Metabolic Conditioning Guide
- by Andrew Howard
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- 30 Aug, 2017
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Fast MetCon Workouts That Bring You Results In 10 Minutes
A metabolic conditioning workout (MetCons) is one that combines strength and endurance training with low rest to create a powerful conditioning effect. It is more work in less time, which is just one of the reasons gym-goers have gravitated toward boot camp-style training and CrossFit workouts.
Why do MetCons work?
MetCons allow you to condition the body, master proper technique and work at maximum capacity without beating yourself up with max loads. They are also the preferred choice of athletes who want to do intense conditioning workouts without losing any of their hard-earned muscle.
MetCons also adhere to the SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demands), which means that doing MetCons in training won’t just make you more fit, it will enhance performance for athletes of any level. But if you’re not a Crossfitter or don't have any desire to compete, what’s the point of pushing yourself through gruelling workouts like these?
High intensity training has been proven to be the most effective at eliminating body fat, especially visceral fat, the dangerous kind that sticks to your internal organs.
The release of growth hormone after a bout of exercise is dependent on the intensity of the exercise, so pushing yourself to the limit can result in 450% more body fat loss as the same amount of time spent on an elliptical. Crushing an overhead squat or barbell thruster is much more physically taxing than doing sets of static bicep curls, and bringing your body to the edge of your anaerobic threshold will optimise hormonal release, and get you in and out of the gym in minutes, rather than hours.
The Partner Challenge: I Go, You Go
20 Minute Kettlebell AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Kettlebell Front Rack Bulgarian Split Squats each.
10 Double Kettlebell Thrusters
10m Bear Crawl
Guidelines: With an “I go, you go” challenge, either you or your partner will be working at all times while the other rests. That means that as soon as they tag out, you’re in.
With this workout, you start with kettlebell swings, and as soon as your partner finishes, that means you’re up. When you’re done, they move on to the split squats, and so forth. This style is great with a little longer timer, since you’ll be resting for half of it.
The Bodyweight Burnout: 10 Minutes to Glory
10 Minute Bodyweight AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
5 Chin-ups
10 Divebomber Push-ups
15 Jump Squats
Guidelines: For those days when you don’t have any time or equipment. All you need is a pull-up bar and some floor space. Do the exercises in the order listed. When you finish the jump squats, go right back to the chin ups with as little rest as possible.
Source: askmen.comYou might think you're doing yourself a favor by cooking food with coconut oil, since it's often sold as a health food at your local supermarket. But according to the American Heart Association's new guidelines, the stuff might be just as unhealthy as butter or beef fat when it comes to your cholesterol levels.
Their study, published in the journal Circulation , cites a survey that found 72% of Americans think coconut oil is healthy, compared with just 37% of nutritionists. The doctors believe the ingredient is marketed incorrectly as a health food.
A full 82% of coconut oil's fats are the saturated variety, which is linked to heart disease and stroke, the BBC notes. In controlled experiments, people who consumed coconut oil increased levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" variety) compared to ingredients like olive oil and safflower oil.
Researchers found there's not much of a difference between coconut oil and ingredients like butter, beef fat, or palm oil when it comes to your LDL levels. "Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil," the report reads.
Overall, the AHA recommends limiting the amount of saturated you eat overall, and that includes coconut oil. Instead, use unsaturated vegetable oils, like olive oil and sunflower oil. And when it comes to coconut oil, stick to using it on your skin and hair. "You can put it on your body, but don't put it in your body," the report's lead author, Frank Sacks, told USA Today
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