This is a review of Men's Health & Women's Health Spartacus Workout 20 Minute Body Fat Torchers. This DVD has 3 workouts on it, the Belly Crusher, the Sweat Storm, and the Gladiator Gauntlet. This review focuses on the Belly Crusher!

David Jack leads the workout and is accompanied by 4 background exercisers, 2 men and 2 women. Everyone is wearing athletic clothing and no one is falling out of their wardrobe or is mugging for the camera.

In terms of equipment you will probably want at least two sets of dumbbells. For one of the exercises a step is used as a tool to reduce range of motion.

The Belly Crusher consists 4 rounds. This is a progressive workout with the first round done at a slower pace and without weight so it acts as the warm up. In the subsequent 3 rounds you are expected to go progressively harder, add weight, go faster, etc., to make the round more challenging than the one before. The work to rest ratio is 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest. There is a one minute rest between rounds 3 & 4. There is no cooldown or stretch. It clocks in a just over 20 minutes total.

The exercises are below. I've tried to describe the progressions.

1) Burpee, faster burpee, burpee with jump, burpee with push up and jump
2) Single leg T, single leg back row (light weight), single leg row (med. weight or faster pace), bent over row (heavy weight max reps)
3) bodyweight squat w/ reverse lunge, goblet squat w/ reverse lunge (light weight. goblet squat w/ reverse lunge (med. weight), goblet squat w/ reverse lunge (heavy weight)
4) Lateral step w/ overhead press, lateral squat w/ overhead press (light weight), lateral squat w/ overhead press (med. weight), lateral lunge w/ overhead press (heavy weight)
5) Deadlift w/ high pull (light weight), deadlift w/ high pull (med. weight), deadlift w/ high pull (heavy weight). deadlift w/ explosive high pull

The music in the workout is non-descript instrumental music. There is a music off option in the main menu.

I was surprised when I did this workout as I was expecting more of a cardio workout and instead got a circuit strength workout. If you give your all you will get a cardio effect and the workout is more focused on overall conditioning. So far I have yet to come across a true cardio workout in the Spartacus Workout series. I was also expecting this to have more ab specific moves in it. David explains it is the belly crusher because the compound moves force the core to connect the lower and upper body. I can't say I noticed my core being worked particularly hard.

I think this workout is suitable for beginners to high intermediate exercisers. Beginners can stay with easier progressions, lighter weights, etc. Even if you're doing all the progressions I think an advanced exerciser would find it too easy. Maybe if they were doing the advanced progressions from the get go it would be different. As demonstrated I got a good workout in and it wasn't the most challenging workout I've done. I consider myself a low advanced exerciser and to me this felt more in the intermediate level.

I've tried 2 other Spartacus workouts and this has been my least favorite of the 3 total I've done. It could be because I was expecting more of a cardio workout and not a strength w/ cardio effect workout (I didn't preview so had no idea what to expect). I may feel differently the next time as I will know what to expect. It meets the time crunched criteria and yet didn't totally honk my horn. If I were to give it a letter grade it would be a B-.

Instructor Comments:
David Jack is a good instructor in the workout. He doesn't do the workout in the work phases and instead goes around to comment on the form of the background exercisers or point out the option/progression they are using. In the rest period he is typically demonstrating the upcoming move and some options as far as how to progress it. Most of his talk focuses either on maintaining proper form or pushing you to give it your all. There is no 'look great in those jeans' talk.

Sabine Reuter