Metabolic conditioning for faster fat loss
By Dave Ballantine
40 metabolic conditioning workouts for building more strength and burning more fat
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Hi, my name is Dave. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland and have been a personal trainer for about 5 and a half years now. I love coffee, have a never ending reading list (if you have any recommendations send me a message!) and helping regular folks like you and me get fitter, stronger and leaner.
Over the last few years, I’ve put together a few great metabolic conditioning ideas and borrowed a few from some great trainers.
Now I have them all together for you to use as stand-alone workouts or as finishers at the end of your training session.
I’m giving you the tools to burn fat fast while building more strength, boosting your metabolism, and improving your fitness levels higher than they’ve been before.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com In all honesty, the workouts in this book aren’t easy. They’ll push you harder than you’ve ever been pushed. They might make you sore (in a good way). They’ll leave you dripping sweat after every circuit.
But they work. Really well.
And if you’re willing to put your nose to the grindstone you’re going to see serious results very quickly. These workouts will give you a test both physically and mentally. They’re short, intense, high work capacity building workouts specifically designed to increase your metabolism, boost your strength, and burn fat. I hope you’re ready.
I will say this though, make sure you are medically cleared to train, and if you are unsure of the correct technique on any exercise in this book, make sure to get guidance from a qualified professional. And if exercise hurts, don't do it!
If you have any questions, shoot me an email to [email protected] with “Ultimate Conditioning Workouts” in the subject line and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Before you get started, here are a few thoughts to consider to get the most out of the workouts and for optimal fat loss.
1. The rest times are a suggestion, these workouts shouldn't be easy but if you need a little more time between rounds, use it.
2. These workouts aren't for building max strength, they are for jacking up your heart rate and burning calories and maintaining muscle mass.
3. Diet is and always will be the number one driver of fat loss. These workouts burn calories, and create an increased calorie burn after you finish the session, but your diet creates the sustained calorie deficit for successful fat loss.
4. Recovery is as important as training. Being able to recover between training sessions is key to being able to perform well each and every session.
5. Maintaining good technique and using appropriate weights will get you better results than going with your ego and trying to throw big weights around with sloppy technique.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Pyramids Bodyweight
This is the most straightforward option going. Pick either pushups or squats and perform the following: 1 rep, 2 reps, 3 reps, 4 reps up to 10 reps, then 9 rep, 8 reps back down to 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep
Bonus: If you do pushups as your movement, stand up between rounds. If you do squats or lunges, get down to the floor between rounds. Just don’t stay there too long…
Rest as needed but try to get through it as quick as you can with good technique!
210 Bodyweight
210 seconds isn’t really a long time. 3 minutes and 30 seconds. It will feel like forever though by the time you are on the last round of this…
Squat for 5 seconds Squat and hold for 5 seconds Squat for 10s Squat and hold for 10s Increase the duration of each round by 5 seconds each time up to a total of 30s per round.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com The Bear Necessities Bodyweight
Bear crawls are pretty awesome. Shoulders, abs, legs, strength and mobility all rolled into one.
Squats are awesome too. Put the 2 together and the levels of awesome go through the roof!
Pick a distance, 10m is pretty good but you can go shorter if you need to (no less than about 4m though).
Pick a time or a number of rounds, then do 10 squats, bear crawl your distance, 10 squats, bear crawl (or for extra awesome, reverse bear crawl) back to the start and repeat.
Go for total time or for a set number of rounds (4 is a good start…)
Conditioning rules
Use big movements Challenge yourself Don't fail technically Make it fun!
www.Edinburgh-pt.com One sided Bodyweight
The unilateral component of this circuit gives you a great core hit along with a full body workout. 1-arm TRX row x 20-30s RFESS x 20-30s Side plank x 30-45s
Swap to the other side and repeat.
Rest 60s and go into the next round.
Aim for 3-5 rounds
Worst Zoo Ever Bodyweight
Three exhibits, keep moving, no icecream ☹
Dead bugs x8 per side Bear crawl x5m out and back Frog squats x15
15 minutes on the clock, how many rounds can you do?
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Pullup/pushup Bodyweight
Pullups are the best option here, but if you can’t do at least sets of 3, the regress to either an inverted row or TRX row.
