The 300 Workout - Part 2 - How to do it

This week I had all of my clients do "300 reps", just for fun.  We "scaled" 300 different ways so that everyone could do it.  When I say scale, I mean that we cut the weight, the reps, or even slightly changed the exercises so that it would be the appropriate challenge for everyone.

*One important note about scaling a workout like this:  You can cut down the intensity, but don't change the intention.  In the back of the Men's Health article, Gerard Butler's current trainer (in other words, not the guy that trained him for the movie) mentions you could start with 100 reps and build up - this is a smart way to scale the workout.  He also mentions you could substitute dumbbell curls - this on the other hand, is missing the point of the workout completely.  Dumbbell curls are an isolation exercise, where all of the movements in the 300 workout are full body compound movments.

If you go to the Gym Jones website (and you should), you'll notice that all of the workouts they do are made up of full body, compound movements.   For those that don't know, Gym Jones is the gym run by Mark Twight, where all of the actors from the movie 300 trained for two months solid prior to the movie.  So some of you may be asking, what is a full body compound movement?  I'm glad you asked:  Squats, deadlifts, pullups, pushups, kettlebell cleans, kettlebell snatches, overhead presses.

If you've ever done a heavy deadlifting or squatting workout, you know that it feels completely different from a day when you did heavy leg extensions.  If you do a hard pullup day, it's totally different from doing a hard bicep curl day.  If you really want a body like a Spartan Warrior - you need to be on a first name basis with squats, deadlifts, pullups, and overhead presses.   You'll notice two things that all of these exercises have in common is that they: 1.)  Are technical lifts (they require knowing what you are doing), and 2.) They're really f**king hard.

I'm going to assume you know how to do pullups and pushups.  If you don't know how to deadlift, you need to learn.  I strongly recommend Power to the People, by Pavel Tsatsouline as one of the best books/videos on how to deadlift there is.  Deadlifting isn't easy or simple, but it's worth it.

The 300 workout, as it was done by the actors:

“300”
25x Pull-ups 
50x Deadlift @ 135lbs
50x Push-ups
50x Box Jump @ 24” box 
50x Floor Wiper @ 135lbs
50x KB Clean and Press @ 36lbs (KB must touch floor between reps)
25x Pull-ups
300 reps total

Andrew Pleavin, who played Daxos the leader of the Arcadians, did 300 in 18 minutes.  Savage.

Here is how I scaled it for my strongest clients:

25x Pull-ups 
50x Deadlift @ 100lbs
50x Push-ups
50x Box Jumps @ 12” box 
50x Knees to Elbows
50x KB Clean and Press @ 36lbs 
25x Pull-up
300 reps total

Will did this version of 300 in 52 minutes, Jeff did it in 45 minutes.

I took 300 a couple more steps down for my newer clients:

12x Assisted Pull-ups 
25x Deadlift @ 70-90lbs
25x Push-ups
25x Box Jumps @ 12” box 
25x Sit-ups
30x KB Clean and Press @ 18-26lbs 
12x Assisted Pull-ups 
154 reps total

So this is a look at how a workout like 300 could be scaled to different levels of clients.  All of my clients could make it through the last version.  The important thing was that we preserved the movements, or with the one exception being the "floor wipers", we preserved the intention of the movements. 

Mark Twight mentions on his website that "300 reps" is not a program.  It's not the workout that the actors did.  It was a one time test.  Possibly a rite of passage.  In fact, in the style of Mark's training, they most likely never did the same exact workout twice.

On the flipside, I'll have my clients repeat this kind of workout.  While the actors and crew from 300 had each other to compete with, I work with clients on a one on one basis.  They only really have themselves to compete with.  So we may repeat a workout like 300 again in a month - with the very powerful motivation of doing it faster.  Getting a better "score".  Or if not faster, then doing with heavier weight.

