300: The Greatest Assembly of Meso- and Maybe a Few Ectomorphs Ever Created
By Dexter Tenison

I had one of my newly hired trainers come in to the studio for his workout. He had in his hand a piece of paper with a scribbled workout. The scribbles were the routine floating around the internet of the “300 Workout.” The routine involves this exact routine:

25 Pull-ups

50 Deadlifts @ 135 lb.

50 Push-ups

50 Box Jumps

50 Floor Wipers @ 135 lb. (An exercise that simulates a twisted leg raise while statically holding a bar with 2-45 lb. weights)

50 kettle bell clean and presses @ 36 lb.

25 Pull-ups

Total repetitions: 300

Anyway, he caught me before I was leaving the studio and proceeded to tell me that a friend of his wanted him to try it out and see “if it was any good?” After he showed me what a floor wiper was, I noticed the exact weights and the non-forgiving repetitions that the routine entails. This puzzled me because I knew that this workout broke so many principles of training, it wasn’t funny.

I decided to do some research on the "300 Workout." Come to find out, the guys from Gym Jones (www.gymjones.com) created the routine. The "300 Workout" isn’t really a workout at all according to their website. It is a test that was administered at the end of the four month program that got the stuntmen and actors ready for their movie roles. Despite this revelation, I can’t help but wonder if the principle of individual differences was taken into consideration?

There are people, particularly young men, who are going to search the internet hoping to find the "300 Workout" and this is what they are going to find: the above listed routine. I have a feeling that this workout is too hard for the average person, and they don’t really understand the fact that this was only a test, not THE workout that got the guys into shape.

Mark Twight admits in video interviews and on their website that no two workouts were the same for the men in the movie. However, just like the people who want the quick fix diet pill, people will look at this workout hoping it will be the answer to their lack of abs.

It is the fitness professional’s job to constructively help their clients, peers, and employees understand the real reason why the men of 300 looked the way they did. Before I say the thing that will bring the most controversy, let me say the obvious: these actors are natural mesomorphs and ectomorphs. Take a look at these actors in previous roles – they were never in bad shape to begin with. The other thing to consider is the fact that their “six packs” were digitally enhanced. I am not saying that they didn’t work hard or didn’t have a flat stomach. I am saying that their super-human bodies are just that: super-human. It’s no different than the women models who have their figures airbrushed on the front page of a magazine.

Here are the facts:

• The workout “test” does not take into account the principles of individual differences, specificity, or possibly S.A.I.D.


• Also, only the slow twitch muscle fibers are emphasized in this routine.


• The reps are so high, it will likely cross from the anaerobic pathway to the aerobic pathway, if lactic acid and fatigue doesn’t set in first.


• The routine does not cycle the workouts or take into consideration progressive resistance.


• Also, there is little mention of diet, a main factor in getting ripped as most competitive bodybuilders know.

The guys at Gym Jones are not bad trainers. I bet they are rather good. It seems they have figured out ways of implementing nontraditional exercises, which gets people excited about working out again. This is great. However, people should be careful about finding the one workout that will get them “ripped.” Our job as fitness professionals is to educate our clients on how to implement a mix of resistance training, cardiovascular training, and eating that supports their goals. Hey, roll with the hype a little. Let your community know that you have the “true 300 workout” where you are hanging on ropes, tugging kettle bells, and doing push ups until the cows come home. Just make sure the principles of training are obeyed and proper nutrition is covered!

Dexter Tenison (www.dextertenisonfitness.com) is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and a Master’s candidate for sports studies at The United States Sports Academy. He is the owner and a trainer at Body Transformations in Memphis, TN.