Metabolic training: fat burning exercises. Metabolic Training: How to Get Rid of Cardio Opt for Metabolic Training

I learned about this way of training around 2005. This is a very fun way to train. Of course, it does not give such a mass gain as the methods described in This method of training is used when it is necessary to obtain maximum strength endurance and functionality.

By the way, this is a great way to train your heart.

Health, Strength and Overall Fitness Coordinator, Princeton University

As a rule, coaches force their students to train strength separately from training aimed at maintaining general fitness. However, many sports require athletes to work in a mixed mode - where they are required to show not only a fair amount of strength, but also good cardiovascular or aerobic endurance.

Metabolic training is essentially a combination of strength training with aerobic training. Unfortunately, coaches do not pay enough attention to the state of the athlete's metabolic system. Metabolic fitness can be improved simply by doing strength exercises with very short rest pauses in between. If the training is carried out in this manner, then it makes such demands on the muscular and cardiovascular systems of the athlete, which, in their totality, lead to the metabolic effect that cannot be obtained with the help of other traditional training methods.

Workout "3 x 3"

On June 1, 1996, I met for lunch with John "JT" Thomas, strength training coach at Pennsylvania State University. We started talking to him about what exercises, in the opinion of each of us, are the most "difficult". JT told me about his most brutal workout ever. This training happened a few years ago when he was an Assistant Strength Trainer at the US Military Academy. Bob Roguki was the strength coach back then. (Bob has been a strength coach for the Arizona Cardinals for the past 5 or 6 years.) JT told me that Bob once made him do a workout that required him to be in great physical shape. Sometimes referred to as a "three by three" workout, this pattern has become JT's favorite pattern.

Oddly, around the same time JT was describing his three-by-three workout to me, Tony Alekzander (my training partner) was doing roughly the same pattern.

When the workout was over, Tony said that he just fell like a sack on the chair - all his muscles were tired - from the neck to the calves. Even an hour later, his heart rate was still 100 beats per minute (his heart rate is normal at 60 beats per minute). Also, it should be noted that Tony worked with very heavy weights during that workout. For example, with a body weight of 104 kg, he performed the first sets of push-ups and pull-ups with an additional weight of 12 kg. The tremendous strain on his muscular and aerobic systems simultaneously produces an astounding metabolic effect.

Scheme "3 x 3"

The 3-by-3 scheme has many options. Their number is limitless. However, it is very important that the athlete performs each set to failure. In addition, it is important that the athlete moves from exercise to exercise quickly, with as few rest pauses as possible. The amount of rest between exercises will depend on the current fitness level of the athlete.

The 3 x 3 workout is essentially one multi-joint hip exercise, then a multi-joint chest exercise, then a multi-joint upper back exercise - and all these exercises should be repeated two more times, keeping the rest pauses as short as possible between them. Using these three movements ensures that none of the major muscles in your body are left unloaded, including the muscles of the hip joints, s, shoulders, and forearms.

The most difficult hip exercises are squats, deadlifts (with an Olympic bar or trap bar), or leg presses. Of course, push-ups and pull-ups are considered the most difficult exercises for the chest and upper back. Those who cannot do push-ups and pull-ups with their own weight can only do negative reps in these exercises. For the chest, you can also select bench press, incline press and push-ups. For the upper chest, any movement is suitable - "pull": pull-ups or pull-ups in the slope.

When performing the exercises for the first time, the athlete should achieve muscle failure in approximately the following number of repetitions: hip exercise - 20 reps, chest exercise - 12 reps, upper chest exercise - 12 reps. In the second sets of these exercises, aim for 15 reps failure on your hips, 10 for your chest, and 10 for your upper back. In the third sets, the numbers are 12 for the hips, 8 for the chest and 8 for the upper back. That is, the hip sets have 20, 15, and 12 reps to failure, and the chest and upper back sets have 12, 10, and 8 reps.

Another application

On June 7th, 1996, I tried a 3 x 3 exercise like the one described below. Overall, it was arguably the hardest workout I have ever experienced. From the point of view of muscle fatigue, there is nothing more brutal than "3 x 3". When it comes to muscle pain, other workouts resulted in much more pain than "3 x 3". But, no other workout comes close to "3 x 3" in terms of metabolic stress.