Mark Twight says that he has no patience for assisting non athletes in losing weight.   Their mantra for the movie was that appearance would be a function of fitness, and not the other way around.  So essentially, they trained to have the fitness level Spartan Warriors, and the body and the look came with it.  Mark Twight runs a gym that trains athletes.

I come from the opposite direction, but in with similar methods.  I'm a specialist in getting people lean.  I don't really train people for sport, per se.  My clients come to me because they want to look like rockstars.  I train them like athletes simply because I've found that is the best way to get them the body they want. 

If you want that body and that strength, you must do full body athletic movements, like deadlifts, squats, kettlebell clean and presses, pullups, ect.

If you aren't familiar with full body lifitng, get this book/dvd:

If you haven't been to the gym Jones website and read Mark Twight's article: 300: The So Called Workout, you have to check that out.  Straight from the source.  In fact, if you really want to get a flavor for the training, I recommend reading the entire knowledge section of the Gym jones website, and to watch all of the videos.  It's the next best thing to driving out to Salt Lake City and standing on the porch.

Also check out: What happens when girls do 300?

You can read my first article on the 300 workout here: Frank Miller movie 300 actor training - The 300 Workout

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds: Take Your Body from Good to Rockstar.
I'm a specialist in getting my clients lean, fast.  I usually work the hardest clients to lean out - girls who are already in good shape. I like the challenge.  It's actually easier to lean out guys because guys naturally carry more muscle.  My book is about how anyone can get that that lean, rockstar body.

© Joshua Hillis 2007

 

Comments

[Tim Hutchins]

RITE of passage

[Justin]

This is something i will eventually try after i lose some weight... also i hear that they had a specific calorie diet that gave them just enough energy to recover and build muscle.. If you could post any info, if you know any on the diet...

[Vel]

I myself would love to know what the diet was used by the actors.

I've been doing a 5x5 routine over the past 6 weeks 3 days a week, to maintain strength while cutting. I also do cardio 3 days a week first thing upon waking before eating. I eat about 2000 calories daily (i'm 205 lbs and 6'4")of plain boring foods like chicken, oatmeal, eggs, etc. I'm looking for something new however.

Also how many days per week were these workouts done?

[Blake]

I am also interested in how many days per week this routine was performed. Thanks.

[Justice~!]

Hey Josh! This was an awesome article - I echo the desires of the other commenters though; what sort of diet were these guys on (I assume it wasn't McDonalds) and how often were these workouts being done?

Thanks!

[Dan W]

Are the KB clean and presses done with one arm or two? Anybody know? I'd like to try the scaled back routine.

[Matt]

I was wondering if you do the 300 workout daily or if you have something else as your daily routine and you do the 300 once in a while?

[Joshua Hillis]

In terms of the diet - sounds like it was a Paleo Diet / Zone Diet / restricted calorie diet, but I'm speculating a little there.

300 wasn't a workout, it was a TEST. Some of the crew did it, some "left with it still hanging over their head". The ones that did 300, only did it once.

The workouts "looked" like this: They were made up of full body movements - kettlebell swings, deadlifts, squats, pullups, pushups (often on gymnastics rings), knees to elbows, floor sweepers, renegade rows, renegade manmakers, body rows, tuck sits, thrusters, sprinting, dragging, carrying, ect. Basically all manners of olympic weightlifting movements, powerlifting movements, and the conditioning aspects of gymnastics - all thrown together.

Some days are heavy, rested sets. Other days crazy intense circuits like "300". Other days sled drags, tire flipping, sprinting, the rowing machine, ect. Like a box of chocolates, they never knew what they were gonna get.

The biggegst difference, movement wise in the workouts is that they did full body lifts. "Big lifts". Bodyweight stuff also. Like my friend Dan John always says - "You train the body as one piece."

As far as the kettlebell clean and presses - they were one arm.

You can check the Gym Jones website under "schedule", and see the workouts they do daily. You can see what they did exactly, if you are familiar with the movements they are doing.

