
To see results there is a need to consistently perform certain exercises, but you also have to change it up occasionally too. Increase (or lower) the weights, change the exercise, watch a different movie with ridiculous physiques.
Be inspired. Set new goals.
Sit down, open the notes app on your phone, jot down a few goals. Do you want to be flexible? Run a marathon? Get stronger? Battle the Persian army?
Now make a plan.
That’s where a Trainer can help. We think about this stuff all the time; We’ve shape and re-shaped our bodies to run fast, do yoga, recover from injury, complete the Navy Seal Pyramid or the 300 workout.
We may not get you better results than steroids, but we’re a whole lot healthier for you.