Spartan Up!

A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life

By: Jeff O'Connell, Joe De Sena

Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty-six point two miles isn’t enough anymore. Obstacle course racing, which combines the endurance challenges of a marathon with the mind-bending rigors of overcoming obstacles along the way, is taking the world by storm. At the center of this phenomenon is Joe De Sena, the driving force behind the enormously popular Spartan Race. De Sena offers a simple philosophy: commit to a goal, put in the work, and get it done. From that philosophy, as played out first in his own life and now for millions across trails, through mud, and up mountainsides, Spartan Race was born. Now in Spartan Up! De Sena gives you a life strategy guide that takes you out of your comfort zone and into a combat zone. As he breaks down obstacles from his many races, detailing how each parallels real life experiences, you will learn how to:

• Conquer your greatest obstacle - your will
• Embrace your greatest friend - discipline
• Make limitations vanish and establish a new normal
• Achieve the ultimate: obstacle immunity

Other events breed sheep; Spartan Race breeds wolves.

Filled with unforgettable stories of Spartan racers as well as hard-won truths learned along the course, Spartan Up! will help anyone reach their full potential - in life, business, relationships, indeed anything one sets out to do. It is the blueprint that takes you right past Go, to your finish line.

©2014 Spartan Race, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A different type of mindset

If you could sum up Spartan Up! in three words, what would they be?

Decide, commit, change

What did you like best about this story?

There are many stories about various types of people, including the author. Joe de Sena seems to be cut from a different cloth than most people, but that's probably what makes him as successful as he is. All the stories are varied and have a point,

What does Christian Rummel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I wasn't thrilled with the narration in the beginning, but it grew on me. I can't say that he brought anything at all.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story of the Marines and the amputee early in the book. Short, but, message received!

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed all the messages in this book. Work hard, eat to fuel yourself, sometimes just getting to the starting line is a win, life changes the rules, try not to be so comfortable all the time.

Well worth your time in listening even if you don't plan to do a Spartan race.

It's advertisement for Spartan Race

Any additional comments?

This audiobook is a thinly veiled advertisement for Spartan Race. Virtually all this author does is describe what happens before,during, and after it, talks about the benefits and challenges and so forth. There are stories of race participants and those are pretty interesting. There are some "man up, damnit!" nuggets sprinkled in but nothing you haven't heard in many other books of this nature.
The narrator makes it a point to sound as manly as possible, which actually works here.
The takeaway from this book is: push yourself harder than you ever thought possible, if you can't then you're worthless, and Spartan Race will determine if you are fit enough - literally and figuratively - to be worthy of breathing the author's air.

Where's Joe?

I did not care for the narrator. Felt it was slow, I listened, for the first time with any audio book, at an increased speed of 1.25 just to kept it moving.

I enjoyed the content a lot but wish it had been orated by the Author.

Thank You Joe

I'm getting my Trifecta this year. My name is John Silva. I'm 28, 287lbs, recently was left by my fiance of 7 years, and need a change.

Full disclosure: I've run a Spartan Sprint in Austin at reveille ranch before, but that's where it happened: my system shock.

I'd never accomplished the training I'd done for the race like that before. i went from 280 down to 253 on race day with 3 months of training...

Love the race, hate the BS

I have done a spartan race and loved it.
This book is a wannabe self help With the the same BS.

Skip the book, not the race

Excellent book!

Very motivating! I liked this book a lot. It brings new insights about motivation, strength and happiness.

Great listen

Loved it all the way through. Motivation to push yourself passed thr limits your mind is used to.

Life changing read

Plenty of examples of greatness. I recommend this book. Lots of good examples that help you push your limits and strive for your best.

Aroo

Any additional comments?

Thank you Audible for getting this book. I am always on the go and don't make time to set and read. Thank you.

great book

I loved the book, great app for people who are on the go with no real time to sit down and read a book.

Not the best

Some good material, but mostly just an extended advertisement for spartan races. Quite a bit of repetition, too.

Liked the spartan mantra, far too much marketing

What would have made Spartan Up! better?

It lacks any scientific basis, it's a collection of stories peppered with thinly veiled marketing messages for the races.

This could be life changing

This is a book that tells you to toughen up, but tells you how to change your mindset to do it. It offers alot of insight into a great mind and how to change how you think using real life anecdotes and life experiences.
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED

Joe De Sena strikes again!

loved it! it has something that you can take away for every part of your life, from training to dealing with children's tantrums.

Motivation, right here

Made me get off the couch. Thank you and see you at a Spartan race

Inspirational and rich in philosophy

very enjoyable, a great view on life. strips back what we need from life.

Inspirational

Superbly narrated, inspirational account after account of real life warriors!! Joe tells it like it is, no bs, no sugar coating it. If you want to succeed in life, you need to get off the couch and work your ass off. AROO!!

Something to really listen to

The book started off utter garbage and I thought bin it. But I thought ok give him a chance ladies and gentlemen I have an urge nay a duty to sign for the tuff mudder in Edinburgh and see we're this leads me. Buy this book read it listen to it use it awesomely awesome book

Maximise your Life!

Loved this audiobook!

Joe De Sena will make you reassess your life!

Less convenience, more Spartan toughness!

Buy this book!

Spartan up people

A great book exploring ancient tradition & wellbeing in a modern world. Packed with real life case studies ,anecdotal successes and health & fitness home truths