Unlock a Warrior Mentality with Spartan Training
An unbreakable spirit
“Come back with this shield, or upon it.” — A Spartan mother’s farewell to her son before he went to war.
Confession: I wanted to be a Spartan.
When King Leonidas (re: ripped, Scottish accent-wielding Gerard Butler) led his 300 Spartans (re: other ripped actors) against King Xerxes and his million (more likely, 150–250,000) strong army, never before had I been so motivated to train.
“This… is… SPARTA!”
Those lines, those abs, and the popular 300 rep workouts that ensued defined years of training post-2006, and still have a following even this day. The reality, of course, is always different. Spartans never trained like Hollywood actors, for one thing. They certainly weren’t as bulky either, given that they were often fed little and had to enjoy (endure?) the infamous Spartan black broth.
So, if not for muscle-building or abs-sculpting, what can Spartans and their training teach us today?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
“300 has to be one of the most over the top examples of pure machismo ever put to film. What’s impressive is that the true story of the Spartans is possibly even more incredible.” — The Bioneer.
