The Spartan Fit App Workout of the Week: 15-Minute Body Buster

Each week, Spartan Director of Training Sam Stauffer is providing select workouts from the Spartan Fit App. For the full Spartan training experience, delivering Spartan-designed workouts and race-like simulations, download the Spartan Fit app now. And for the full database of Spartan Fit app workout previews, click here.

Plus, get this entire workout, and more just like it, on the Spartan Fit app.

Sometimes a workout "snack" is all you need, especially when the day gets ahead of you. To satisfy that craving, we've designed dozens of quick bodyweight workouts for life on the go. This particular workout involves the entire body, leveraging circuits, simple movements, and short rest periods to maximize your time.

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The Workout

This workout kicks off with a super quick, five-move warm-up to get your blood flowing and your core temperature elevated. Depending on how you’re feeling, you can always extend a warm-up by completing more rounds or reps. After the warm-up, you’ll jump right into it with two strength circuits.

For the first circuit, we’ve got three easy-to-master moves for three rounds total. Keep in mind that the rest periods are very short, so even though it’s three moves, you’re going to feel all of it. The rep schematics are simple: You’ll be tackling each exercise for 30 seconds and resting for 10 seconds between exercises. Circuit 1 consists of three rounds total.

Related: 15 Spartan-Approved Workouts That You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less

The Set-Up

The set-up requires no equipment: just a Spartan attitude and a will to crush it.

The Strength Circuit

Perform three rounds — 30 seconds on and 10 seconds off.

Alternating Reverse Lunge:

Lunges are my all-time favorite exercise. They’re so simple, yet so effective.

Pro Tip: Find a soft surface to crank out your lunges so you're not banging your knee on the ground. I’ve found grass, turfs, and mats to be effective. A folded yoga mat also works well, if you don’t mind monkeying around with it throughout the workout. (It tends to move about.)

Push-Up:

This is another of my all-time favorites. Being able to master the push-up (with excellent form) is a skill that everybody should aspire to have. If you struggle with a push-up, forget dropping to your knees. Instead, elevate your upper body enough so you can fulfill the rep count with good form. Things like park benches or medicine balls work well for this. 

Pro Tip: Keep your core and glutes engaged the entire time. The push-up is basically a dynamic plank. You’ll want to be flat as a board throughout the entire rep.

Elbow Plank:

Tossed in right behind the push-up, this Elbow Plank will get tough ... quickly!

Pro Tip: Keep your arms parallel — try not to connect your hands — and drive your elbows in toward your stomach. By driving your elbows in, you’ll activate parts of your core that you didn’t know existed.