[Dan W]

Thanks for the response Josh, and for posting all of this information.

[Rylee]

How do you do the "Floor Wiper"???

[jose]

none

[robert]

Let's say you can only do 10 pullups, initially. What is the best way to increase this number? Do I try to do 3 sets of 10? Do them every other day?

[Sifu Jay]

This was awesome. Thanks for the info, can't wait to test my students.

[Allyson]

I purchased How to Stubborn Seven Pounds. What are "swings" for the booty workout?

[Michael Raether]

Hmmm...Wonder why they dont mention the Testosterone, Trenbelone, and Equipoise used to build all that lean muscle in such a short time...

Could this program rip Butler up like this in a year? Sure! But not in two months like the Men's Health articles claims...At least not without "supplementation".

[Realtor]

yes 2 months is not possible... i have been trying to get my six pack for 2 months, doing lot of cardios, drinking 1 gallon of water each day and only two cans of the six pack are starting to show...

[Jones]

Thanks for the great articale and guidance. I agree with some of the comments here: the program, no matter how intense can't give the actors the type of extreme definition as shown in the movie. You have to remember that the movie was mostly CGI-enhanced and shot on blue screen. The "definition" was also enhanced by CGI. Sure the actors worked out and provided the base muscular framework, but the pop was placed in by digital methods. You can clearly see that in the clips when they are being shot with the regular camera and how the final "look" came out on the CGI screen. It's a bit like photoshop amped up to the max by technicians. So be mindful that what you see onscreen is not necessarily realistic.

[Max Munro]

Jones is absolutely correct. I actually spoke with some of the people who did the CGI, and they showed me how the "six packs" were enhanced. The actors did actually go through a very rigorous training program to achieve amazing shape, but the final result seen on the screen is not exactly the actual result...it is CGI enhanced.
BUT, I would give a lot of money to even reach the shape they did...I have been working out for a while now, and have plateaued off with the belly fat...cant get rid of it.

[Phil Adams]

I'm 30 and in decent physical shape. I used to work out in the past but never got to the ripped 6pack ab state. I haven't worked out in the past few years and am really pumped to start back up after seeing 300...big time motivator. I did the same workout all the time in the past on one of those universal workout machines, but neglected cardio and variety. I really am looking forward to trying this workout as I really want a body I can proud of 100%. My only issue is I have a bad lower back. It currently has been "out" for 2 weeks, but I am finally straightening up. That is another reason I want to work out so badly now. I want a strong back so I won't have it going out as much. Do you have any suggestions on how I should start? Im 5'10, 176lbs. Thanks again for a great article!

[albert]

Does anyone know how to read gym jones schedule of workouts. i couldnt be more confused.

[Adam]

I like to know what kind of diet that the guys for the movie were on. More important I'm 25 and when I was about 19 I started having back problems, I just thought I was a little over weight so I worked out even harder then I already was. The pain got worse and I had a chiropractor look at my back, he said I have scoliosis. I have back pain at all times, it's acctually hard for me to believe that there ever was a time when I didn't have back pain. I was wondering what workouts should I concentrate on and which ones I should straight up not do? Any help would be appreciated

[Dave Salinas]

What's the best way to do a 'floor wiper' with 135 lbs? I'm a little confused!

[Korben]

Have you seen any websites for people to post their 300 times?

I did 300 in 16:45

Note: I did floor wipers version
(knees to elbows and tire drags would definitely increase the time)

Korben Konrady
OMBAC Rugby D1 '07
ombac.org

[Korben]

Have you seen any websites for people to post their 300 times?

I did 300 in 16:45

Note: I did floor wipers version
(knees to elbows and tire drags would definitely increase the time)

Korben Konrady
OMBAC Rugby D1 '07
ombac.org

[D. L. C. Clark]

Have read the web-pages, philosophy. They are motivational and challenging and on-target. "mens sana..." My problem, I'm in London, UK. Anyone or place here that you recommend?