Pushup x 10,8,6,4,2 Pullup x 3-5 Rest only as needed
Buns of steel Bodyweight
Lot of glutes on this one, make sure to drive off the heel of the front foot on the walking lunges and squeeze those glutes hard during the plank…
Glute bridge x 20 Walking lunge x8/side Plank x 30 seconds Rest 60 seconds and repeat for 3-5 rounds
5-10-15 Bodyweight Ascending reps, how many rounds in 15 minutes? Pushups x 5, 10, 15 Glute bridges x 5, 10, 15 Squat jumps x 5, 10, 15 Rest as needed and start over.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Negative rest Bodyweight
Less rest time than work time, let the fun begin!
Bodyweight squat Plank Glute bridge Plank
40 seconds on each exercise with a strict 20 second recovery/transition time. Rest 60-90 seconds at the end of the round, aim for 4 rounds.
Lunge du's Bodyweight
Lunge 8 steps out and 8 back, drop and do 5 hindu pushups, rest and repeat.
Walking lunge x8/s Hindu pushup x5 60s rest
5-8 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Deceptive Bodyweight and DB/KB
A mix of bodyweight movements and low rep DB/KBs, not as easy as it looks…
15 frog squats 5 pushups 5 racked KB squats 5 bentover KB rows 8 mountain climbers per side
15 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) Ladders Kettlebells
A delightful mix of swings and goblet squats, keep the rest to a minimum and aim high! 1 swing, 1 squat 2 swings, 2 squats 3 swings, 3 squats ..., ... All the way to 10 each for your first target, giving you 220 total reps. Or 15 each for 240 total reps Or 20 each for 420… How high can you go?
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Circuit Breaker Dumbbells
This circuit is a 3 round, high volume circuit. If you go too light, you won’t get a lot out of it, if you go too heavy then you're gonna have a bad time...
DB press DB goblet squat DB RDL DB bentover row
Round 1: 30 secs of work/ 30 secs of rest 2 mins rest after the round is complete.
Round 2: 25s of work/ 35s rest, match the reps from round 1 2 mins rest after the round is complete.
Round 3: 20s of work/ 40s rest, match the reps from round 2. Lie on the floor for as long as needed.
High-intensity conditioning not only boosts your physical fortitude, but also your mental resilience. Pushing through a tough conditioning session helps you push beyond your preconceived ideas of what you're capable of.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Swing, carry, squat Kettlebells
The farmers carry is a nice transition between the swings and squats whilst working on grip and core strength, hip strength and stability.
10 swings Farmers carry 20m Descending ladder on goblet squats – 10,9,8…3,2,1
10 rounds, great technique, quick as possible.
Go! No catchy title Bodyweight/Kettlebells
Each round is 10 swings, make them tight and snappy, in between rounds you have a countdown of pushups. The bonus of getting up and down for the pushups adds a little extra cardio boost.
KB swings x10 Pushups x10, 8,6,4,2
Rest as much as you need, but as little as you need.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Carry and squat Kettlebells
Right arm farmer carry x20m 10 sumo squats Left arm farmer carry x20m 10 sumo squats
30-60s rest
3-5 rounds
Everest Bodyweight/ Kettlebells
What goes up must come down!
Hindu pushup x 2,4,6,8,10 Farmers carry x 20m Mountain climbers x 10 each side 1-2 minutes rest, then -
Hindus x 10,8,6,4,2 Farmers carry x20m Mountain climbers x10 each side
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Doubles Kettlebells
Double KB swing x 10 Double KB front squat x 10 Double KB bentover row x 10 Pushups x 10 30-60s rest
2-3 rounds
1.5s Bodyweight/ Kettlebells
1.5 refers to the rep style used in this circuit. For example on a squat, you go down, come halfway up, go back down and then return to standing, for 1.5 reps. The same principle applies throughout. You're welcome...
1.5 pushups x8 1.5 Goblet squats x8 1.5 Bentover KB rows x8 1.5 Reverse lunges x6/ side
Rest 1.5 minutes Repeat for 2-3 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Basic Bodyweight/Kettlebells
Farmers carry x30m (go as heavy as you can) Pushup x3-5 Paused goblet squat x5 (3 second pause at the bottom)
10 minutes on the clock, how many rounds can you do?
