In lieu of a WIAW post, because I yet AGAIN forgot that I needed to photograph what I ate, here’s some fitness knowledge comin’ atcha!
Metabolic training refers to conditioning exercises intended to increase the storage and delivery of energy for any activity. It was once thought that only aerobic conditioning (like going for a long jog) served to increase cardiovascular health, but now studies are showing that anaerobic conditioning (like sprinting or lifting heavy weights) may also condition the heart to the same, if not a higher, level.
Metabolic conditioning is extremely effective at improving cardiovascular health, burning fat, and raising your metabolism. And it is a fast workout, generally only taking a few minutes to complete.
Metabolic training involves completing structural and compound exercises with little rest in between exercises in an effort to maximize calorie burn and increase metabolic rate during and after the workout.
It uses large muscle groups, is at a high intensity, and makes you “feel the burn”. Just a few of its benefits include improved cardiovascular capacity (increasing VO2 max), an improved hormonal profile (hormones that burn fat increase), and gives you a serious calorie burn (both immediately during the workout and by increasing metabolic rate for 48-72 hours afterward).
One example of metabolic training that many people are becoming acquainted with is CrossFit.
For an example, here’s the metabolic conditioning workout that I did today:
You will hurt, you will burn, you will want to stop, you may even throw your cookies. This. Is. Serious. Stuff.
