Metabolic Training: Phase 1
Full body workouts done in the gym
Required Equipment: Dumbbells, Stability Ball, Cables (Rows),
Full Body 1
A1 - Slider Single Leg Deadlift
Target Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, low back
Description: Stand tall while placing nearly 100% of your weight on one leg. Begin hinging at your hips, with a flat/neutral spine, while sliding your opposite foot backward. Once your hands reach a height in the middle of your shins, stop and start to stand back up. Repeat. It's essential to make sure that your back is in a neutral/flat position throughout the exercise.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 6-8
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A2 - Air Squats
Target Muscles: Glutes, quads, hamstrings
Description: Stand tall with your feet about hip/shoulder width. Place your weight a little more on the outside half of your feet. Begin the downward movement, not with your hips, but with your knees, while keeping your back in a neutral position. Go to maximum depth while keeping your knees tracking on along the middle/outside half of your feet. Getting a depth past parallel with the ground is ideal. Stand back up and repeat. Tip - If you have trouble getting depth in your squat, you'll need to work on calf/ankle flexibility. For the time being, feel free to elevate your feet by putting small weight plates underneath your heals. This is technically a cheat, but still a great way to maximize depth. Tip - Your knees should go over your toes. It's perfectly safe.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 15-20
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A3 - Stability Ball Dumbbell Chest Press
Target Muscles: Pecs, anterior deltoids, triceps, core, glutes
Description: Start in a seated position with the dumbbells resting on top of your thighs. Roll your body down so your shoulders are now resting on the ball with your head supported as well. The dumbbells should be on your abdomen/chest. Open up your arms so your upper arms are parallel with the ground. Press the dumbbells upward and touch them when your arms reach full extension. Lower the weight slowly until your upper arms pass parallel with the floor and repeat.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A4 - Lat Pull Down Overhand Grip
Target Muscles: Lats, traps, rear deltoids, biceps
Description: Sit with good posture, elevating your chest. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, just outside shoulder width. As you're holding onto the bar, depress your shoulders and engage the muscles in your back. Pull the bar toward your collarbones with your elbows tracking slightly forward. As you're pulling the bar toward your collarbone, imagine that you're using your back muscles and not your arms. Keeping your shoulders depressed and away from your ears/jaw will help keep your back muscles engaged. Slowly extend your arms back into the starting position and repeat.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 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
Full Body 2
A1 - Single Leg Bridge or Single Leg Bench Hip Thrust
Target Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, core
Description: Lay on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat about hip width apart. Lift one leg in the air. On your planted foot, drive your hips up into the air. As you lift your hips off the ground, you should feel your glutes and hamstrings contracting (in that order). Once your hips are elevated, begin to lower them slowly back toward the ground and repeat. Tip - If you cannot feel your glutes firing properly, use a finger to touch/press your glute muscle. This should help you feel the muscle more.
The hip thrust is the same exercise, but with your shoulders placed against a bench. This targets the same muscles, but is more difficult, and should be done in a similar fashion.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A2 - Reverse Lunges
Target Muscles: Glutes, quads, hamstrings
Description: Stand tall with your feet about hip/shoulder width while placing nearly 100% of your weight on one leg. Step backward while lowering your body straight down, while trying to keep as much weight as you can on your forward foot. Your back foot is only used for balance, not carry the load. Try to get maximum depth on your descent. Begin pressing off with your front leg, return to the starting position, and repeat. Tip - Imagine that you're almost doing a single leg squat with this exercise. This will help you transfer your weight to the front leg
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A3 - Dumbbell Neutral Grip Push Ups
Target Muscles: Pecs, anterior deltoids, triceps, core
Description: Place the dumbbells on the floor in a neutral position. As you grip the dumbbells on floor, your hands should be facing each other. Get into the pusha up position, brace your core, and lower yourself. Your elbows should be tracking along the side of your torso, not flaring out. Lower yourself until you reach the floor/past a 90 degree bend in your elbows, then raise yourself up. Tip - Make sure to keep your back as flat as you can. Do not arch your back to cheat. If you find that you do this, regress to a knee push up.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A4 - Narrow/Medium Grip Seated Rows
Target Muscles: Lats, traps, rear deltoids, biceps
Description: Sit with good posture, elevating your chest. Grab the handle with a neutral grip. As you're holding onto the handle, depress your shoulders, retract your back, and engage the muscles in your back. Pull the bar toward your belly button/ribs. As you're pulling the bar toward your abdomen, imagine that you're using your back muscles and not your arms. Keeping your shoulders depressed and away from your ears/jaw will help keep your back muscles engaged. Slowly extend your arms back into the starting position and repeat.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A5 - Cable Face Pulls w/Rope
Target Muscles: Posterior/medial deltoids, biceps
Description: Grab the rope in front of the knots using an overhand grip. Begin pulling the rope and your hands up close to your temples/eyes. You should feel your shoulders flexing. Once you've reached your temples, extend your arms back to the starting position and repeat. Tip - Do not grip too tight. This will help you feel the exercise more in your shoulders. The tighter your grip, the more you'll feel in your forearms and biceps.
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 10-12
Tempo: 4010
Rest: 10 seconds
A6 - Rest
Sets: 4
Duration: 120 seconds
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.
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