The Spartan Fit App Workout of the Week: Switch Up Circuit
Each week, Spartan Director of Training Sam Stauffer is providing select workouts from the Spartan Fit app. For the full Spartan training experience, delivering Spartan-designed workouts and race-like simulations, download the Spartan Fit App now. And for the full database of Spartan Fit app workout previews, click here.
Plus, get this entire workout, and more just like it, on the Spartan Fit app.
This workout qualifies as both a strength and conditioning session and is sure to test your physical and mental grit. Chock-full of super-tough reps and moves, you’ll want to take your sweet time with this one. Focus on your breath and take the reps as they come. Remember, this Spartan Fit app session is a conditioning-style workout, so you’ll feel your heart rate climb as you near the end.
The Workout
Get ready Spartans! Coming up is a tough triplet, starting off with a heavy dose of strength. Take advantage of your rest after each cluster. As you move quickly through a conditioning section, tap into your mental stamina to resume the next strength portion and maintain quality movement.
For today, I’m going to hone in on my three favorite moves that also happen to be staple exercises in my own training routine. In addition to this full workout on the Spartan FIT app, you can tie these three moves into a circuit-style workout. I recommend three to five rounds at 30 seconds per exercise if you’re up for it.
More Fit App Workouts: All In
The Setup
For this one, you’ll need a set of dumbbells (or kettlebells) and something to raise your back foot off of the ground for the RFE split squat. A plyo box or bench works great; the key thing here is that it’s stable and won't move while you perform the exercise.
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The Strength Circuit
Perform four rounds—30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
Leonidas Burpee:
For 2.5 months, I lived with Spartan’s Founder & CEO, Joe De Sena up at his farm in Pittsfield, Vermont—home of the Death Race. If you can guess what he thought about 24/7, it was the burpee, and when he discovered the Leonidas Burpee, he nearly lost his mind. The Leonidas Burpee (a.k.a. the Leo Burpee) is a simple twist on the burpee adding two push-ups (as opposed to one, in the traditional burpee) at the bottom part of the exercise.
Pro Tip: If after a while your push-up form begins to deteriorate, simply scale back the number of push-ups you are completing or remove the push-up completely.
Related: Burpee Utopia: A 5-Variation Workout
Farmer Carry:
Pillar strength is super-valuable, and you’ll need a lot of it for obstacles like the Atlas Carry, Bucket Carry, Armor, and the Tire Flip. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with the Farmer Carry: one of the best ways to build pillar strength and grip reinforcement.
Begin in a tall-standing position, with two dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand. There should be about a one-inch gap between each weight and your hips. Take it one step further by slightly externally rotating your hands (which rotates your shoulders back) putting your upper body into a solid position to help you secure the weight while you walk. Next, slowly walk forward, staying tall and engaged through your core. Think: heel to toe with each step.
Pro Tip: Stand tall and do your best to keep the weight from swinging while you walk. This will require extreme focus and determination. OR, up the ante by racking the two kettlebells. You got this!
KB Suitcase RFE Split Squat:
Yeah...this one is a mouthful to say. This exercise is fairly high on the progression table. You’ll want to work up to this one with split squats and lunges first. Once mastered, the RFE Split Squat is a fantastic way to build unilateral strength and stability. Keep an extra careful eye on your working leg and ensure that it’s not caving in. To avoid this, apply tension to the ground by “screwing” your foot and locking it into place. This will translate up to the knee by preventing it from caving in.