First of all, I want to say this about muscle fatigue: when doing pull-ups, I did not use wrist straps (to save time between sets). It was only 5 minutes after the start of the workout, and my forearms were already literally torn from the rush of blood. I couldn't even bend my hand into a fist. I can't even remember the last time I experienced this kind of muscle fatigue in all the muscles in my forearm for such a long time. Soon after training, it became apparent that they were also very tired. Then I paid attention to my hips and legs. And after about 3 hours, the muscles in the upper back began to ache. After 4 hours, the pain began to be felt in the muscles of a. The upper back ached more and more with each passing hour. Strange, I did not feel any particular muscle pain the very next day.

Let's go back to metabolic stress: from the point of view of general body fatigue, i.e. loads on muscles, heart, lungs, etc., training according to the "3 by 3" scheme turned out to be exactly what was needed. After the first set of leg presses, I was already breathing as if I had sprinted a quarter mile. At that moment, I felt a burning sensation in my lungs, I was suffocating from a lack of oxygen. After push-ups, I immediately started pull-ups, pausing only to change the weight that was hanging on my belt. Needless to say, the second cycle was much more difficult, let alone the third.

It only took me 20 minutes to complete the 3 x 3 workout ... and I was out of breath throughout the workout. When I finished the last (third) set of chin-ups, my heart was pounding like crazy and my pulse went up to 150 beats per minute. By the way, when I measured my pulse, my hand and fingers began to cramp even from the little effort I had to make to press my fingers on the carotid artery.

In short, "3 x 3" puts a monstrous load on all the large muscles of the body and, at the same time, loads the cardiovascular system. In addition, this workout allows the athlete to train their metabolic form in an extremely efficient way.

Leg press - 225 x 16-17

Push-ups - body weight + 12 x 10-11

Pull-ups - body weight + 12 x 8-9

Leg press - 225 x 8-9

Push-ups - body weight + 5 x 8-10

Pull-ups - body weight + 5 x 8-10

Leg press - 112 x 8-9

Push-ups - body weight x 4-5

Pull-ups - body weight x 4-5

Metabolism is the process during which food is converted into energy necessary for human life. Since today many people lead the wrong way of life and eat wrong, this becomes the reason for the accumulation of excess weight. To prevent this from happening, you can speed up your metabolism by doing simple daily exercises.

Doctors noted that the food that the body accepts may sometimes not be completely digested in it. This is usually due to malfunctioning of the digestive tract. In this case, the person will develop fat under the skin.

All those elements that the body receives along with food enable it to function, since it works even at the moment when a person is not doing anything and is just resting. At this time, the body breathes, transports blood through the body, maintains normal hormone levels and performs many other processes.

The amount of calories your body needs depends on several things. It:

  • Body type... When a person has a large physique, then he needs more calories for the body to work.
  • Floor. A man can burn more calories than a beautiful woman, since he has other characteristics of the body.
  • Age. The number of calories the body requires decreases with age. In a person after 40 years, metabolic processes slow down by 5%.

Since metabolism belongs to the natural processes of the body, its rate may differ from person to person. Also, the body has certain mechanisms that are able to regulate metabolism in certain cases.

It is noted that in rare cases, extra pounds can appear due to the progression of other diseases in the body.

In the case when the rate of the metabolic process in a person is low, then all the nutrients that enter the body are slowly processed there. Also, when losing weight, the metabolism itself decreases, since the body no longer requires a large number of calories.

To speed up the metabolism, the following techniques can be used:

  • Fractional nutrition... You need to eat during the day 5-6 times. In this case, food should be consumed in small quantities. Also, do not give the body the opportunity to starve, as it will try to save calories "in reserve". In this case, the metabolism will decrease.
  • Protein intake... This element, found in many products, can speed up the metabolic process. It is difficult for the body to assimilate, and therefore it must make a lot of effort for this. The protein source can be a dairy product such as cottage cheese.
  • Spices. They must be added to dishes. The peculiarity of the spices is that they contain natural ingredients that will improve metabolism.
  • ... It is recommended to devote time to physical activity. They need to be given about 30 minutes a day. Exercise enables the myocardium to work harder, which speeds up blood flow and improves metabolism. Training must be done constantly so that the effect is fixed and stable.
  • Strength exercises... Building muscle enables the body to burn fat faster and boost metabolism. The more muscles there are, the more calories the body will burn, even when a person is resting.
  • Temperature... When a person is in a cold room or doused with cold water, the body must spend additional calories to warm itself. It also helps to speed up metabolic processes.
  • Coffee. Due to caffeine, this drink can also speed up the metabolism. A cup of the drink should be drunk before exerting stress on the body. But here it is worth remembering that caffeine can also harm a person, and therefore you do not need to drink a lot of coffee.
  • Green tea. Scientists noted that green tea before exercise can improve metabolism. The effect of the drink is doubled. Tea contains catechins, which make it possible to better absorb fats.
  • Nutrition... You shouldn't go on rigid diets. When a person consumes few calories, this can negatively affect the metabolic process. After stopping the diet, the body will also gain the missing pounds, and stimulate obesity. A rigid diet can often lead to the manifestation of health problems in a person.
  • Cellulose... In the diet, you need to add foods that are rich in fiber. The body will spend energy on digesting such food, which will improve metabolism. Fiber can be consumed from a variety of foods and in any form.
  • Fat Burning Supplements... They can also be taken to improve the process. But it is worth combining the reception of such complexes only with constant loads on the body. Without this, supplements will not help to achieve a positive result and will provoke other diseases, including the myocardium.

