How To Get Ripped Like A Spartan (Luke Douglas)

This is a guest post from Luke Douglas who runs the blog Ripped.me where he writes about training and nutrition for men. In this article Luke is going to talk about how to get ripped based off the training the cast of the movie 300 did. Enjoy.

Spartans – the ancient people best known for their unbreakable spirit, tough military mentality and courage to say no whenever they felt like it! Spartans were magnificent warriors and you’ve probably seen the movie ‘300’ based on their fight against Xerxes and his Persian army. You probably remember Gerard Butler’s godlike abs, biceps and chest. Do you want to know what it takes to become a true Spartan? Do you want to become a beast like Leonidas? If your answer was positive, we might be able to help you achieve that!

Get Down to Work!

First of all, you have to exercise like a beast in order to become one. You have to change your lifestyle, workouts have to become a priority if you want to succeed! When Gerard Butler started preparing himself for the movie, he hired a personal trainer. Workouts were crazy intense, not only did he start a new training regimen, but he also did mountain climbing. He’d often do climbing first and then work out later during the day. And he exercised on a daily basis. He’d do weight training and circuit training, and after that he’d train with swords and spears in order to perfect his skill and work on his choreography. Six hours a day of training for more than four months without stopping. However, six hours a day is too much. Having two training regimens is also too much. But it worked for Gerard, there’s no doubt about it.

The Workout

You’ll find tons of workouts online that claim to be ‘the original Spartan workout’ but we went through most of them and decided to pick one that we deem the most efficient. Start your workout with a warm up, focus on arms, abs, chest and shoulders. After that do 25 pull ups. Do them properly, don’t slack off, you are only hurting your progress. Following the pull ups are 50 deadlifts using 135 Ibs of weight. Remember to take a breather after each segment! The next thing you should do is box jumping. You need to do 50 box jumps preferably onto a 24-inch platform. You’ll probably feel the burning sensation in your legs but that’s good, you’re making progress. Even though it’s a cliché, without pain there is no gain. After you’ve done that, you need to do 50 floor wipers. The next thing is a bit more complex but it’s nothing too difficult. Do 25 kettlebell cleans and presses per arm with a 36 Ibs kettlebell. And last but not least, do 25 pull ups and you’re good to go. For the day at least. We’d also like to underline that you shouldn’t skimp when it comes to equipment. If you don’t have a home gym, find a good gym with proper machines. You should also invest in quality compression clothing since it boosts performance and helps your muscles recover faster afterwards. Remember that every detail is important if you want to become a true Spartan!

Feast Like a Beast!

Working out like a beast won’t happen without proper nutrition. You have to start eating a lot if you want to maintain a hard workout regime. According to stuntmen from the set of ‘300’ the movie, 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day was enough to build the desired body. Even though there is no specific diet since every single one of us is different, you should take in a lot of protein to further maintain muscle mass. Fruits and veggies are a must since you have to pay attention to minerals and vitamins. As a snack, you can eat nuts and seeds for their healthy fats and you also need to have enough carbohydrates in your system so as to fuel those intense workout sessions.

All in all, you should always listen to your body and alter both your diet and workout routine if you feel like your body isn’t up for it. We don’t want you to hurt yourself, but building a Spartan’s body is an undertaking not everyone can do. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it a go. As you can see, the results can be outstanding. And who knows, if they decide to make another movie about Spartans, there might be a role for you there.