We’re taking a moment here then to talk about metabolic training is, why you should do it, and how to execute effective metabolic training.
In short, metabolic training is a certain type of training that delivers positive results to the cardio respiratory system, the muscle system and the three different energy systems your body uses. Metabolic training is used by many, from the elite fighting forces of the world to the best athletes out there and the enthusiastic home trainer alike.
I first came across this particular type of training when I joined the Royal Marines. As with any demanding job, time to train is sometimes difficult to find. The Royal Marines fitness instructors had 32 weeks to take us, as would be’s from our sedentary civilian lifestyle to a mentally resilient and physically robust fighting machine, and metabolic training played a really big part.
With its prowess and due to the caliber of people who use it to best effect you’re probably thinking it sounds pretty tough, but in reality this training is stitched in to the way we do things at Body Planners in the studio, and as part of the BP @ Home package we offer.
In the BP @ Home it’s woven into the intensity week, although it isn’t outright metabolic training but does carry a lot of similarities and the benefits of metabolic training. The biggest reasons metabolic training should be undertaken is because it works both cardiovascular and muscular systems. As a result this improves efficiency throughout the way your body works physiologically, and moves physically. Metabolic training works a lot of muscle in a short space of time, and in doing so helps your body create a lot of testosterone, which are the bodies building blocks to make new, healthy muscle. As you’re probably aware from our other articles, having more lean mass helps us to burn more calories. More calories whilst sleeping, more calories whilst working out, more calories whilst resting. What’s not to love? In this instance if you continue to maintain an even calorie deficit, the results will soon speak for themselves.
With all of the above in mind, the way to conduct metabolic training is to select exercises that are typically associated with strength movements. Compound exercises work the best as they work more muscle groups than isolation exercises, and often bring the core into use to offer a firm foundation for the limbs to operate from. Dynamic exercises such as jumping exercises or sudden and sharp lifts such as the clean and the snatch are also great additions so metabolic training circuits.
Metabolic training works best with big exercises, lengthy working periods of 40 to 60 seconds per round, little rest periods of no more than 20 seconds all rolled into a multi round circuit lasting 40 to 45 minutes.
The evidence is clear, and so are the results some of our clients have experienced by controlling their calorie intake, and regularly conducting metabolic training.
Burpees anyone?
Jake