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Boost upper body power like the Roman Gladiators with this primal move

Ever wondered how the Roman Gladiators trained and prepared for battle?

By Steph Green Published May 17, 2025

collosseum in Rome — Chaitaastic / Pexels

When we think of the warriors of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, we envision serious strength and muscle power before the days of modern gyms packed with dumbbells, barbells, and machines. Ever wondered how those warriors trained to develop such impressive strength and fighting prowess? Of course, Roman gladiators practiced different moves, but one of these moves is becoming increasingly popular today. The good news is, it’s surprisingly simple and all you need is…a shovel.

The overlooked exercise of the Roman gladiators

As fitness enthusiast James Pieratt points out, the Spartan warriors of Ancient Greece and the Roman Gladiators used shovels to dig, which also helped build serious upper body strength.

The power of ditch-digging

Here are some of the many benefits of digging with a shovel:

Improve rotational strength.
Boost upper body muscle strength in your back, arms, and chest.
Fine-tune your grip strength.
Stabilize and strengthen your core.
Develop your functional strength (for the gladiators, this translated to using weapons in the colosseum).

How did gladiators train?

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, gladiators trained in schools called ludus gladiatorius, which were usually located inside large infrastructure around the arena and related buildings, including hospitals, armories, and storage areas for the staging equipment. They would also train underneath the arena, depending on the size of the colosseum or amphitheater. Gladiator training became more popular and organized over time, and the schools were usually managed by former gladiators called a lanista, along with the additional support of staff or enslaved people.

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At first, gladiators practiced with wooden weapons against the palus, a wooden stake in the ground standing just two inches shy of six feet. The Palus served as their first practice opponent before they moved on to fighting in the amphitheater.

The modern equivalent

Of course, you can always head outdoors and start digging, which gives you that primal feeling more like the warriors of the past. However, if you’d like to try a similar move without getting in the dirt, here are some of the best alternatives:

Sledgehammer tyre slams
Shovel lifts with a barbell
Medicine ball slams

Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and…

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