Metabolic Interval Training - Alter Work and Rest Ratio for Extreme Results Fast

Old school training advice is proven and tested; however, there are other ways to get the results you are looking for faster. You may be familiar with the old work to rest ratio of 1:5. That means for the amount of time spent working during a specific set you rest for a period of time five times that in preparation and rest for the next set. For example, your Bench Press Set takes 30 seconds... Your rest before the next set is 2 minutes 30 seconds. This is very common for adding size and strength and is proven to work, but is not particularly effective at burning enough calories to bash fat.

What we often want to do though is increase lean mass and strength while we slash fat. Of course clean eating plays a huge part in this, but adjusting your training style can also help to expedite the process. So, how do you go about varying your Work : Rest Ratio? This can be as simple as watching the clock and cutting your breaks to one minute or even as low as 5-10 seconds between sets of a particular exercise. This will keep your heart rate up and you will experience a higher caloric burn. What you will notice though is that your muscles will become fatigued very quickly. This is not necessarily a bad thing. This approach is still fine for muscle growth; but, to burn sufficient calories to slash fat at the same time the workout should last for 30-45 minutes. This is enough time to burn a ton of calories and stimulate necessary muscle growth to elevate the metabolism for 24-48 hours post workout. If you are concentrating on only one body part with only 5-10 seconds of rest between sets the workout simply cannot last long enough with enough intensity to get the desired total results.

At this point you should be asking yourself, “How can I keep up the intensity for the necessary time to get ripped?” GREAT NEWS! You’re asking the right question and I have the answer you seek. You may have recently heard of the term “Metabolic Training?” I’m not going to claim credit for inventing in…nor should anyone in recent history. The basic idea is to move from one body part to another and use different training methods or modalities within the same workout. What this does is allow you to keep moving and burning calories (working the cardiovascular system) while you tax the engaged muscle (musculoskeletal system). We can sit and talk about 10 seconds this…14 calories that…but the essence if rotate body parts and alternate training styles.

What does it mean to alternate body parts? The best way to explain is through an example: Your metabolic style workout could start with a chest exercise, then move to a leg exercise, then an arm, next an abdominal, followed by another leg exercise, moving into a shoulder exercise….short break (30 seconds) and do it again. You may very well notice the hodge podge of body parts. The reason is, each muscle group need a bit of time to “refuel” before its next set comes around. While one muscle group is resting and getting ready for the next set you are continuing the workout and training other areas maintaining an elevated heart rate and taxing the cardiovascular system.

You get the idea now of alternating body parts…what does it mean to use different training styles? That’s a simple one. For some exercises you will use Traditional Weight Training…this is the crux for gaining lean mass while slashing fat! On other exercises you will utilize bodyweight exercises such as pushups or lunges. Calisthenics are yet another variation you will throw in…an example of these are “jumping-jacks” or “mountain climbers.” Plyometrics are another awesome method to utilize in Metabolic Training. An example of a plyometric exercise would be “squat jumps” for the legs or “clapping push-ups” for the upper body. Finally, traditional Abdominal and lower back work (sit-ups, planks, crunches, bicycle crunches) is an effective way to keep working when you need to slow things down between other extremely taxing sets.

Now you know the basics of how to move from body part to body part and how to switch from one training modality to another. You probably have just a couple more questions…why not just do old school cardio? Simply put: Old school cardio can be BORING and also COUNTER PRODUCTIVE when trying to gain muscle. Too much cardio will keep your body from gaining muscle! Metabolic training is a way to put on lean mass while cutting fat. Furthermore, if you are in a climate where outside cardio is out of the question and you don’t have access to a gymnasium full of expensive cardio equipment you need to pack a huge calorie burning workout into a small area! Metabolic Training with the right equipment can help you do that.

Here’s a full body metabolic style workout:

Do each four exercise series 3-4 times through. Spend approximately 30 seconds on each exercise and only 5-10 seconds in transition between them. This will mean you are doing 12-16 sets at a very quick pace. Once you finish the first 12-16 set four exercise block take a full 30 second rest and move on to the next four exercise block and so on.

A:

Bench Press

Squat Jumps

Crunches

Shrugs

B:

Leg Press

Clapping Push-Ups

Calf Raise

Planks

C:

Lat Pull down

Cycled Split Jump

Bench Dips

Leg Raises

D:

Triceps Pushdown

Jumping Jacks

Body Weight Single Leg Calf Raise

Sit-Ups

E:

Rows

Shadow Boxing

Stiff Leg Deadlight

Bicycle Crunches

This style of workout will slash fat as you build muscle and should take 35-50 minutes. Doing a workout like the three times a week with clean eating habits will get results!