The Spartan Guide to Dead Balls, Plus a Badass Circuit Workout to Get You Started
Training at home has never been more important — and it’s never been easier! Sam Stauffer, Spartan’s Director of Training, is taking you through our inventory and explaining how to use each piece of equipment efficiently and effectively. Today’s piece of equipment: the Dead Ball. To browse our collection in the Spartan store, click here, and make sure to check out our full workout database.
The Spartan Dead Ball: What Is It?
The Dead Ball is the ultimate tool to have in your arsenal. Because of its obtuse and cumbersome shape, it's especially challenging to work with, and that’s half the fun. The Dead Ball’s soft exterior is a nice change of pace from the Spartan Atlas Stone, and allows you to work through exercises with a level of comfort that you couldn't otherwise have with a giant, rugged stone.
What It Can Do for You
While the Dead Ball has many benefits, there are a few that I want to hone in on. First, is has a cumbersome shape. As I stated above, the sheer size of the Dead Ball makes it much more difficult to deal with, adding an extra layer of difficulty to any exercise. It's also important to note the material inside of it. The Dead Ball is full of sand and is not completely dense. This challenges your core and other stabilizing muscles, as they have to control the extra movement as the sand moves about inside.
Related: The No-Excuses Dead Ball Workout
The Ultimate Dead Ball Workout
You can do the ultimate Dead Ball workout in less than 20 minutes. Follow along with this full-length workout and feel the total body burn. I’m using a 50-pound Dead Ball, but you certainly don't have to! You can either bring it down a notch or level it up with a heavier weight. Additionally, you can increase the intensity by upping the number of rounds for each circuit, or the amount of time for each exercise. The same goes for tuning it down; you can either lower the number of rounds per circuit or decrease the time under tension.The choice is yours! Regardless, keep your form tight and focus on your breathing. We’re shooting for quality over quantity every time. Let’s take a look at what’s in store.
Warm-Up: 1 to 2 Rounds
- Knee to chest: 5 each side
- Leg Cradle: 5 each side
- Arm Circles: 5 each way
- Seal Jacks: 5 total
- Elevated Squat Thrust: 5 total
Related: The Pancake Conditioning Workout to Challenge Your Core
Circuit 1: 3 Rounds Total, With 1 Minute of Rest Between Rounds
- Dead Ball Mountain Climbers (30 seconds)
- Dead Ball Goblet Squat (Zercher Squat) (30 seconds)
- Dead Ball Spider-Man Push-Up (30 seconds)
Circuit 2: 3 Rounds Total, With 1 Minute of Rest Between Rounds
- Dead Ball Alternating Jerk Press (30 seconds)
- Dead Ball ISO Squat Hold (30 seconds)
- Dead Ball Offset Plank (30 seconds)
Amp up your fitness and wellness routine NOW. Click here to find a Spartan Race close to you!
