What I'm loving on Saturday - The Spartacus Workout

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The Spartacus Workout

I haven't been to a gym in nearly a year. Once the definition of "gym rat," who spent two hours at the gym five or six days a week, I've abandoned the lifestyle of waiting for open treadmills and avoiding eye contact with the sweaty dudes in the free weight section of the gym. And yet, I'm probably near the best shape I've ever been in in my life...

I attribute this to discovering the P90X workout program. We'll get more into that later, but essentially it's what helped me realize you don't need to pay a monthly fee to get in fantastic shape - you just need the drive, determination and a little workout switch up every few weeks.

While I love P90X (I'm currently finishing up my second round of the advanced P90X+ version), I'm constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself, to confuse my muscles and thus garner the best results in the shortest amount of time. I wanted a supplement to my P90X DVDs that pushed me just as hard, if not harder, to keep things fresh.

Enter the Spartacus Workout. My boyfriend came across the workout in the January/February issue of Men's Health, where it was suggested to use this workout three times a week if it's the only workout you can squeeze in for the week. And yes, I'm convinced if you did this workout, and only this workout, three times a week, you'd still get absolutely ripped. You perform three sets of 10 full-body exercises, performing each exercise as many reps as you can for one minute each. With a two-minute break between sets, you don't get much time to rest, or to think about what's coming next. You find yourself getting through the first set of exercises thinking "Eh, this is challenging but I could totally bust out SO much more." About halfway through the second set though, you're crying for mommy. And by the third set, you're just mustering all the strength you have just to push through a few more moves.

Each time I've done this workout I've found myself collapsed on the floor, heart pounding for about two minutes after the very last set. What I love about it is you are working your entire body with every single exercise. From your shoulders down to your calves, every muscle is engaged for the entire duration of the workout. That's why, after just around 43 minutes of exercise, your legs are shaking, you're exhausted, but damnit, you are EXHILARATED. 

If you'd like a swift ass-kicking that you're going to feel great about afterward, I'd suggest trying it out. All you need are some dumbbells, a stopwatch and a slight taste for masochism. 

Here's to the Spartacus in us all.