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 Spartan RAMroller. To browse our collection in the Spartan store, click here, and make sure to check out our full workout database.

The Spartan RAMroller: What Is It?

What exactly is the Spartan RAMroller? Is it a foam roller? A barbell-type apparatus? What do you even do with this thing? The short and simple answer is that it's anything you need it to be, and that's what makes it so useful and efficient.

The ability to maximize your training equipment catalogue is crucial for consistency. When you have a training modality that can be used for multiple purposes, you’re setting yourself up for success in a huge way. And while it’s nice to have targeted equipment that can be used for specific things, such as a plain old foam roller, you can get a tad carried away and end up with a bunch of trinkets that just collect dust in the corner, or end up being used as an expensive doorstop. The RAM is one of my top training tools, along with my resistance loop and strength band. Between these three — and yes, I use other stuff too — I’m pretty much covered and ready for anything.

What Can It Do?

The RAMroller is much more compact than a barbell, which means you can do a ton more with it. With convenient side grips, you can hold the RAM in a few different ways, allowing for a bigger range of loading and exercise options. You can treat it like you would a barbell by loading it in a back-squat, front-squat, or deadlift position. Or, you can get creative with it and put it on your shoulder, grip it out in front of you, or hug it.

For this workout, we’re going to focus on the entire body with powerful moves that will tax both your ability to create power and your strength endurance. We’re going to take simple bodyweight movements and up the ante by loading up the RAMroller with different grips. To keep things simple, we’re going to stick with time-based sets rather than rep-based sets. This allows you to focus on your breathing and form rather than trying to keep track of how many reps you’ve done. (We’ve all had rep amnesia.)

The Workout

Perform three rounds of 20 seconds on/60 seconds off.

Our goal here is to complete three total rounds. We have two circuits laid out, with three exercises each. The work-to-rest ratio is going to be 1:3, with 20 seconds of work and 60 seconds of rest. There is more rest than work to ensure that you can attack each exercise with maximum effort. Complete all of circuit one before moving to circuit two.

CIRCUIT 1

Offset Squat Jump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT17T1UM4Go&feature=youtu.be

RAM Hip Opener

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IWNH6p4nOA&feature=youtu.be

Jumping Jack Press-Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HijkX2b6oBQ&feature=youtu.be

CIRCUIT 2

RAM Burpee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTX4J9l3QyA&feature=youtu.be

RAM Chop + Lift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl2z_txfMVw&feature=youtu.be

RAM Halo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lLjvTasEiY&feature=youtu.be

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The Spartan Editors

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