So what is the "300" workout?

With all of this talk about the movie "300", I thought it would be fitting to post what the main actor of the movie did to get in such great shape. This information was taken from the Men's Health web site:

Gerard Butler's training for 300 simultaneously built muscle, increased muscular endurance, and stripped fat fast. To help Butler and the cast achieve movie muscles that pop, he used this grueling, unorthodox 300-rep rite of passage.

Men's Health contributor Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc., a strength/conditioning coach in Toronto, put together this workout video series for you to follow along and --provided you're fit like a king -- try for yourself.

"One actor from 300, Andrew Pleavin, completed the workout in 18 minutes,11 seconds," says Ballantyne. "He didn't practice this workout...and neither did I. My time? 19:07. My butt was kicked by a Hollywood actor!"

"It's a brutal workout, starting out strong and slowing down, finishing at a crawl," explains Ballantyne. "I don't plan on doing that any time soon or, really, ever again."

Craig, one of the most knowledgeable trainers in the world, also dishes advice to our Transformation program participants on how to get the most out of their workouts.

For a Spartan-sized challenge to your daily routine, consider this your new fitness gauntlet:

a) Pullups - 25 reps

b) Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps

c) Pushups - 50 reps

d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps

e) Floor wipers - 50 reps

f) Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps

g) Pullups - 25 reps

All exercises are done without scheduled rest between moves. Obviously this is an advanced workout...you shouldn't do it unless you are already in great shape.

Fortunately, this can all easily be adapted. Appropriate exercises can be subbed in: Drop down to 150 total reps, or 4-6 exercises of 15-25 reps each. For example, you might try this workout, great for a guy with moderate fitness:

15 bodyweight rows

25 bodyweight squats

15 pushups

50 jumping jacks

20 mountain climbers

10 close grip pushups

15 bodyweight rows