Spartacus Workout: Step Into the Arena With a Warrior’s Physique!

Getting jacked while losing body fat is the ultimate fitness goal for most people. 

However, it is easier said than done. Body recomposition involves simultaneously increasing skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and reducing fat mass. It’s often achieved without significant changes in total body mass. 

In my seven-year experience as a personal trainer, most beginners prefer aerobic training for losing weight, as they think it is the best way to shed the spare tire. Although prolonged cardio training coupled with a calorie deficit can help drop weight, it also leads to a loss of muscle mass. 

I advise my weight loss clients to combine cardio with strength training to build a diced physique. It also makes the training regimen more enjoyable, which motivates them to stick to their workouts. 

Merging aerobic and anaerobic training is where metabolic circuit workouts shine. Metabolic circuits aim to boost your metabolism and burn fat. Metabolic circuit training entered the mainstream with the rise of CrossFit in the late 2000s. It typically involves a mix of aerobic and strength training exercises. 

The actors in Spartacus (2010-2013) used metabolic circuit training to build a picture-perfect physique. I would argue that the Spartan army, known for their impressive physiques, also used the same training principles, albeit under a different name, to carve their gladiator physiques. 

According to a 2021 Biology systematic review and meta-analysis, “resistance circuit-based training results in a significant reduction in fat mass, and it greatly increases muscle mass and upper and lower body strength. Additionally, CT significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness, aerobic performance, and maximum aerobic speed or power. (1)

Spartacus Workout

You must alternate between high-intensity upper and lower-body workouts to get the best bang for your buck in Spartacus workouts. Spartacus workouts are AMRAP-style (as many reps as possible) training sessions that involve doing as many reps of an exercise in a minute before moving to the next exercise after a 15-second breather. 

Each Spartacus workout should include doing multiple rounds of the same metabolic conditioning circuit. You are allowed a two-minute rest between each circuit. 

Sample Spartacus Workout

Here is a 10-exercise sample Spartacus workout, which should take you around 40 minutes to complete:

Exercise	Time	Rest
Goblet Squat	60 seconds	15 seconds
Push-Up	60 seconds	15 seconds
Jumping Lunge	60 seconds	15 seconds
Russian Twist	60 seconds	15 seconds
Mountain Climber	60 seconds	15 seconds
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row	60 seconds	15 seconds
Plank Jack	60 seconds	15 seconds
Kettlebell Swing	60 seconds	15 seconds
Step-Up	60 seconds	15 seconds
Tricep Dips	60 seconds	120 seconds

Goblet Squat

All the exercises mentioned in this article require minimal equipment, making them suitable for most people, including those who train in their garage gyms. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with a hip-width stance. 
2. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest. 
3. Flex your knees, hips, and ankles to slowly lower into a deep squat while maintaining a neutral back. 
4. Explode back to the starting position. 
5. Contract your quads and glutes at the top of the range of motion (ROM) as hard as possible. 
6. Repeat for recommended reps. 

Push-Up

Push-ups are an underrated exercise to build a barrel chest. Alternate between conventional, incline, and decline push-ups to add variety to your training regimen. Here is how to perform the traditional floor push-ups:

Steps:

1. Get on all fours on the floor. 
2. Extend your legs behind you so that your body is in a straight line. 
3. Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and curl your toes. Your shoulders, elbows, and wrists should be stacked at the starting position. 
4. Slowly flex your elbows to lower your chest to the floor. 
5. Explode back to the starting position. 

Jumping Lunge

Jumping lunges is an advanced exercise. Drill the movement mechanics of the conventional lunge before progressing to this variation. 

Steps:

1. Assume a shoulder-wide staggered stance. Your front foot should be planted flat on the food, whereas your rear foot’s heel should be elevated. Maintain slight knee flexion at the starting position. 
2. Lower yourself until your rear knee touches the floor.
3. Extend your knees explosively and use the momentum to jump your feet off the floor. 
4. Switch the legs while in the air. 
5. Repeat for reps.

Russian Twist

Most exercisers overlook their obliques. Performing Russian twists regularly will give you the coveted fish gill-like muscles on the sides of your abs. 

Steps:

1. Sit upright on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 
2. Extend your arms in front of your torso so they are parallel to the floor, and your wrists are above your knees. 
3. Breathe out as you turn to your right side. 
4. Pause at the isometric contraction point at the top. 
5. Slowly return to the starting position while breathing in. 
6. Repeat on the other side. 
7. Alternate between sides for the recommended reps. 