Exercise to improve metabolism

Constant exercise to speed up your metabolism at home will enable you to better digest food and speed up your metabolism. Also, you can get rid of excess weight in this way faster.

If you do metabolic training at least a couple of times a week, it will speed up your metabolism and have a positive effect on your overall health. It is recommended to perform accelerating exercises constantly to accelerate the body.

During gymnastics, a person will expend more energy, and therefore more calories will be burned. This can also happen when a person is resting, if there is the required muscle mass.

With constant exercise, slag and fat will be better removed from the body, which will make it possible not to deny yourself food and at the same time not to get better. There is nothing complicated in gymnastics, and therefore everyone can do such exercises.

Charger

  • Ride a bike or pedal a treadmill.
  • Walk for 10-20 minutes.
  • Walk up the stairs for 5-10 minutes.
  • Rotate the hoop for 10-15 minutes.

With the help of such simple actions, you can give the body not only strength, but also help it wake up. This will speed up metabolic processes and help you lose weight.

Other metabolic exercises

Experts say that in order to bring all the processes in the body back to normal, one cannot engage in only one type of training. You need to pay attention to stretching, building up muscle mass, and other stresses. All of them should be given the same amount of time and combined. If necessary, you can turn to a specialist for help, who will draw up a lesson plan.

Beginners should adhere to the following rules:

  • You need to do strength exercises with dumbbells 1-2 times a week.
  • Do aerobics 1-2 times a week, which will make it possible to use all muscle groups.
  • Sleep at least eight hours a day. Only experienced athletes can afford to put stress on the body every day without harming it.

During the training period, strict diets should be avoided. The body needs to be given the required amount of minerals and vitamins.

What to do when exercising?

Important! You should never start exercising on an empty stomach. 20-30 minutes before the start of the workout, you need to eat a protein product without carbohydrates in the composition.

Also, do not break the time frame of the meal. If the body does not receive the necessary calories at its usual time, then such food will not do it good. Any food that is low in fat and carbohydrates can be consumed at the designated workout time.

During exercise, breathe through the nose. So breathing will be stable and the heart rate is normal. The body will be able to get enough oxygen.

Intensive aerobics should be performed at the end of classes, when the body is already warmed up and ready for stress. For this he needs 10-15 minutes.

Training should all start with a warm-up. Then attention should be paid to strength exercises with dumbbells. Then you can continue to do other exercises. Periodically, exercises should be changed to new ones.

During periods of PMS, you also need to go in for sports. In this case, the weight will decrease rapidly. Also, a large amount of hormones in the blood during this period will make it possible to improve metabolism.


Previously, it was believed that if the metabolism is disturbed, then this can no longer be changed. However, it is possible to speed up metabolic processes for some time thanks to the special training “Metabolic training”. What is it and what is the difference from the fitness we are used to?



The most common type of fitness for weight loss in our time is considered cardio exercise. Those who want to reduce their volume spend hours on bicycles and elliptical trainers, watching serials or working presentations in the process, while few manage to achieve the desired result. This is because during normal cardio training, a certain amount of calories is burned, but as soon as the training is over, fat burning and all metabolic processes stop. The difference between metabolic training is that when the workout ends, all the magic in the form of an increase in the body's basal metabolism just begins and continues for another one or two days! This is due to an increase in the "oxygen debt" of the body during training (the amount of oxygen required to eliminate the products of anaerobic energy supply accumulated in the body during intense muscular work). This implies the first and most important condition for the phenomenon of metabolic training: the training must be intense (you must be hard) and dense (you must perform a large amount of work in the allotted time), that is, it is necessary to perform, for example, as many dumbbell presses or push-ups as possible for a certain period of time. Two main types of training are suitable for this purpose: metabolic strength training and interval aerobic training.

