Liam McIntyre’s role as Spartacus has riled up some of my younger clients, and they’ve been asking me how they can achieve a physique like his.
Having been a trainer for over a decade now, I intuitively knew McIntyre’s physique resulted from circuit training and a high-protein diet, among other things. However, I took a couple of weeks to research his routine in more detail and consult with some colleagues at the gym.
In this article, I will share McIntyre’s workout and diet that helped him build his gladiator look.
Quick Summary
- Some Spartacus workouts include Goblet squats, single-arm kettlebell swing, split jumps, dumbbell rows, push-ups, dumbbell lunges, and dumbbell push presses.
- Fish, chicken, sweet potatoes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, whole-grain rice, and fruits are some of the meals in Spartacus diet.
- It is rumoured that Spartacus takes the following supplements; power muscle blast, and power testo blast.
Liam McIntyre’s Stats
- D.O.B: February 8, 1982 (40 years old)
- Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
- Weight: 203 lbs (92 kgs)
- Chest: 45 inches (114 cm)
- Waist: 36 inches (91.5 cm)
- Arms: 17 inches (43 cm)
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What Is The Spartacus Workout Routine?
The Spartacus Workout plan is a high-intensity circuit routine. It runs for around 40 minutes and consists of 10 exercises. It covers all muscle groups and blends cardiovascular exercises, fat loss, and muscle growth.
The circuit goes as follows:
- Perform each exercise for as many reps within one minute.
- Take a 15-second rest before moving to the next exercise.
- After completing all ten exercises, you’ll have finished the first round.
- Repeat for two more rounds.
Here is the list of exercises and how to perform them with good form.
Goblet Squat
- Grab a dumbbell and hold it vertically in front of your chest.
- Stand with your feet slightly shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back naturally arched, and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause, get back to the starting position and repeat.
Feet-Elevated Mountain Climbers
- Get into the push-up position with your arms completely straight.
- Keep your lower back straight, lift your right foot off the floor, and move your right knee toward your chest.
- Return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.
- Alternate back and forth till the end of the set.
Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing
- Hold a kettlebell at arm's length in front of your waist, and keep your feet about 2–3 feet apart.
- Keep your lower back straight, bend at your knees and hips, and swing the kettlebell between your legs.
- With your arms straight, thrust your hips forward and swing the kettlebell to shoulder level, and rise to the starting position.
- Repeat till the 30-second mark and switch arms.
T-Push-Up
- Get into a pushup position with a pair of hex dumbbells. Keep your arms straight.
- Bend your elbows and lower yourself till your chest almost touches the floor.
- As you push up, lift your right hand and rotate the right side of your body, and raise the dumbbell straight up over your shoulders until your body forms a T.
- Repeat with the other side.
Split Jump
- Stand with your feet 2–3 feet apart, with your right foot in front of your left.
- Keep your torso upright, bend your legs, and lunge.
- At the bottom of the lunge, jump as high as you can. When mid-air, scissor-kick your legs, so you land with your left leg forward.
- Alternate and repeat.
Dumbbell Row
- Holding a pair of dumbbells, bend at the hips and lower your torso till it's nearly parallel to the floor.
- Without moving your torso, row the weight up by bending your elbows, squeezing your shoulder blades, and raising your upper arms.
- Pause, lower the weight, and repeat.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Side Lunge and Touch
- Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length at your sides.
- Take a giant step towards your left and lower your body while pushing your hips back and bending your left knee.
- As you lower yourself, bend forward at the hips, let the dumbbells hang at arm's length, and touch the floor.
- Get back up, and repeat with the right leg.
Push-Up and Row
- Assume a push-up position with a pair of hex dumbbells, keep your arms straight, and brace your core.
- Row the dumbbell in your right hand towards the side of your chest, bending your arm as you pull it up.
- Pause and lower the dumbbell.
- Repeat with your left arm, and alternate for reps.
Dumbbell Lunge and Rotation
- Hold a dumbbell horizontally just under your chin.
