Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Wednesday 10/20 Workout

Decided to try a new approach to working out - a variation of the 300 workout.

The 300 workout was developed for the actors in the movie 300. Mmmmm...no one cannot forget those Spartan warrior bodies...abs of steel, boulder shoulders, barn door backs, etc. Yummy.

The workout is done in a giant-set fashion...meaning, you go from one exercise, to the next, to the next, with little to no rest in between. There are hugh demands on the muscles and is not meant to be done everyday...especially by beginners. It can also be incredibly dangerous. So don't try this at home.

The original workout includes the following:
  • 25 pullups
  • 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
  • 50 pushups
  • 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
  • 50 "floor wipers" (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
  • 50 "clean and press" at 36 pounds
  • 25 pullups

Pretty intense...and not designed for the results I'm looking for. Plus I don't want to fall over dead. According to WebMD, the breakdown of muscle fibers may be severe enough to be toxic to the kidneys. Yeah...a little too extreme for me.I decided to start today with a beginner's variation I found on the internet...it starts with only 100 reps and involved the following:

  • 5 bodyweight rows
  • 10 bodyweight squats
  • 5 pushups
  • 50 jumping jacks
  • 10 mountain climbers
  • 10 lunges
  • 5 bodyweight rows

I finished that workout in 4 minutes 7 seconds. Broke a sweat and got my heart racing, but I was left wondering what the hell I did wrong. Less than 5 minutes? That's gotta be too easy.

Time to try a different approach...the Hard-Body Workout from The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises.

This workout uses mini-circuits to keep my heart rate high as I attempt to sculpt my hips, legs, and abs. So once I start moving, I keep moving - until I've worked every inch of my body, from every direction.

I'm supposed to do this workout three times per week, resting at least one day between sessions. On those "rest days", I'm going to do the Spartacus Workout as a "cardio" workout to help me speed fat loss even more. The Spartacus Workout is a collection of 10 exercises that collectively work every part of the body and are placed each at a 60-second station - in order to challenge my heart and lungs as well as my muscles.

I'll post specific details about both workouts later. For now, wish me luck! I'm gonna need it.

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