  • Metabolic strength training

They are circular and interval training with and without weights, which include exercises for all muscle groups, which are performed with little or no rest. The more muscle groups are included in the workout and the larger they are, the more intensity you will get. This means that it is better to do ten squats than bend your arms with dumbbells ten times.

  • Interval cardio workouts

Can be performed using any cardio equipment or outdoors. The general rule of thumb is that low intensity intervals should be followed by high intensity intervals when your heart rate (HR) is 80% of your maximum level (220 minus age).

Sprints are one of the options for such training. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found higher metabolic rates in women who did these programs compared to those who exercised in a standard way. The former burned more calories at rest at least 16 hours after finishing work.

Another fact speaks in favor of such training. In one hour of standard strength training with weights, approximately 370 kcal is burned. In 2013, the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise Metabolism (International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Physical Activity Metabolism) published a study in which a group performed bodyweight jumps for 4 minutes according to the protocol: 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. During these 4 minutes, an average of 54 kcal was burned. The number of calories that the subjects burned in the next 30 minutes due to oxygen debt was also calculated, which averaged 81 kcal. Thus, a whopping 135 kcal was burned in just 4 minutes of intense interval work. The benefits are obvious! The only thing to remember is that in the allotted period of time, you should try to perform as many repetitions of a given exercise as possible.

What are the benefits of metabolic training

In addition to its effectiveness, metabolic training has a number of other benefits:

1. Takes much less time compared to conventional cardio or strength training.
2. Do not get bored with monotony - you can always use new types of exercises.
3. Suitable for people with contraindications. Eliminate and replace exercises as needed.

You can play with different types of exercises and intervals, but keep in mind that they are only effective for fat burning purposes, not for developing endurance or athletic performance).

Metabolic training example

Warm up: rowing machine, medium pace, 10 minutes.

Interval workout 1:

  • burpee, 30 seconds;
  • jumping out, 30 seconds;
  • twisting with the ball, 30 seconds.
Rest between exercises, 60 seconds. Complete two circles.

Interval workout 2:

  • Squats with dumbbell press up, 30 seconds;
  • push-ups, 30 seconds;
  • swing kettlebell, 30 seconds;
  • barbell row, 30 seconds.
Rest between exercises, 10 seconds. Complete two circles.

By the way!

Technique for performing burpee: squat down, rest your palms on the floor. Throw your legs back, push up from the floor. Return to the squatting position, jump up and clap over your head.
Perform burpees without pauses.

Metabolic training- This is a sport that allows you to speed up metabolic processes in the body and get rid of excess body fat. Their difference from other types of workouts (primarily from aerobic ones) is that they not only burn fat during the workout itself, but also trigger a fat burning process that continues for 24-48 hours after the received metabolic exercise.

How it works

So, metabolic training allows you to lose weight even in between classes. This phenomenon occurs due to the fact that this type of sports training causes the so-called excessive post-workout oxygen consumption. The body needs it in order to oxidize the metabolic products accumulated during metabolic training. To induce the "oxygen debt" effect, training must have two main qualities:

  • to be difficult - it is difficult to work;
  • to be dense - a large amount of work needs to be done in the allotted time.

Curious statistics from research on metabolic training. It turns out that in the first 24 hours after such a training, the rate of metabolic processes increases by 21% and by 19% - within 48 hours!

Benefits of metabolic training

In addition to the already mentioned acceleration of metabolism and the effect of weight loss, metabolic training has the following advantages:

  • gives muscles an aesthetic tone;
  • helps to get rid of cellulite;
  • increases endurance;
  • with the correct construction of the training plan, it helps to burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes of training.

Types of metabolic training

There are two main types of metabolic load:

  • Interval strength training or, as they are also called, anaerobic strength training. This block can contain several strength exercises. It is desirable that each of them be complex, i.e. aimed at simultaneously working out several muscle groups at once. To make your heart beat faster, alternate lower body exercises with upper body exercises. This will force the body's main "cardio pump" to redistribute blood more intensively.

