The movie 300 has redefined fitness in the minds of many.  The incredible fitness levels of the cast motivated the hordes to learn how they got that cut.  Numerous people have created workout plans focused around it.  Today, I will share my favorite with you.

First off, I am a fan of working major muscle groups.  I like to focus on strength, speed and endurance.  To accomplish this I alternate workouts every month.  The 300 is best for muscle endurance.

300 to me, means 300 reps.  For the first two weeks, I do the following:

• Pushups – sets of 25, 25, 25

• Situps – sets of 25, 25, 25

• Chinups – sets 10, 10, 10

• Lunges – sets of 20, 20, 20

• Dips – sets of 10, 10, 10

• Leg-ups (hang from bar and drive knees to chest) – sets of 10, 10, 10

I start with one exercise and do one set of each, then take a two minute water break and go again.  I like to start with a different exercise each time to keep it fresh and challenge my muscles.

Every two weeks, I like to add ten percent more (round up) to the reps.  Pushups and situps are now at 28 reps, lunges equal 22 reps per set and the rest are up to 11 reps.  After the first add-on you will be up to 333 reps.

I love to use this workout as a cross-training tool.  When I get bored with my normal routine this is an awesome workout to use as a supplement.  You will get a full body workout each time you do it.  Not to mention a great aerobic routine, if you take short breaks in between supersets.

Another great feature to a routine like this is that you can do it right at home.  By installing a chin-up bar, you can accomplish each of these exercises without burning gas to get to the gym.  There are numerous doorway style bars on the market, and they are extremely affordable.  For the dips you can use a sturdy chair.  Put your hands in the front corners and your feet on the couch.

The point is that for much less than $300 you can get ripped like the cast of 300 with a simple workout.

“When Chuck Norris does push ups, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the Earth down.”  After doing this workout plan people are going to say your name in place of Chuck’s.  All it is going to take is a few minutes each day to do very common exercises.

First of all, this plan is best to supplement your current plan.  With it you will gradually build your endurance and strength.  You will only do one set of push ups, crunches and lunges.

Here is the plan for day one: Do as many push ups as you can on day one. (ex. 40 total push ups, 40 crunches and 30 lunges (each leg).

Day two: Do half that number in the morning (ex. 20 push ups, 20 crunches, 15 lunges). That night do the exact same number. The key is to do them with perfect technique and not cheating form simply to complete the exercise.  It is better to stop a few short than to cheat.

Day three: Add one more push up, crunch and lunge to day two’s morning and night set (ex. 21, 21, and 16 morning and night) .

Continue doing this every day.

Each week you must add 10 to your morning and nightly sets. On some days you will add more than one at a time. Don’t rush it, though, only add 10 a week!

This requires less than ten minutes a day, and in a month’s time you will have added 40 to your totals! You could be doing 520 push-ups per day in a year! All with slow improvements and a lot of discipline.

I did this back in high school and started with 30 and climbed to 200+. My friend Chris Hubinsky continued on and peaked at 1,000! He and I decided to give it another go and just started over, ten years later. I am currently on 40 push ups, 50 crunches and 45 lunges…and am going for 300.  I always wanted to do 300 push ups straight.

I seriously have been debating the acquisition of a pull-up bar.  It would be a huge benefit to my back strength and a great addition to the program.  Does anybody have any other simple workout plans that provide results?

You found a great workout plan with which you truly connect. You work your butt off at the gym everyday. Today you compared your measurements with your baseline numbers and discovered a 15% improvement. How would you like to make that 20% or 25%? Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just maintain what you already have, there is another aspect of fitness that is just as important as the routine that you choose…supplementation.

We put our bodies through the ringer every workout, but we rarely do the easiest part of the workout correctly, our diet. Lifting weights and cardio workouts really stress our muscles. Once we get into the gym and get moving we diminish our calorie storehouses at a faster rate than we do just going through the motions of our days. For some of us, the goal is to burn those calories, but the need to supplement still applies.

Our muscles need many nutrients to repair themselves and to make the best of the workout. The most important of these are proteins, which repair and rebuild. There are two main types of proteins: soy and whey. Whey protein is quickly absorbed into the body and muscles. Soy is much slower. Whey protein should be taken immediately after a workout to rebuild the muscles that you have just torn down. Soy is best to use in a smoothie or as a midday snack to replenish your body throughout the day.

There are numerous other supplements that others recommend, however, protein is a need not a want. The others are very useful in helping you get to your fitness goals. If you do a simple search for supplements online, you will be bombarded with results. This posting may even be a result of such a search. Most of the trendy or, rather, “cutting edge” supplements turn out to be bad for us like ephedra was. Do you know that pro athletes were actually encouraged to take anabolic steroids in the 70’s to speed up recovery times?

The key is to do your research. Find a company that you can trust and look for medical reviews. Ask your doctor what she thinks about a particular supplement.