I am Spartacus!! And you can be too.

SmashleeWpg

Hey folks!

Here's one of my favorite circuit workouts. It's another one you can complete at home or at the gym. All that's required is a set of dumbbells. I pinched it from Men's Health, but there's absolutely no reason the ladies can't do it as well - I certainly do!! It helps if you think about Gerard Butler's amazing abs whilst sweating away. Yum, yum.

Perform the Spartacus Workout as a circuit, doing one set of each exercise—or “station” in succession. Each station in the circuit lasts for 60 seconds. Do as many reps as you can in that duration (with perfect form), then move on to the next station in the circuit. Give yourself 15 seconds to transition between stations, and rest for 2 minutes after you’ve done one circuit of all 10 exercises. Then repeat 2 times. If you can’t go for the entire minute on an exercise, go as long as you can, rest for a few seconds, then go again until your time at that station is up. This will allow you to customize the workout to your current fitness level. Also, if using weights makes some exercises too difficult, simply perform the same movement without holding the dumbbells.


Station 1: Goblet Squat
Grab a dumbbell and hold it vertically in front of your chest, with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until the tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the start. If that’s too hard, do a bodyweight squat instead.

Station 2: Mountain Climber
Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without allowing your lower-back posture to change, lift your foot off the floor and slowly raise your knee toward your chest. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg, alternating back and forth each repetition.

Station 3: Single Arm Dumbbell Swing
Grab a dumbbell with an overhand grip and hold it in front of your waist at arm’s length. Keeping your lower back slightly arched, bend at your hips and knees and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Keeping your arm straight, thrust your hips forward, straighten your knees, and swing the dumbbell up to shoulder level as you rise to standing position. Now swing the weight back and forth. At the 30-second mark, switch arms.

Station 4: T Push-Up
Grasp a pair of hex dumbbell handles and set yourself in pushup position, your arms straight. Then bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. As you push yourself back up, lift your right hand and rotate the right side of your body up as you raise the dumbbell straight over your shoulder until your body forms a T. Reverse the move, then repeat on your right side.

Station 5: Split Jump
Stand in a staggered stance with your feet about 2 to 3 feet apart, your left in front of your right. Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and lower your body into a lunge. Now quickly switch directions and jump with enough force to propel both feet off the floor. While in the air, scissor-kick your legs so you land with the opposite leg forward. Repeat, alternating back and forth each repetition.

Station 6: Dumbbell Row
Grab a pair of dumbbells, bend at your hips (don’t round your lower back) and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length from your shoulders. Without moving your torso, row the dumbbells upward by raising your upper arms, bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pause, then lower the dumbbells back to start.

Station 7: Dumbbell Side Lunge and Touch
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm’s length next to your sides. Lift your left foot and take a big step to your left as you push your hips backward and lower your body by dropping your hips and bending your knees. As you lower your body, bend forward at your hips and touch the dumbbells to the floor . Do all your reps with your left leg, then repeat with your right. If that’s too hard, do the same move without the dumbbells; simply reach for the floor with your hands.

Station 8: Pushup Position Row
Grasp a pair of hex dumbbell handles and set yourself in pushup position, your arms straight. Keeping your core stiff, row the dumbbell in your right hand to the side of your chest, by pulling it upward and bending your arm. Pause, then lower the dumbbell back down quickly, and repeat the same movement with your left arm.

Station 9: Dumbbell Lunge and Rotation
Grab a dumbbell and hold it vertically in front of your chest, with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until the tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the start. If that’s too hard, do a bodyweight squat instead.

Station 10: (LAST ONE!) Dumbbell Push Press
Stand holding a pair of dumbbells just outside of your shoulders, with your arms bent and palms facing each other. Set your feet should be shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent. Dip you knees, then explosively push up with your legs as you press the weights straight over your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.


ENJOY!!

ProjectSara

Saving!

Smuterella

bump

nikkicarter13

bump - I am always looking for new workouts! thanks

thatgirl125

bump

StacyBMe

bump

HeelsAndBoxingGloves

Thanks for sharing! Bump!

Kimbie500

Wow! Kick Butt WO! Thanks!

jjblogs

I've done this a couple times! Saw a guy at the gym doing it, and he told me what it was so I looked it up. It's a great workout. I think you can get an ipod application of it too....or at least one of the versions of the Spartacus workout.

Lindsayrob

bump for later!