Mountain Climber

Beginners can perform this exercise by placing their hands on an elevated surface like a flat bench. However, this is how to perform conventional mountain climbers:

Steps:

1. Get into a high plank position with your hands placed under your shoulders and your legs extended behind you. 
2. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe at the starting position. 
3. Brace your core, lift one foot off the floor, and bend your knee to bring it to your chest. 
4. Return the foot to the floor as you lift the other foot and bring it to your chest. 
5. Maintain a consistent cadence as you cycle the reps. Both your feet should be off the floor as you transition between the reps. 

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Since the Spartacus workout is a circuit training session, you don’t need to go too heavy on this exercise. Focus on peak muscle contractions and following a full range of motion. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright while holding a dumbbell in each hand. 
2. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, lean forward by hinging at the hips so your torso is at 45 degrees. 
3. Your spine, neck, and head should be neutral throughout the exercise. 
4. Pull the dumbbells to your side by lifting your elbows toward the ceiling. Keep your elbows tight to the sides during concentrics. 
5. Pause and contract your lats at the top of the ROM. 

Plank Jack

This plank variation will set your core on fire. Follow a consistent rep tempo to get the most out of this exercise.

Steps:

1. Get into a high plank position with your hands placed shoulder-width apart.
2. Your feet should be placed together. 
3. Brace your core and jump your feet into a wider-than-shoulder-width position. 
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for recommended reps. 

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings are a full-body exercise that is incredibly effective at helping you melt the fat off your body. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance while holding a kettlebell with both hands.
2. Hold the kettlebells between your legs at the starting position. 
3. Begin the movement by bending your knees slightly and pushing your hips back. 
4. Extend your hips explosively and use the momentum from your hips to lift the kettlebell overhead. 
5. Keep your elbows extended throughout the range of motion. 
6. Reverse the movement pattern to return to the starting position. 

Step-Up

Weighted step-ups can help add inches to your quads and glutes. The higher the box, the better. 

Steps:

1. Stand in front of a plyo box of an appropriate height. I recommend my clients use at least an 18-inch box for this exercise. 
2. Lift your right foot off the floor and place it on the plyo box. 
3. Extend your right knee, ankles, and hips to lift your other foot off the floor and place it on the box. 
4. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. 
5. Alternate between sides for the recommended reps. 

Tricep Dips

You can perform this exercise on a flat bench if you don’t have access to parallel bars at your gym. 

Steps:

1. Grab the parallel bars with a neutral, palms-facing inward grip. 
2. Your arms should be fully extended at the starting position. 
3. Slowly lower toward the floor by flexing your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. 
4. Explode back to the starting position. 
5. Repeat for the desired reps. 

Spartacus Workout Analysis

To build a Gladiator physique, you can’t leave any weak areas and must focus on your physique from all angles. 

The Spartacus workouts are metabolic circuit sessions that combine weight training and higher-intensity exercises, such as interval training, to promote weight loss while minimizing the risk of muscle loss. 

The Spartacus workouts involve alternating between upper and lower-body exercises. An average full-body Spartacus workout lasts between 45 to 60 minutes. 

You can compare a Spartacus workout to 30 to 60-second sprints. Although sprints can help you burn a lot of calories quickly, you cannot sustain full-send sprints for longer periods due to the onset of lower body fatigue. 

Since a Spartacus workout involves alternating between upper and lower body workouts, you can sustain the high effort for longer durations. 

Benefits of Spartacus Workout

Here are the advantages of adding the Spartacus workout into your training regimen:

Time Efficient

Since a Spartacus workout is a circuit training session, it helps you get the most bang for your buck in the gym. You can complete a 10-exercise, 30-set workout in around 40 minutes, given you perform each exercise for a minute, rest for 15 seconds between exercises, and two minutes between circuits. 

Full Body Workouts

A Spartacus workout involves alternating between lower and upper body exercises, ensuring a solid full-body workout. It also gives your muscles enough time to recover between exercises to help maintain a high training intensity. 

Great For Busy Individuals

Spartacus workouts are high-intensity, high-volume, full-body workouts. Most Spartacus training regimens are three-day training programs, making them a perfect fit for folks with a jam-packed schedule. 

Wrapping Up

The Spartacus workout program has been around for a long time, but it has sprung back to life again recently due to its high-volume, high-intensity programming. I highly recommend Spartacus workouts to folks who want to shed the spare tire while building muscle tissue. 

Spartacus workouts involve alternating between upper and lower body exercises with minimal rest between sets, which makes it a great choice for busy execs. If you have any questions about the Spartacus workouts, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References

1. Ramos-Campo DJ, Andreu Caravaca L, Martínez-Rodríguez A, Rubio-Arias JÁ. Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biology (Basel). 2021;10(5):377. Published 2021 Apr 28. doi:10.3390/biology10050377

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