I Am Spartacus

YAWN.......................

I've been sharing about my journey towards a healthier lifestyle. The gym program I am in seems intense and right now, it feels that way too. I have committed to working out five days a week and all of my workouts are at least an hour in length. Originally we were going to have a group workout session each week along with taking two classes of our choice, a workout with our trainer, and one day on our own doing our program set by our trainer. Due to all the various work schedules of the participants - all 16 of us - a weekly group workout could not be scheduled. Instead we were told to do three classes a week.

However, the owner of the gym, and the creator of the program, really wanted at least one group workout so she scheduled one for last Monday morning at 4:30 IN THE MORNING. Anyone who has read this blog for long or knows me in real life, knows that I am SO not a morning person. I dreaded this workout time for days prior. I was also very nervous as to WHAT we would be doing. I didn't expect to do one of my beloved Zumba classes but I was hoping for perhaps a step class or some other variation.

Instead I arrived to find out we were doing a Spartacus class. Yes, it was as hard as it sounds. A quick search on YouTube will show you some examples. The aerobic room has a red/green traffic light in it. The green light lasts for one minute and the red light for 30 seconds. Our class consisted of 10 exercises. We did as much of each as we could during a green light and rested during the red light. After we did one set of exercises, we did two minutes of jogging the width of the room. On the red light we walked. Then we did the 10 exercises again. At the end we jogged for about four minutes and ended with some ab work and stretches.

Some of the exercises we completed: 

• squats with a heavy weight being held to your chest 
• squats with a "swing through" - holding a weight in one hand you squat down and let your arm swing through your leg going as far back as you can and then swing it up above your head as you stand up
• "Burpees" - my least favorite - from a standing position you place your hands on the floor in front of you. Then you shoot both feet out so you are in a push-up position. Next you go all the way to the floor - belly down. Then reverse it all and jump up once you are standing.
• Mountain climbers
• T-push-up (push-ups with a weight. As you push-up, you rotate one arm up and over your head to a sideways plank position.)
• squats with a push-up over your head using weights 

I have not been this sore since, well, I can't remember. It's areas that haven't been worked enough - obviously - like the back of my arms and my inner thighs. After the workout I went home, changed my clothes and went back to bed for two hours.


I foolishly ended my day with a Zumba class. Needless to say, I was tired, but at least now I know what a Spartacus class entails and I am really not sure if I even want to take another one anytime soon.

I have been quite happy with my progress thus far as has my trainer. Although the scale is only showing a two pound weight loss, my "caliper" measurements and tape measurements are showing that I have lost about eight pounds of fat and gained eight pounds of muscles. I can feel it too. I started the program barely able to use four pound weights in my arm strength training workout. This week I upped it to 6-7 pound weights. I am also using an ab machine in the weight room. It is basically a sitting crunch. When I started I could not do my 20 reps without stopping half-way through. This week I went through my first set so easily that my trainer added five pounds to the machine. I am amazed to realize we are starting week four of this eight week program. I'm eager to see my progress in four more weeks.