I am sore this morning, found a couple of weaknesses. This routine is touted as a total body and it t works you pretty well. Being it was my first go at it I did not follow the times as closely as the circuit calls for I was more interested in working correct form and choosing proper weights.
The places I feel it this morning are in my gluts and my hamstrings. My regular circuit favors my upper body and core and not so much my legs. I tend to work my legs in off days on an elliptical or bike. Apparently not like they get stressed with this circuit. The workout is lunge heavy.
Thursday I went in to the gym in the mid afternoon, didn’t expect I’d have the place pretty much to myself. Just caught it right, there were a couple other middle aged folks working on cardio. The high school kids didn’t show up until I’d been there half an hour or so, after what would have been the humiliating parts had I had an audience.
Most of the moves I was already familiar with. The only exercise I looked foolish doing was the Split Jump. Coordination problems you could say. After a few reps it started getting more fluid but I never did get it textbook. That one exercise may be a good part of the soreness I’m carrying today. I’ve not done any kind of jumping exercises and I did not land just right at any one interval.
The exercises are not complicated. I set up in front of one of the dumb bell racks off to the side in front of a mirror so I could watch my form. You don’t need a great deal of room. I used 40 Lbs for the Goblet Squats, 30’s for the Rows and Push Presses, 20’s for the Side Lunge & Touch, Lunge & Rotation, and the Single Arm Swings. 12.5’s for the T-Push ups and Split Jumps.
It did not take long to get the heart rate up into the mid 140’s where I like to work. They talk of this routine being used as either a Cardio or Resistance. That can be determined by however you choose to perform the circuit. I will watch my heart rate and probably try to work it as a Cardio.
Saturday afternoon I will give the workout another try. Knowing better what to expect. I’m going to alter it a little to better suit my level.
Here’s how I’m going to go at it until I get more use to the exercises. Instead of doing each exercise in a 60 second intervals as the circuit calls for, I am going to perform 10 reps of each move. I will probably give myself a 30 second to 1-minute rest between exercises and a 3-5-minute break between sets. I’ll look to complete two sets in less then an hour.
You can find The Spartacus Workout in the back of this months Men’s Health and also in the Big Book Of Exercises page 428.
Captdhd's Blog 
Posted by baseballmom024 on January 23, 2010 at 1:21 AM
Great job! I have The Women’s Health Big book of Exercises and have read this workout…was intrigued by it but haven’t had a chance to try it yet!!! Or maybe haven’t gotten up the nerve! 🙂
Sounds like it was a great workout! You did it!!!! Always up for a new challenge..right!
Look forward to hearing about future workouts!
Hope the snow has calmed, the rain has stopped for a little while…saw the sun for a short time today!
BBM
Posted by TNT Man on January 23, 2010 at 10:29 PM
So far – I have stayed away from that one – probably because of the number of exercises that include twisting. Really afraid of messing up my back – and twisting moves do it. Working my way through the Beach Ready workout – which is more strength oriented.
Keep up the great work – 140 bpm – NICE.
Posted by captdhd on January 24, 2010 at 7:56 PM
When I looked back over the exercises I found that I was twisting the wrong way when I performed the lunge and twist moves.
I do not want to jinx myself but so far my back has been pretty strong, hopefully it stays that way. Many of my standard routine exercises work on my core and lower back muscles.
It’s going to be the amount of lunges that kick my ass in this circuit. After going through just one rip of this workout the other day I found just how weak my gluts and groin muscles are. Squats I do just aren’t the same.
One thing about uncovering a weakness, it provides opportunity to do something new.
Thanks for the comments and encouragement.
Posted by tommylandbboe on January 25, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Awesome man- I look forward to giving this a try. I’m all over the place with my cardio workouts right now. Would you say you’re using light, medium or heavy weights? If you’re heart rates in the 140s, I’m guessing medium but it’s just a guess.
Posted by captdhd on January 25, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Hey Tommy, you are doing a great job, especially with the Tabata workouts. What I am doing is juvenile compared to your successes.
I would agree with you, that I am using medium weights, anywhere from 12.5’s to 40’s. They are right for me. I try to work my regular circuit in the high 130’s to low 140’s, this is where I feel best and when done feel I’ve had a pretty good workout. My absolute max is 160bpm.
I’m old and feeble, it doesn’t take much to wear myself out.
Posted by 2010 in review « Captdhd's Blog on January 5, 2011 at 1:16 PM
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