- Lunge forward with your right foot and rotate your upper body to the right at the same time.
- Get back to the starting position and repeat with the left leg.
- Alternate for reps.
Dumbbell Push Press
- Hold a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders.
- Keep your arms bent and palms facing each other.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and knees slightly bent.
- Dip your knees and explosively push up with your legs and press the weight over your shoulders.
- Lower the weight, get back to the starting position and repeat for reps.
“This high-intensity circuit routine [Spartacus training routine] can strip away fat and define every muscle in your body.”
- Rachel Cosgrove, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
What Is Spartacus' Nutrition and Diet Plan?
The Spartacus nutrition and diet plan is straightforward: high-protein and low carbs.
For breakfast, McIntyre eats a bowl of oats with whey protein powder.
His other meals aren't standardized, but he focuses on lean high-protein sources like chicken and fish.
He also consumes plenty of vegetables and a very small amount of good carbs like whole-grain rice or sweet potato.
What are His Workout Principles?
Spartacus great workout principles include building a well-rounded physique, working on all muscles, and burning fat.
Let’s take a look at each principle in depth.
While traditional bodybuilding focuses on size and powerlifting on strength, the Spartacus workout’s movements emphasize building a well-rounded physique.
Each of the circuit exercises from the routine focus on strength, size, and adding muscle definition.
Circuit training is the core of the Spartacus workout. The best about it is that it works heavily on your core without leaving any muscles behind.
Circuit training is known to increase strength and build muscle simultaneously because it puts your muscles under constant tension [1] [2].
Another great benefit of circuit training, and probably the most important part, is that it burns a lot of fat — something essential to the gladiator look.
One review of 837 participants found that circuit training was highly effective in reducing body mass index (BMI) in people who were obese or overweight [3].
Related Article: Best Fat Burners for Men
What are His Diet and Nutrition Principles?
His diet and nutrition principles emphasize eating high-protein, low-carb meals and limiting your cheat days. Let’s delve into them.
The goal of the Spartacus workout is to get as insanely ripped as possible. So it requires that you limit your carb intake as much as possible.
But that’s not to say that you completely give up on carbs. We recommend sticking to healthy complex carbs like whole grains, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and beans.
Consumption of complex carbs has been associated with lower body mass [4].
Although McIntyre takes a couple of hours out of the week for a cheat meal, he claims that eating clean makes his body reject anything that isn’t healthy.
So, this allows him to have a more controlled cheat day that focuses on a “healthy” binge where he doesn’t unnecessarily overload on unhealthy calories.
Supplement Stack
There is no information on what specific workout supplements McIntyre takes to fuel his gains and improve his workouts.
There have been rumors going around that he takes Power Testo Blast and Power Muscle Blast.
These two are testosterone-boosting supplements that claim to flush out bodily toxins, melt fat, and put on a good deal of lean muscle.
However, with the presence of many unsafe supplements on the market, we always advise our clients to stick with clinically proven and 100% natural testosterone boosters.
These are known to raise testosterone levels safely without the dangerous side effects of PEDs and synthetic ingredients.
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FAQs
What Is the Benefit of the Spartacus Workout Routine?
The benefit of the Spartacus workout schedule is that it is a combination of cardiovascular and muscle building. It also requires very little equipment and can be done in the comfort of your home.
Does Liam McIntyre Do Cardio?
Yes, Liam McIntyre does cardio. His training routine combines cardio and muscle-building.
Our Thoughts on the Spartacus Workout
Looking like Spartacus can take some time, depending on your current physical state.
However, if you consistently stick to his workout and a strict diet and maybe add some natural and legal steroids for men to speed things along, you can make that goal much more achievable.
These supplements are based on high-quality natural ingredients, and they have proved quite effective for my clients, who often struggle with fitness plateaus.
Those are not magic pills that will turn you into Spartacus overnight, but they can make that journey a bit easier and noticeably quicker.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29372481
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31322317/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040305/more-carbs-more-exercise-more-weight-loss
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