Metabolic strength training question

[sherry7899]

Has anyone done two total body metabolic workouts a week.along with pure cardio several times a week ( and yoga/stretching daily). I am wondering if metabolic workouts will help more with weight loss than traditional strength training. I will not discuss diet since it is not allowed. Thank you.

My schedule would be weekly:

3 cardio workouts (varying lengths between 30-60 minutes)
2 full body metabolic strength workouts
Yoga or stretching most days of the week (10-20 minutes long, but longer on "rest" days
Short walks a few times a week

[Jane P.]

I think it's great if you can sustain it. I know that I need more recovery time. I suppose it depends on the intensity of the cardio that you do. Good luck with it. Worth a try.

[fanofladyvols]

Yes I have done that and went through a bit of increased hunger. So plan accordingly for that initial wave until your body adjusts to the new demands. I have done it for building endurance/ cardio capacity and continue to do it when endurance is my goal.

How long will your metabolic sessions be?

[sherry7899]

Thank you both. I would be doing low impact only cardio. It will likely be dance cardio that is of varying lengths between 30-60 minutes.


Dealing with increased hunger would be difficult! I will see how it goes.

I planned to start tomorrow. Of course my back is bugging me this morning (sigh) so I do not know if I can start tomorrow.

[bubbles76]

I have no answers for you Sherry, but do keep me posted. I've done metabolic rotations before, but they have not been total body. I've done rotations of Jillian Michael's Body Revolution and a short rotation of Paul Katami's 4x4. I didn't have increased hunger, but I think my cardio capacity increased and my shoulders and back were more toned.

[Lori_Michigan]

That's nearly my exact workout schedule. I do two mostly metabolic weight workouts on Tuesday and Friday. (But if I'm sore or tired I drop one of the strength days) I walk on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I do Ellen or just stretching on Thursday and Sunday. On my walk days, I sometimes do low impact cardio but it's never more than 45 mins, actually all my workouts don't go over 45 mins. I try to keep to 30 mins to not raise my hunger level.

I've now lost 22 pounds in six months. For me it's all consistency over time in workouts and consistently watching calories.

[Diana3271]

I am following along on this thread. Is Metabolic strength training the same as AWT?

[bubbles76]

The Health Board defines aerobic weight training as follows:

Aerobic weight training is a type of exercise that combines lifting weights with interval training and intensity drills in order to elevate heart rate and blood pressure. It’s different from standard weight training in large part because of its focus on speed. The goal is often a little bit different, too; rather than simply building muscle, the aim with a specifically aerobic routine is usually to improve cardiovascular function and to strengthen not just the muscles but heart itself, and through the heart the whole body. Most of the exercises in an aerobic plan use lighter weights and repetition, and whole body movements are often part of the recommended routines. Circuit training is one of the most common forms of this kind of exercise, and interval training and speed work are widely used, too.

According to Well+Good the definition of metabolic training is as follows:

"Metabolic strength training involves maximizing your metabolic demand, which means that you're burning as many calories during the workout and after the workout as you can," says Nick Tumminello, fitness trainer and author. "Basically, compared to regular strength training, metabolic training uses more energy in your body." According to him, this type of training involves incorporating three "Cs," which make the workout as effective as possible: circuits, or several exercises done back to back; complexes, a group of exercises with more than one rep of each; and combinations, or stacking different moves into one rep.

In order to be metabolically demanding on your body, metabolic strength training—and the "Cs" within it—follows general guidelines to up the intensity. "One of the mechanisms of maximizing your metabolic demand is minimizing rest periods," says Tumminello. You also are aiming to work as many muscles as possible at any given time. "You want to do total-body workouts, which means that more energy is demanded."

To work your entire body as intensely as a metabolic strength workout requires, Tumminello recommends approaching strength from four sources: hip-oriented movements (those that work your hips and hamstrings, like deadlifts); upper body pushing (like push-ups); the core; and lower body knee-oriented movements (like squats and lunges). The idea is to hit every major quadrant throughout the entire circuit.

[Diana3271]

bubbles76 Thank you for the clarification.

[kittybug]

Originally Posted by Lori_Michigan

That's nearly my exact workout schedule. I do two mostly metabolic weight workouts on Tuesday and Friday. (But if I'm sore or tired I drop one of the strength days) I walk on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I do Ellen or just stretching on Thursday and Sunday. On my walk days, I sometimes do low impact cardio but it's never more than 45 mins, actually all my workouts don't go over 45 mins. I try to keep to 30 mins to not raise my hunger level.

I've now lost 22 pounds in six months. For me it's all consistency over time in workouts and consistently watching calories.

That is amazing!! Congrats to you.

Great thread and interesting information!!