Burn More Fat With a Metabolic Workout

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If you want to increase your metabolic rate (calories and fat burned to supply your body with energy) both during and after your workout, you should consider trying a Metabolic Workout. (Don’t forget to check out our Healthy Fit Metabolic Workout below!)

So what exactly is Metabolic Training?

To put it plainly, Metabolic Training is performing a combination of compound movements as a circuit, with little rest in between, in order to make your body into a fat-burning machine. The best part, it never gets boring because the circuit consists of many different types of exercises, including body-weight movements, plyometrics, and resistance training.

The main point of this type of workout is to maximize the use of fat as a fuel source, both during and after your workout. It’s fast paced, full-body, packed with intervals, and short on rest.

 How Does It Work?

The body has various biological pathways to supply energy for exercise, based on the length and intensity of the exercise.

  •  The ATP-CP Pathway: Provides energy to the body during short, intense periods of exercise – such as a fast sprint lasting 10 seconds or less.
  • The Glycolytic Pathway: provides energy to the body during intense periods of exercise, but provides it for longer durations than the ATP-CP pathway – such as several short sprints done with little rest in-between.
  • The Oxydative Pathway: Provides energy to the body during periods of steady, longer duration exercise. Running several miles would be an example of something that would utilize the oxydative pathway, and this is an example of the type of exercise that has traditionally been used for fat loss.

In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, metabolic interval-type training had a ten-fold greater fat loss when compared to either aerobic exercise or weight training individually.

It’s believed this result comes about from an phenomenon call EPOC – or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Simply put, when the body is forced to sprint and move at a higher intensity, the body takes more time and energy to get the body back to normal – even after exercise is completed. This greater energy demand means greater fat loss.

Ready to give it a go yourself? Check out this Workout! (Remember, do only what you feel comfortable with, and stay safe!)

The Workout

  • Grab a pair of dumbbells that you can press over your head around 15 times.
  • Jump squats, or quick bodyweight squats – Squat down then explode and jump off the ground, or squat up and down as safely and rapidly as you are able – x10 repetitions

Followed immediately by

  •  Dumbbell push press – dumbbell in each hand, use a slight dip and drive with the legs to help assist yourself as you press the weights overhead – x10 repetitions

Followed immediately by

  •  “Renegade” Rows – get down in a pushup position, hands on each dumbbell. Shift your weight from side to side in order to row the dumbbell up to your chest. Alternate arms with each repetition. You may also place your hands flat on the ground and use one dumbbell on the ground in the middle of your hands, if holding yourself up on the dumbbell handles hurts – x10/side

Followed immediately by

  •  Sky crunches – lay on your back with a single dumbbell at arm’s length in both hands. Stretch the dumbbell upwards like you’re trying to touch the sky as you crunch and lift your upper back and shoulders off the ground – x10 repetitions

Take 0:20 rest

Repeat 3 more times, for 4 times through total.

 


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