Metabolic Training: Phase 2

Split Routine (Chest/Back & Shoulder/Legs) workouts done in the gym

Required Equipment: Dumbbells, TRX, Barbell, Machines/Bands

Video Poster Image

Your Downloads:

Metabolic Training | Phase 2 (PDF)
Full Body Metabolic Training | Phase 2 | Workout Tracker (xlsx)
Bonus ⭐️ How To Understand Your Workout Program (PDF)
Bonus ⭐️ Tips to Break Through Gym Plateaus (PDF)
Bonus ⭐️ A Simple and Effective At-Home Workout When You Have Zero Time (PDF)

Page Contents:

Chest/Back
Legs/Shoulders
Frequently Asked Questions

Chest/Back

A1 - Dumbbell Bench Press

Target Muscles: Chest, anterior deltoids, triceps

Description: Lie back on the bench with a neutral spine, keeping head, upper back, and buttocks in contact. Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing forward, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower the dumbbells towards the sides of the chest, maintaining a 90-degree angle at the elbows. Pause briefly at the bottom, parallel to the chest. Push the dumbbells back up, fully extending the arms without locking the elbows. Squeeze your chest muscles as you're pressing the weight up.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A2 - Assisted Chin Ups

Target Muscles: Lats, Traps, Rear Deltoids, Biceps

Description: Place your hands shoulder-width apart with palms facing towards you (underhand grip). Position your feet on the machine's footrests or step onto the resistance band, ensuring it's securely anchored. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended, slight elbow bend. Engage your core, keep your shoulders down, back and fully engaged. Inhale, continue to contract your back muscles, bend elbows, and pull your body upward, squeezing your shoulder blades together and engaging your lats. Continue until your chin reaches above the bar or a comfortable position. Maintain a straight body, avoid excessive swinging or using momentum. Exhale, control the descent as you gradually extend your elbows. Maintain control, resist sudden dropping. Adjust machine weight or the resistance band for assistance and gradually decrease as strength improves.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A3 - Bench Dips

Target Muscles: Triceps, chest

Description: Sit on the side of a bench or chair and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench, gripping the edge firmly. Step forward and extend arms fully, supporting your body weight with your straight arms. Keep your heels on the ground. Make sure you maintain upright posture, inhale and lower body by bending elbows until upper arms are parallel to the ground or a comfortable stretch is felt. Control your descent, while keeping your body close to the bench. Pause briefly at the bottom. Exhale and push up, extending your elbows with your chest and triceps engaged. Straighten your arms completely at the top without locking elbows.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A4 - Inverted Row

Target Muscles: Lats, Traps, Rear Deltoids, Biceps

Description: With an overhand grip (palms facing away), reach forward and grip the bar wider than shoulder-width. Walk your feet forward, extending your arms fully for an inclined body position. Hang from the bar or handles with your arms extended, body straight, and core engaged. Keep heels on the ground with your knees slightly bent. Inhale, contract your back muscles, and pull your chest towards the bar by bending elbows and retracting shoulder blades. Continue until your chest reaches the bar or a horizontal position. Squeeze your back muscles at the top. Slowly extend your elbows, and lower your body back to the starting position. Maintain control, avoid swinging or dropping. Variation: Adjust difficulty by walking feet closer or elevating feet for a decline angle.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 120 seconds

 

A5 - Seated Neutral Grip Overhead Press

Target Muscles: Anterior/medial deltoids, triceps, core

Description: Stand tall with the dumbbells at shoulder height. Your hands should be facing each other in a neutral grip. Begin using your shoulders/arms to raise the weight above your head, maintaining the neutral grip. Reach full extension and slowly lower the weight until the dumbbells touch your shoulders and repeat. Tip - Your elbows should remain in a forward position without flaring out.  

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 10-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A6 - Rest

 

Sets: 4

Duration: 120 seconds

 
Return to Top

Legs/Shoulders

A1 - Single Leg Leadlift

Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, Core, Stabilizers

Description: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your core, maintaining straight posture. Shift your weight onto one leg, lift your opposite foot off the ground, and balance on your stationary foot. While keeping a slight bend in your stationary knee, hinge at the hips, extend the floating leg straight behind you. Inhale, lowering your hand towards the ground, while simultaneously lowering your upper body. Keep your knee bent, push hips backward, maintain neutral spine. Continue lowering until your torso is close to parallel to the ground while feeling engagement in your hamstring and glute. Exhale, and continue to engage your glutes and hamstrings, and return to the starting upright position. Focus on squeezing your glute and hamstring as you lift your body up. Tip - Keep your back as flat as you can to get better engagement with your hamstring and glute. Use a dumbbell if the exercise becomes to easy.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-10

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A2 - Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Target Muscles: Deltoids, Triceps

