There isn't any mud, but there are pancakes.
That's what happens when Spartan, the company that organizes obstacle course races around the world, combines with the Minnesota-based Life Time chain to create a group fitness class called Spartan Strong.
The classes occur in a fitness studio room, so there's no fire, barbed wire or mud to slog through.
Instead, when I tried the class, I got many of the familiar features of an indoor high-intensity/cardio/strength/muscle endurance fitness club session: mirrored walls, pounding techno music and an instructor shouting at you to give it your all.
There were lots of traditional, body weight-based challenges such as planks, burpees and lunges.
But one new twist involved the Spartan Pancake. Alas, it wasn't a syrupy treat. The pancake, our one piece of gear, was a flat, circular sandbag. Everyone in the class got one.
Mine was labeled 20 pounds, but sandbags of varying weight are available, depending on your fitness level.
During the hourlong class, we repeatedly lifted the pancakes up, threw them down, tossed them at each another, passed them from side to side while in a crunch position and slid them across the floor while doing a bear crawl.
