They may not have had the best adjustable dumbbells to train with, but gladiators fighting in the Colosseum needed to make sure they were as fit and strong as possible – as their lives literally depended on it. The training was organised by Roman gladiator schools into the Tetrad, a four-day training pattern that, as Alexander Mariotti, expert on combat in the Colosseum and historical consultant to Gladiator II told Men’s Fitness, favours functional strength training and emphasises the role of rest and recovery in long-term gains.
Day One in the Gladiator Tetrad is a preparatory day. “We know from the historical sources that on Day One the Romans are doing sprints, they’re doing athletics, they’re doing bodyweight exercises such as press-ups.
“I personally follow the Tetrad pattern and on Day One I will do a good 2,000 meters of rowing because that sets me up for the next day, where I give my full intensity,” says Mariotti.
Gladiator training – ready
Day Two is designed to be a maximal effort using functional strength training, tailored to your body type and goals. “The Romans called it ‘an inexhaustible test of your physical limits,’ so you have to give it everything and really go hard,” says Mariotti.
“We know that the gladiators would train on Day Two with barbells and dumbbells. We’ve got Roman mosaics actually showing women lifting dumbbells, and they used the medicine ball a lot.
They were doing woodchops, and med-ball crunches with wall throws to train functionally and strengthen themselves, while pushing their limits.” Because this session is 100% the most you could train for would be 45 mins to one hour, including the warm-up.
Day Three was a rest and recovery day, and the Roman gladiators had some of the best diets in the Empire, because they were valuable, an investment that had to be well looked after.
Then Day Four was the skills training day. “I tend to do boxing on Day Four, but gladiators would have done combinations with weighted weaponry, and trained with a wooden post for striking, like a punchbag.”
Train like a gladiator
This full-body blast will mimic Day Three of the Roman Gladiator Tetrad, which was designed to fully test your limits and maximise your functional strength
How to do this workout: This is an intense session designed to push your anaerobic capacity as well as develop musculature, so time your rest periods and keep them to a minimum. Do the exercises in order with a maximum of two minutes between each and keep the rest periods between sets to 60-90 seconds, and keep the entire session to 45-60 minutes.
Exercise One
Dumbbell Woodchops – Sets: 3, Reps: 12 (6 each side)
The Romans used this one because it can develop the strength and speed to strike diagonally with a sword.
Exercise Two
Dumbbell Deadlift – Sets: 3, Reps: 10
The greater range of motion afforded by using dumb-bells over a bar will make this exercise more functional, and stabilise your lower back.
Exercise Three
Medicine Ball Crunch-to-Throw – Sets: 3, Reps: 12
There are illustrations of Roman gladiators doing this exact move to develop a foundation of functional strength and speed.
Exercise Four
Clap Press-Up – Sets: 3, Reps: 6-10
Target the fast-twitch fibres in your chest to develop explosive push strength by driving yourself off the floor and clapping in mid-air.
Exercise Five
Dumbbell Squat – Sets: 3, Reps: 6-10
Using dumbbells will allow you to really focus on activating your glutes, the powerhouses of explosive functional strength, while stabilising your core.
Exercise Six
Weighted Pull-Up – Sets: 3, Reps: 6-10
Add weight to the classic pulling exercise by using a weight belt, or weighted vest, but don’t drop the number of reps too low.
Exercise Seven
Dumbbell Punch – Sets: 3, Reps: 40 (20 each side)
Select a light weight and treat this as a finishing move that will push your muscles to the limit – adopt a fighting stance and punch from your hips. Go to failure on the last set with as many reps as possible.
