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

[nico]

but how does that workout get them the abs they had?

[Dave]

Best workout to stimulate a boring routine!!! I've added '300' to my five day workout week and love it!! I've improved from 24mins to 22mins in less than 4 workouts and people in the gym keep asking what are you doing? Best for a middle of the week workout after chest and shoulders! Word of advice if you're not in excellent shape don't try the original '300'! My buddy did and he wound up cleaning up his puke off the gym floor!

[Greg Neale]

Summer Work

[Greg Doyle]

Its sad to see people commenting and saying things like they used steroids and stuff, those people are the kind that never work hard in the gym and then wonder why they dont look good, just jealous pessimists, they also had 4 months to train idiots, not 2 like you're coming up with. Thier physiques are definitly possible after that amount of time, under the training they went through at gym jones. Don't hate

[Brian]

they also have an endless list of resources that the average joe cannot obtain...I'm not saying they used steroids but, supplements, personal trainers, nutrition and diet experts...most people dont have the money or the knowledge for these things. Either way I may start doing more full body workouts. I mostly isolate my muscles now so it would be a nice change.

[sean]

This is a gret article, but what could you do if you did not have the equipment to do KB Clean and Press?

thanks

[Nate]

"they also have an endless list of resources that the average joe cannot obtain...I'm not saying they used steroids but, supplements, personal trainers, nutrition and diet experts...most people dont have the money or the knowledge for these things. "

How can you say that? A big bucket of protein powder and a couple of gallons of milk are a lot cheaper than your 3 "squares" a day. Especially considering a few of those squares usually consist of McD's during the week. As far as affording a nutritionist..well we all learned the food groups in school, nobody needs a doctor to tell them the crap they put down their throat is bad for them, everyone knows what is good and bad nutrition. Gym trainers? Gee there are a million websites with free info (just like hmm..this one!), any exercise is good for you as opposed to none, and the longer and harder you do it the more progress you will make. The "average joe" you are talking about has access to all of these things. What he doesnt have is money to pay someone to hold his hand, thats hardly something to whine about.

[Leonitis]

SPARTA!

You can all acheive our level of physical perfection, and fighting ability, with nothing more than dedication to the regime and a focused belief! (That, and kill a big hairy wolf type thing when you're 10 years old!)

[Andrew Akin]

ok one question....50x KB Clean and Press @ 36lbs (KB must touch floor between reps)
....what does KB stand for?

[Andrew Akin]

ok one question.....50x KB Clean and Press @ 36lbs (KB must touch floor between reps)
....what does KB stand for?

[Heidi Becker-Neto]

Hi,

I just wanted to notify everyone of my husbands outstanding record on the 300 Movie workout. His name is Joao Neto, President of American Kettlebell Association(partners with Kettlebell Master, Kevin Albertini) & Owner of Eli's Fitness Studio in Fort Lauderdale , Florida. He is 37 years old, 6'4" and 225 lbs of solid muscle. He did the 300 workout in 16 minutes 57 seconds on his first time trying! It was a grueling workout but he loved every minute! We are having all the male trainers at our facility try it and will update you on their results! From what I have read, my husband completed even quicker than the actor in the move which I think it amazing! Also from other time results posted online, I believe he completed quickest of anyone trying. If we are mistaken, please email me! He's going to attempt it again and we will video tape the next attempt! Thanks, Heidi

[Alex]

Question: When you say "25 x pull-ups"
1- Wide grip or close grip?
2- Reversed grip or normal grip?

[scott]

what is a floorwiper?

[AndrewHall]

Hi.

A lot of emphasis in the workout is on the legs and knees. How would you scale back if you have knee problems, eg meniscal tears and older knee injuries? I know that building muscel strength around the knees and joints will help, but are there any No No's with something like the 300 workout that can be safely substituted without too much loss of the integrity of the workout?

Cheers

[michael jones]

All that sounds really interesting but i am keen on water exercises! I think that they are great and so healthy!

[FRidgy Renard]

So how often should we dothis workout. Am willing to do what it take sto gain this look by next summer!

[Brad]

Well Trenextreme help me build strength??

[shane]

i know some ppl saying that it took longer than 2 months to get gerard butler in that shape. it did, he worked with mark twight that long, plus workouts with his personal trainer before that, and he even hired a bodybuilder to help exaggerate his size in the movie. and of course the used cgi to help show the definition in there muscles, if they didnt use it, there wouldnt be no point in all that training because u wouldnt be able to see it

[Lori]

Hey Josh, great blog! There's TONS of information here.

To those with back pain, or let alone ANY chronic pains: PLEASE hook up with a specialist in some type of corrective exercise like Josh here or myself. It is so important to have a healthy balanced body before doing any kick-your-ass workout. Fix your body first, then kick it's ass or you will end up with joint replacements and/or spinal surgeries that could have been prevented!

[Justin]

For those wondering about the calorie intake keep in mind that Twight has a very sparse belief in training to keep in line with his climbing. For some more insight into his training beliefs and how the physical is only a part of it read his book Extreme Alpinism. He also wrote another book on climbing that gives some more insight into his psyche, but I can't remember the title.

[George Cox]

Hello Josh,

I'm a personal trainer, and as you said; 99.9% of my clients come to me because they want to lose weight. What you said about training you clients like athletes makes sense, because that is the body most people seek, but, I am still trying to expand my knowledge base, because the majority of my background is bodybuilding, so I have to ask: What exactly do you mean when you say "train your clients like athletes"? What types of things are you utilizing?

Lastly, at the risk of sounding ignorant; what are full body athletic movements? I may be asking silly questions, but I am trying to expand my knowledge base, and better help my clients achieve their goals. Thank You for any help you can provide, and please keep giving the good advise and information.

[martan]

A complete and FREE guide on how to gain weight and build muscle.
Weight gain diets, bodybuilding supplements and targeted weight training for the hardgainer vitaonline.blog
Tons of info on gaining weight and building muscle.

[Build Muscle Fast]

Hi there, I really like what you are saying although I can't agree fully on all things you are saying. But I really appreciate your efforts to explain details on muscle building and fitness in general. I would like to see more sites/blogs like this one. Cheers , Sasha

[FerApopeRow]

A memorandum is written not to inform the reader, but to protect the writer.
-- Dean Acheson

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://mathewstanleyvi.easyjournal.com

[Ed Baker]

Are you kidding. Those 300 guys got paid huge bucks to do the film and that workout is killer. I think I'd need to paid huge amounts too otherwise the motivation isn't there to put myself through it. I'll stick to the heavy compounds.