The 225 Death March

Ok, some of you might be thinking what the hell is this blog going to be about. Let me tell you this workout is one of the most punishing  ones I have ever done!  It’s quite simple, actually… squat 225 lbs for one hour.

It’s been some time since I last did this workout, but I will definitely be reincorporating it into my arsenal of quad workouts. This workout was introduced to me about 12 years ago by a friend of mine who played football at Southeast Missouri State. Their strength coach would implement this workout every couple of months.  It’s not for the weak, and it will definitely test your level of Social Darwinism!  In fact it’s hard to find partners to partake in this warped type of training session. Trust me, if done correctly, with maximum effort, and with each set taken to failure over a one hour period, your legs will be sore for 4-5 days. The soreness that sets in will make you not want to eat, because sitting on the toilet becomes a challenge!

Things needed…

1. 3 people with testicular fortitude
2. Squat/power rack with an Olympic bar totaling 225lbs that can be occupied for 1 hour
3. A hardcore gym/ home gym where guttural noises are allowed!
4. Very motivating music
5. A pen and piece of paper to write down each sets reps (this keeps things competitive)
6. A stop watch

I hadn’t done this routine in years, but after much talking about it, I finally was ready to experience the 225 Death March once again. I had two guys I had been training with who I thought were perfect candidates for such a grueling experience. We had the perfect gym setting at American Family Fitness, on a Sunday afternoon. It’s imperative to find candidates who can truly push themselves through pain barriers and not just quit or give up. The goal is 400 reps per person in an hour, which is damn hard to do which I have only been able to attain a couple times and this was years ago at a much younger age! There is limited rest, each person goes right after the next, but remember each set should be taken close to failure!

The workout started out great for all three of us as you can see from the table above, but as time wore on the reps slowly started to decrease for me and Tony. Lance on the other hand kept the 30 rep pace going and would of gotten the magic 400 mark with one more set, but time had expired. I believe he is half cyborg, because he was a machine this day! Tony was only one week removed from competing and was only about 200lbs, his effort was admirable and respectable at 250 reps. I was a bit disappointed in my total reps, the back tightness set in early but I did my best to overcome. By the time had expired the gym floor looked like a crime scene, only thing missing was the yellow tape. All three of us were sprawled out on the gym floor unable to move for a bit. I am happy to say no one tossed there cookies, which is often common place with this type of workout.

Hit me up on Facebook if any of you try this routine, and let me know how it goes. All I can say is Good luck, and bring all you got because the death march, if done correctly, takes no prisoners.

Brett