Exercise 2
Dumbbell deadlifts -- Pick a weight you can handle for 25 reps
Stand in an upright position while holding dumbbells at your sides. Lower the dumbbells down toward the floor by first sitting your hips back, then bend your knees and torso until you reach the floor or just slightly above. Keep your back flat and your head in a neutral position throughout the movement. Make sure you keep the dumbbells near your sides. Don’t let them swing out in front of your body. This is a great exercise for developing your legs and back.

Exercise 3
Push-ups -- Until failure
Lie chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor, slightly more than shoulder-width apart, with your feet together and parallel to each other. Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose. Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet. Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor.

Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up. Exhale as your arms straighten. Pause for a moment and then lower your body slowly toward the floor. Bend your arms and keep your palms in a fixed position. Keep your body straight and feet together. Lower your body until your chest touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms. Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.

Exercise 4
Jump rope -- 1 to 2 minutes (If you can’t jump rope, jumping jacks will do.)
This exercise will keep your heart rate up in between the circuit resistance training and add even more of a cardiovascular benefit.

Begin by grasping handles in your hands and relaxing the middle of the rope at your ankles with both hands at your sides. Swing the rope over your head in a forward motion, keep your feet together and jump over the rope. Increase your speed as you feel more comfortable.

Exercise 5
Dumbbell clean and press -- Using a weight you can handle for 25 reps
Stand in an upright position while holding dumbbells at your sides. Lower the dumbbells down toward the floor by first sitting your hips back, then bending your knees and torso until your reach the floor or just slightly above. Keep your back flat and your head in a neutral position throughout the movement. Make sure you keep the dumbbells near your sides. Don’t let them swing out in front of your body.

Exercise 6
Burpees -- 25 reps
Start in a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you. When ready, kick your feet back to a push-up position. Immediately return your feet to the squat position. Leap up as high as possible from the squat position. You should repeat this procedure moving as quickly as possible while keeping good form.

Workout Schedule
As you can see, this circuit is similar to a military-type routine which would be great for training soldiers. On days two, three and four, you can switch up the order of the exercises, while keeping the same general structure. This way you will get resistance training and cardio in at the same time to burn body fat and preserve muscle mass during your lean-down diet.

A modern-day spartan
Gerard Butler and the cast of 300 probably used a routine similar to this, which was why their bodies looked like those of well-trained soldiers. They put on dense muscle while remaining lean and in good cardiovascular shape to make it through those long grueling battles. Try this routine for a few weeks in combination with a good diet plan, and watch your body begin to shape and chisel itself toward the likeness of a Spartan soldier.

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