How Often for the 300 Workout Routine

Intense exercise sessions like the famous 300 workout cause excess stress and place high demand on your body. Workouts like these require proper rest and recovery before your body is ready to perform them again. According to an article published on Bodybuilding.com, recreational exercisers should not use the 300 workout program every day because of the increased risk of injury. Understanding what the 300 workout was designed for can help you determine how often to include it in your routine.

Definition

The 300 workout is an intense training routine designed by Mark Twight, a California based fitness expert. Mark designed the program to create stunning results for the actors of the movie "300" to replicate the Spartan soldier physique. A mixture of body weight, plyometric and weight training exercises make up the program.

Exercises

Seven segments make up the 300 workout, and the goal is to complete the routine without rest. Segments include 25 pullups, 50 deadlifts using a 135 lb. barbell, 50 push ups, 50 plyometric box jumps using a 24-inch box, 50 floor wipers using a 135 lb. barbell, 50 clean and presses at 36 lbs. and a final 25 pullups

Purpose

A common misunderstanding about this routine is that the actors who used the 300 workout performed it daily. In reality, they incorporated a mixture of different training methods daily. The actual 300 workout was really used as a testing tool to measure progress. Because of the intensity of the workout, complete muscular recovery should occur before your next workout session.

Importance of Recovery

Giving your body sufficient amounts of rest is vital to any training program as muscle tissue requires time to fully repair from the tearing that happens during exercise. Without recovery, a continual breakdown of muscular tissue will happen. According to a 1995 issue of "Sports Medicine," inadequate rest with constant exposure to training causes decreases in overall performance and increased fatigue. A general rule of thumb to remember is the more intense the workout, the more recovery time is required.