Designed by Rachel Cosgrove for the actors in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." the Spartacus workout is a form of circuit training that burns fat and builds lean muscle while minimizing gym time. The Spartacus workout consists of 10 dumbbell exercises or body-weight movements, such as mountain climbers, dumbbell shoulder presses or goblin squats. You perform each exercise continually for one minute and rest for 15 seconds between stations. Once you have completed the circuit, rest for two minutes before starting from the beginning for a total of three full circuits. As an intense mixture of cardiovascular conditioning and muscular endurance, the Spartacus workout requires proper nutrition, and numerous supplements exist to help you improve your performance and maximize your gains.
Protein and Branched-chain Amino Acids
Because protein fuels the growth and repair of muscle and tissue, it is an essential component of circuit training nutrition. Protein breakdown heightens during and after exercise, especially strenuous sessions like the Spartacus workout. According to performance coach Brian Mackenzie, people engaged in intense training should consume about 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, usually in the form of a post-workout nutrition shake or bar. However, you should also consider protein supplementation before the Spartacus workout. Research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that consuming branched-chain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, before a workout decreases muscle damage and improves muscle growth and repair.
Citrulline Malate
You can also benefit from citrulline malate supplementation before beginning your Spartacus workout. Citrulline malate is an amino acid that aids the body in using branched-chain amino acids to fuel and repair muscles. A 2010 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concludes that citrulline malate increases the production of nitric oxide and improves blood flow throughout the body. These improvements decrease post-exercise muscle soreness and speed the expulsion of metabolic waste from your body after circuit training. Consequently, you will be able to increase the frequency and intensity of your Spartacus workouts due to minimal muscle fatigue.
Dextrose and Maltodextrose
Mike Roussell, a nutritional consultant and author writing at Bodybuilding.com, states that you cannot ignore carbohydrate supplementation during the Spartacus workout. Without carbohydrate consumption, your body lacks the energy to complete a circuit session and might burn muscle to compensate. Roussell suggests dextrose, or its multiple-molecule counterpart maltodextrose, as a potent fast-acting sugar that fuels muscles and stimulates insulin production. Insulin, a vasodilator, expands blood vessels and forces sugars and amino acids into the muscles.
Creatine
Creatine, a specialized protein, remains a staple of bodybuilders and other fitness enthusiasts looking to build and maintain muscle. Creatine supplementation does not improve a single workout. Instead, consistent creatine consumption increases phosphocreatine stores in the muscles. A compound that produces energy, phosphocreatine improves strength as measured by higher one-repetition maximums, improved total repetitions before failure and faster recovery between sets. During a Spartacus workout, your muscles uses ATP for energy, converting the substance to ADP. Creatine helps your body convert ADP back to ATP, refueling exhausted muscles and providing a second wind.
References
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Citrulline Malate Enhances Athletic Anaerobic Performance and Relieves Muscle Soreness
- Journal of Nutrition: Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle During Exercise
- Brian Mac Sports Coach: Protein
- Bodybuilding4U.com: Creatine Supplements
- Bodybuilding.com: Ask the Macro Manager: How Do I Fuel Up for Circuit Training?
- That's Fit: Does It Work? Behind the Scenes of the Spartacus Workout
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