In this case, the training should be built in such a way that the approach to one of the strength exercises lasts 30-60 seconds, and the break between approaches and exercises is no more than 30 seconds. In addition, in the concentric phase of the muscle fiber (shortening during contraction), move quickly, and in the eccentric phase (lengthening of the muscle fiber under load), slow down.

Unlike conventional strength training, which is mainly aimed at increasing muscle mass, its metabolic version goes with some damage for this purpose and is also focused on burning fat.

  • Interval cardio training, or, as they are also called, high-intensity interval training. This is essentially aerobic cardio exercise. This block can contain alternating 30 seconds of running at maximum speed with 1 minute of running at a moderate pace. The number of approaches to such an exercise is recommended 10. In the same way, you can build this block using an explosive burpee exercise, swimming, an exercise bike or a treadmill, alternating periods of intense and moderate pace of work.

An example of a comprehensive metabolic training

  • Warm up. 5 minutes of running, dancing, jumping rope, cycling or aerobics.
  • Running to the limit for short distances of 10-15 meters, alternating with a 30-second jogging. 10 sets.
  • Backward diagonal lunges - 8-16 reps on each leg.
  • Normal lunges are 8-16 reps per leg.
  • Any triceps exercise - 8-16 reps.
  • Push-ups - 8-16 reps.
  • Abdominal crunches - 8-16 reps.
  • Rest 2 minutes - walk slowly, drink water in small sips.
  • 2 more full laps for the entire workout.
  • Cool down - exercises to restore breathing and stretching.

This training will provide a strong impetus to open the muscle membrane and move the fatty acid into the muscle for breakdown within 48 hours. Lose weight effectively with metabolic training!

Do you know why most weight loss programs don't work as fast as you'd like? It happens that certain muscle groups experience fatigue and burning, you go to fitness every day, and the weight remains the same, despite all the efforts. Many instructors blame the failure of those involved solely with the diet. Say, if fitness takes place, and the body fat does not decrease, you are eating incorrectly. In fact, the diet is not always to blame - it happens that training does not elicit the desired metabolic response, and therefore is more suitable for general strengthening purposes than for weight loss.

Metabolic response: what is it

In sports medicine, metabolic response refers to the acceleration or deceleration of metabolism caused by exercise. Why slowdown, because sports, according to most ordinary people, accelerates metabolism? It happens that physical activity causes the exact opposite of the desired effect. This is especially common if you train too much and for a long time. Yes, an hour and a half brisk walking on a treadmill burns a lot of calories, but if you practice such exercises every day, you will overwork, and the body will slow down the metabolism, which means it will use less energy. As a result, you will not lose weight, but remain at the same weight.

Acceleration of metabolism is caused by training aimed at increasing muscle mass and exercises with alternating various aerobic modes of work, uniform load on the upper and lower body. At the same time, physical activity should not be too much - for an ordinary person, four to five hours of training per week during the active period of weight loss is more than enough. How to build a regimen so that your own metabolism does not interfere with losing weight?

Weight loss training regimen based on metabolic response

First, watch yourself a little. How do you feel the next morning after strength training? Are your muscles a little sore, do you feel hungry, do you want to eat a substantial protein breakfast? Fine! Your body "thickens" muscle tissue and actively burns calories. The worst thing you can offer him right now is high-intensity cardio workouts like brisk jogging or fitbox on an empty stomach. Take a break - take a rest day or walk at an average pace for one hour. Such training will practically not affect recovery processes and will not increase appetite.

How do you feel after a cardio workout? If the next morning you feel pain in your muscles, this is a sure sign that cardio is a beneficial stress for your body, causing a jump in the speed of metabolic processes. You don't have to do a second workout the next day. Your rule should be - "if there is muscle pain after cardio, the next day I rest." It is not worth "achieving" results by exercising every day - the metabolism will surely slow down, and the appetite will increase.

With that said, the following regimen is best for losing weight:
Monday: strength training, light weights, high reps
Tuesday: 1 hour slow paced cardio or slow dancing
Wednesday: 30 minutes of vigorous interval cardio workout
Thursday is a day off;
Friday - strength training;
Saturday - medium-intensity interval cardio (such as step interval or interval aerobics) or day off if you feel the need for it.
Sunday is a day off

So, more workouts per week doesn't mean better weight loss. Organize your regimen and the results will come to you much faster.

Share with your friends or save for yourself:

Loading...