Description: Sit on a sturdy bench with back support, placing the dumbbells on your thighs. Lift the dumbbells to shoulder level, one in each hand, with bent elbows and aligned wrists. Tighten your core, keep back against the bench, and feet firmly on the ground. Exhale, pressing dumbbells upward by extending your elbows and lifting overhead. Keep your wrists straight while avoiding and excessively arched back. Pause at a fully extended overhead position, squeezing shoulder muscles. Ensure your arms are fully extended without locking elbows. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level, maintaining control. Stop with your upper arms just below parallel to the ground.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A3 - TRX Deep Step Up 

Target Muscles: Quads, Glutes, Core, Stabilizers

Description: Set up the TRX suspension trainer securely with the strap anchored above your head. Step your left foot onto a sturdy elevated platform in a standing position with firm footing and balance on your left foot. Make sure the straps are adjusted so the handles are at chest-level. Hold the TRX handles with your arms in front of you. Inhale, slowly lowering your body while keeping slight tension on the TRX straps. Lower your body so your right knee and right toe gently touch the floor. The majority of your weight should be on your left leg while using the TRX for balance and support if needed. Exhale and press through your left foot to lift your body onto the step. Simultaneously use the TRX handles for assistance and balance. Focus on driving through your left heel, engaging your glutes and quads.

 

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 10-15

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A4 - Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Target Muscles: Deltoids

Description: Stand tall with dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing inward (neutral grip). Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells by your sides, arms extended with slight elbow bend. Engage your core, maintain straight posture, with your shoulders back and down. Inhale and lift the dumbbells out to the sides with slight elbow bend, while keeping your wrists straight. Lift dumbbells until your arms are just above parallel to the floor. Exhale and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position with control. Avoid swinging, focus on shoulder muscles throughout.

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 8-12

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 10 seconds

 

A5 - Standing Calf Raises

Target Muscles: Calves

Description: Stand tall with feet hip width apart, with your toes pointed forward. Position the balls of your feet on an elevated surface, with your mid foot and heels off the surface. Hold onto something sturdy for balance and begin inhaling as you lower your body down, with your heels getting closer to the ground. For full range of motion, ensure that your heels lower until your calf muscles stretch, allowing them to drop below the balls of your feet. Begin to exhale and lift your heels as high as possible with control and stability. 

Sets: 4

Repetitions: 15-20

Tempo: 4010

Rest: 120 seconds

 

A6 - Rest

 

Sets: 4

Duration: 120 seconds

 
Return to Top

Frequently Asked Questions

 

I do not have access to a specific piece of equipment as mentioned in the training programs. What should I do?

Most of the excercises that have been chosen have been selected because nearly every gym has access to the recommended equipment. If you are apart of a gym and they're lacking a specific piece of equipment, attachment or handle, consider the following

  • Equipment: Find a substitute that serves a similar function. For example, if your gym lacks an olympic sized barbell, you can use dumbbells.
  • For attachments: If your gym the cable attachments specified in the training programs, you can substitute a similar attachment - If a cable attachment requires a neutral grip that your gym doesn't have, you can use an overhand grip instead.
I'm unable to perform the full circuit - The gym is too busy. What should I do?
  • If you can't do the full circuit due to an overcrowded space, feel free to break up the workout into two or more different circuits. For example, if there are 5 exercises in one circuit, you could try a shorter circuit with exercises 1-3, and then exercises 4 & 5. This can be dynamic and flexible - Make the best decision to make your workout as efficient as possible.
I am unable to perform a specific exercise. What should I do?

Once again, it is difficult to account for all possibilities, but here are some suggestions:

  • Lack of flexibility: If you lack flexibility, it is important to address the underlying cause. One option is to seek assistance from certified trainers. Alternatively, you can start a proper stretching program, such as Stretch to Win, while working on fixing the flexibility issue. In the meantime, modify the exercise to accommodate your flexibility levels - if your ankle flexibility is limited and you struggle with a full squat, you can elevate your heels (except for deadlifts). Additionally, if you lack shoulder flexibility for a shoulder press, switch to a neutral grip shoulder press until the issue is resolved.
  • Lack of strength: If you lack the strength to perform a specific exercise, there are alternative options - if you cannot do chin-ups, you can use a pull-down machine with the same grip and body position, maintaining proper form. If you are unable to perform the prescribed number of reps, do as many as you can in each set. On the final set, incorporate an additional eccentric rep by lowering the weight slowly over 30 seconds. With consistent program adherence, you will gradually build the strength necessary to complete all the reps.
The tempo aspect of the workout is a little confusing for me. Can I choose any tempo for my reps?

The simple answer to this is no. The tempo is a critical loading parameter that determines the time under tension during exercise, ultimately influencing the type of gains you aim to achieve. It serves a purpose in producing desired results. It is important to follow the specified tempo precisely to maximize your progress.

I'm unable to train the recommended number of times per week for each program. What should I do?

Here are some options to consider:

  • Training should be done at least three times per week. If you can only train two times per week, that's okay, but not ideal. If you cannot workout on a specific day, prioritize walking and staying mobile. Use your best judgement.
Return to Top

Are you ready to take your fitness journey to the next level?

Discover a wide selection of our premium workout programs designed to help you achieve your fitness goals faster and more effectively than ever before.

Let's Do It!