300 - Spartan Workout

See how a Spartan Warrior trains!

Want your own personalized 300 workout routine?

Having been featured in Men's Health and on ESPN everyone's been looking for the 300 workout on the Internet. Many fitness specialists are even getting in on the hype by using modified versions with their clients workouts. The reason trainers are using modified versions is that most of us mere mortals wouldn’t be able to handle this type of workout without a few weeks (or months) of physical preparation first.

I made a modified or mini-version of the workout for the average Joe and Jane - see further below.

But first, here's how the original 300 Workout goes...but don't try this at home...you’ll need to work up to this type of intensity.

a) Pull-ups - 25 reps
b) Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps
c) Push-ups - 50 reps
d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps
e) Floor wipers - 50 reps
f) 1-arm Clean & Press with a 36lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
g) Pull-ups - 25 reps

And remember, there is NO scheduled rest between exercises.

The Truth about the 300 Workout

Now, the premise of the workout is to complete 300 repetitions split up over 7 or so different exercises. But, after actually watching the 300 Spartan workout clip and related interview with Mark Twight, the trainer responsible for the 300 workout, the training program it not what most people think. The first misconception is that the actors had to train like bodybuilders to attain their muscle.

According to Mark, their goal was to mold these actors into looking and performing like a Spartan warrior. That is, "A functional physique that can perform and fight, is devoid of fat, and a metabolism that strips fat from your body." To do this you develop a workout routine that is more functional and athletic, as opposed to a bodybuilding type workout that just builds looks.

From Mark Twight:
"The second misconception surrounds the idea of the Spartan workout, aka “300” [or the 300 workout], how frequently it was done or who actually finished it. “300” is a one-time test, an invitation-only challenge undertaken by those deemed ready for it. By the end of our four-month project 17 people had done the workout (Logan and I were two of them). This constitutes about 50% of the cast and stunt crew. We supervised every test, evaluated each rep for quality and only counted those that achieved our standards for form and range of motion. Like many workouts “300” is not hard once you’ve done it but the apprehension built up ahead of it – something we encouraged – was enough to make some guys fear it to the degree that performance was compromised. This workout was a crucible that some passed through and others still have hanging over them."


So, the 300 repetition workout was really a post-program test and wasn’t the actual training regimen that the actors went through to get into such incredible shape. Nor did they do specifically 300 reps in any given workout. The actual workouts progressed the actors over four -months time to be able to do the 300 post-program test.

So, what about a 300 workout for you?

Fortunately, a 300 repetition workout can easily be modified to adjust for various levels of ability. Appropriate exercises can be subbed in, and we can drop the number of reps down to 100, 150, or 200 - still making for a total body challenge.

For example, you might do this 200-repetition workout - this is great for a man with moderate fitness (note that a qualified personal trainer can design one specific to your abilities):

5 Chin-ups
20 Bodyweight squats
20 Push-ups
100 Jumping Jacks
30 Stability ball crunches
10 Triceps push-ups
15 Bodyweight rows

Optionally, you could do 100 reps of rope jumping or shadow boxing punches to finish off 300 total reps.

An intermediate woman could do a 150 rep workout:

5 Bodyweight Rows
10 Bodyweight wide stance squats
15 Bodyweight squats
15 Pushups (doing as many regular pushups, followed by kneeling)
50 Jumping jacks
10 Triceps bench dips

20 Reverse lunges
25 Bicycle crunches

Add in 50 rope skips for 200 total repetitions - or 150 skips for a full 300.

You can create your own version of the 300 workout and build your own Greek God or Greek Goddess body. However, I highly recommend you work with a trainer to come up with a safe and effective routine specific to your abilities. You also need a program that will help progress you to handling such a workout.

For your various fat burning and functional workouts call us at FPC/Beyond Fitness studio (847-562-4386, ext. 25) and we’ll give you a free consultation and workout session. Our workouts are strategically designed to boost your metabolism, burn fat, and maximize your fitness so that you'll be ready for your very own "300" test day.

Robert Garza, ACE, CPT, RTS