Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Spartan Up! summary
Joe de Sena
A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life
12 mins
Brief summary
'Spartan Up!' by Joe de Sena is a motivational book that explores the Spartan lifestyle. It teaches how to conquer obstacles by developing mental toughness and doing hard physical work.
Table of Contents
Spartan Up!
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Avoid comfort, challenge yourself and stay disciplined.
The people of Sparta, the ancient Greek city-state, defended their homeland through intense physical and mental preparation. It might be thousands of years later, but you can still learn from their legendary abilities and become a Spartan yourself.
Life’s comforts make our existence predictable and boring. They disconnect us from our true passions and goals, but you can overcome that lethargy by taking a real jump into life.
That jump could be extreme sports, for instance. Joe de Sena, the author, organizes various extreme sports events, such as the Death Race. Death Race isn’t just an over-the-top name – participants actually sign a waiver certifying that they know they could die during the challenge.
The Death Race contains several events, such as diving for pennies in cold water, walking 50 kilometers and lifting rocks for hours. Afterwards, de Sena often gets grateful messages from participants who say it changed their lives for the better.
However, you’ll only be able to handle physical challenges like this if you have strong endurance skills. So build your endurance through self-discipline and by delaying your own gratification.
It’s easy to get quick satisfaction in the modern world, but resisting instant gratification is an important part of personal development; Walter Mischel’s famous marshmallow experiment does a good job of illustrating this.
In the experiment, Mischel presented children with a marshmallow. The children were told that if they waited to eat it, they’d get another. Mischel then left the room to see what the children would do when left alone with the treat. Years later, Mischel follows up on the lives of these children.
The study showed that the children who had the self-discipline to resist the marshmallow grew up to be wealthier and healthier than those who didn’t. Challenges in adulthood are similar: you have to resist immediate gratification and hold out for something better.
At any given time, life can be easy or challenging – but it’s up to you to make life fulfilling. You never know when hard times will hit, so keep building your endurance skills. You’ll be more prepared for challenges and more adventurous, too.
Want to see all full key ideas from Spartan Up!?
Key ideas in Spartan Up!
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Spartan Up! about?
Spartan Up! (2014) is an in-depth guide to living life to its fullest by challenging yourself and being the best person you can be. The “Spartan” way of life draws inspiration from the Spartans of ancient Greece; implement their philosophies in a modern context to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Spartan Up! Review
Spartan Up! (2014) is a book that takes us on a journey of physical and mental transformation through the world of Spartan racing. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers practical strategies that help us push our limits and overcome obstacles, both on the race course and in life.
- The book draws on inspiring stories of individuals who have transformed their lives through Spartan racing, showing us what is possible when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zone.
- With its down-to-earth approach and emphasis on perseverance, Spartan Up! motivates and empowers readers to embrace challenges and live life to the fullest.
Best quote from Spartan Up!
Low-income households had more free time in 1999 than in 1965. Unfortunately, most of this new free time was spent watching TV.
—Joe de Sena
Who should read Spartan Up!?
- Anyone interested in extreme sports
- Anyone looking to challenge themselves and try something new
- Anyone fed up with the boredom and mediocrity of modern life
Categories with Spartan Up!
Book summaries like Spartan Up!
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
38 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Spartan Up! FAQs
What is the main message of Spartan Up!?
The main message of Spartan Up! is to embrace your inner warrior and overcome obstacles to achieve success.
How long does it take to read Spartan Up!?
The reading time for Spartan Up! depends on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is Spartan Up! a good book? Is it worth reading?
Spartan Up! is worth reading because it offers practical strategies to push your limits and lead a more resilient and successful life.
Who is the author of Spartan Up!?
The author of Spartan Up! is Joe de Sena.
What to read after Spartan Up!?
If you're wondering what to read next after Spartan Up!, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine
- On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
- Philosophy for Life by Jules Evans
- How to Be an Epicurean by Catherine Wilson
- That One Should Disdain Hardships by Musonius Rufus
- Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars
- Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- The Wisdom of Life by Arthur Schopenhauer
- Get to the Point! by Joel Schwartzberg