So you think that doing rep after rep is punishment enough for your efforts? you haven't seen anything yet until you know what the cast and crew of the 300 went through.
When the movie the 300 was slated to be shot, the cast and crew knew very well that the physique of the men in the movie would have to be God-like, however this was going to be no easy task.
So they enlisted the help of a crazy mountain climber, who probably had no pity for any of the actors. There is inspiration in this story though.
They started out small, building up to the famous 300 workout, which involves 300 repetitions of some very horrific movements. The final test was to be able to do all three-hundred reps without stopping, something that is absolutely daunting, and if done - puts you in the hall of the Spartans.
The majority of the exercises involved are:
Dead lifts of 135 pounds
jumping in various ways onto a 2 foot tall box
pull ups
push ups
and kettlebell exercises
The box as a side note is a favored training method of the legs in the NFL.
After everyone saw the results of Gerard Butler's workout, people have been flooding the net trying to figure out how to rework their normal exercise routines into this.
There is plenty of information available, and even complete courses on just this thing, but its only for the dedicated warrior, and so be careful and don't push yourself too hard in the beginning.
A great way to get started doing this kind of routine is to give the Spartan health regimen a try, because its very similar, and I actually like its structure better personally.
This is what most people lack in training
At one time my father was heavily interested in competing in body building competitions. The men in my family are not naturally very big, and come pre-equipped with slender build. Still yet, over the course of a few years my dad got BIG. I didn't even recognize him when I saw the pictures.
I admire my dad, because he has done so many things in his life to their fullest, and he's a person who is always looking for solutions, and he loves the game of life and exploring (almost too much).
So here's what happened. His other major hobby, even today, has always been golfing. The two of us share this passion. My father still competes (and always wins) in competitions. Not to brag, just trying to show you how focused he can be. Anyways, he hangs out with the best golfers, and used to caddy for Mr. Nicklaus himself.
So, one day he's out golfing with some buddies and something embarrassing happened. He had gotten SO big that he couldn't swing the damn club. His friends laughed at him so hard. All of his work back-fired, and one passion corrupted another. So here's what he did...
He started taking dance lessons from Arthur Murray, and of course everyone probably made fun of him because that's not a very "manly" solution. However, by doing this, he was able to regain his flexibility, and he loved it so much that he started competing in ballroom dance, and went on to teach for the Murray studio, and today still teaches (just not for them).
Because of his understanding that fluid movement is so important, he was able build a better, leaner and healthier body. The bigger benefit was the energy that he gained from this approach, which led to him being able to do more ambitious things with his time.
Because of his little discovery, he put me in, dare I say it...ballet lessons when I was a kid. I'm not a big fan of this form of dance, but let me tell ya guys, you ain't done nothin' if you haven't tried ballet. I don't expect you to, but understand this - it'll kick your butt. This is actually why a lot of NFL players are made to take these classes at least for a short time.
What I gained from this form of movement, was physical discipline. If you can find some extra "curriculum" in fitness, that's different than weight training or body building, you can give yourself an edge right now.
By spending part of your time focusing on physical flexibility, you can actually have your dreams of fitness realized faster. The Martial arts is another fine example of this, and I certainly did that too.
Yet again, as always, the key message here is physical diversity. This will make you mentally tough, so that you can start adding muscle, without becoming the hulk.
I admire my dad, because he has done so many things in his life to their fullest, and he's a person who is always looking for solutions, and he loves the game of life and exploring (almost too much).
So here's what happened. His other major hobby, even today, has always been golfing. The two of us share this passion. My father still competes (and always wins) in competitions. Not to brag, just trying to show you how focused he can be. Anyways, he hangs out with the best golfers, and used to caddy for Mr. Nicklaus himself.
So, one day he's out golfing with some buddies and something embarrassing happened. He had gotten SO big that he couldn't swing the damn club. His friends laughed at him so hard. All of his work back-fired, and one passion corrupted another. So here's what he did...
He started taking dance lessons from Arthur Murray, and of course everyone probably made fun of him because that's not a very "manly" solution. However, by doing this, he was able to regain his flexibility, and he loved it so much that he started competing in ballroom dance, and went on to teach for the Murray studio, and today still teaches (just not for them).
Because of his understanding that fluid movement is so important, he was able build a better, leaner and healthier body. The bigger benefit was the energy that he gained from this approach, which led to him being able to do more ambitious things with his time.
Because of his little discovery, he put me in, dare I say it...ballet lessons when I was a kid. I'm not a big fan of this form of dance, but let me tell ya guys, you ain't done nothin' if you haven't tried ballet. I don't expect you to, but understand this - it'll kick your butt. This is actually why a lot of NFL players are made to take these classes at least for a short time.
What I gained from this form of movement, was physical discipline. If you can find some extra "curriculum" in fitness, that's different than weight training or body building, you can give yourself an edge right now.
By spending part of your time focusing on physical flexibility, you can actually have your dreams of fitness realized faster. The Martial arts is another fine example of this, and I certainly did that too.
Yet again, as always, the key message here is physical diversity. This will make you mentally tough, so that you can start adding muscle, without becoming the hulk.
The new revolution of exercise is here
Are you in or out?
As I'm sure that you know, there are tons and tons of exercise and fitness programs that come in all shapes and sizes, and ALWAYS promise so much. Sure some of these can give results, but a lot of times they don't because people have a hard time following them.
Well, I'm speaking now to those of you who are serious and dedicated about getting fit, and if you are this person then you already know that in order to do so, you really need to take on an attitude. You've got to have that "meanness" in you every time you want to pump in that last rep, because often times that last repetition is the one that stares us down and makes fun of us.
Are you going to let that last little movement evade you? no, of course not, because you are tough, you are determined, but the problem is that people like you and me are wasting our time working with routines that aren't challenging.
You may be surprised, you might be thinking "I don't know what you're talking about - my routine is just fine". Well, even when it gets a little tough, do you ever still wonder "could I be pushing myself a little more?".
No pain - no gain, remember? every now and then the same old routines get too easy, and some times its hard to find direction when you need to just switch it up a little. Remember, muscles get comfortable doing what they couldn't do six weeks ago.
Its time to up the Annie.
There is a new revolution of exercising and fitness, and its totally based off of what our Spartan friends knew. There are several different forms of this kind of fitness, and actually a lot of people are browsing the net like you, and getting ideas for creating their own customized routine.
The movements involved are simple, and at times not fun - I have to be honest, but if you love pushing yourself to your physical limits, then it can be a blast.
Sure, everyone wants to go out and invest in that fancy weight set, or hit the gym. I certainly am a fan of weight training too, but man, if you're not using chin ups, different forms of push ups, or simple squats then I don't know. These simple movements build real muscle, and real strength. Actually, in my opinion they are a lot more fun, and I had much rather keep track of this kind of progress than my number of sets and weight used with butterflies.
There's nothing like the good old days, and there's something kind of romantic about training in this way. I think this is one of the reasons that more and more people are switching over to simple, yet challenging training.
Don't walk the shadow of a hero - be one.
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