Swing, squat squared Kettlebell
The classic KB swing partnered with a double helping of squats.
Swings x5 Goblet squat x3 Sumo squat x5
Every minute on the minute. Your target is 15 minutes.
The goblet squat is the limiting factor in this circuit, choose a weight that you could goblet squat for 10 reps and use it throughout.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Legs Eleven Bodyweight/KBs/DBs
11 minutes of leg blasting fun and games.
KB or DB Goblet squat x8 1 handed farmer carry x30m/s KB or DB RDL x8 Walking lunge x8 steps/ side Rest as needed As many rounds as you can in 11 minutes.
Booty building Kettlebell/ resistance bands
Hitting your glutes from every angle.
Banded glute bridges x15 KB swing x12 Band pull through x15 Sumo squat x12
Rest 60-90 seconds 2-3 rounds
Training for strength should still be your main priority. Building strength and a little more muscle will benefit your health and body composition massively. Use these workouts to burn more calories, build work capacity and complement your main strength sessions.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com The Bastard Bodyweight/ Kettlebells
This gets a page all of its own.
Your mental toughness will be tested here, rest as needed and get done as quick as you can.
10 pushups 1 goblet squat 1-3 pull ups 9 pushups 2 squats 1-3 pullups Go down by 1 on the pushups and up by 1 on the squats each round until you get to 1 pushup and 10 squats.
You want more of a challenge?
Then go down in 2's on pushups from 20, and up in 2's to 20 on goblet squats.
These workouts aren't meant for building maximal strength, go lighter on the weights to allow you to complete the workout but still challenge yourself.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Simply swings Kettlebells
The kettlebell swing is one of the best exercises I know of to increase strength and power and boost fat loss by approximately 239%*
You have 20 minutes on the clock, how many swings can you do?
Prepare for your heart rate to skyrocket and your grip to be tested!
*approximately.
Earn your rest Bodyweight/ Kettlebells
At the top of each minute, you start the next round regardless of how much rest you have earned…
Can you get all 15 rounds?
Kettlebell racked squat x 5 Pushup x 5 Kb swing x 5 Rest till the start of the next minute.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Time to get a little more complex…
A complex is simply a series of exercises done one after the other where you don’t put the weight down until all the reps on a set are done. Alwyn Cosgrove's Evil 8 Barbell
Simple on paper, this complex will test your physical and mental fortitude, not to mention your grip strength.
Choose a weight you can press overhead for around 10reps as you load throughout.
The Evil 8, in order to be done, are:
Deadlift RDL Perform 6 reps of each exercise, Bentover row rest 90s, then do 5 reps each, Hang clean 90s rest, then do 4, 3 and 2 reps Front squat each time resting 90s Push press between rounds. Back squat Good morning
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Squat, press and rollout Barbell
A simpler, but no less challenging complex is this:
Using a weight you can press overhead for around 8 reps, clean it up to the start position and then:
Front squat x 6 Overhead press x 3, drop it down under control and onto your knees and do Barbell rollouts x 6
Rest as needed and do as many rounds in 15 mins as you can.
DeRPS Barbell
This one is as simple as 1,2,3,4… Deadlift x 1 Bentover Row x 2 Press x 3 Front Squat x 4 Rest 60s rest 3-6 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Dumbbell Hell Dumbbells
This complex is a DB only option, great if you are in a hotel gym with limited equipment.
Don’t worry though, you don’t need to go heavy with this one!
Renegade row x 8 Dumbbell deadlift x 8 Bentover row x 8 Dumbbell front squat x 8 Dumbbell overhead press x 8
Rest 60-90 secs Repeat 3-4 more times depending on time/ amount of hell you want…
www.Edinburgh-pt.com 6,6,6… Dumbbells/ Kettlebells/ Barbell
The circuit of the Beast. You can choose dumbbells, kettlebells or barbell, but the rule is the same: Don't let go of the weight till all reps are complete.
Reverse lunges x 6 each side RDL x 6 Front squat x 6 Overhead press x 6 Bentover row x 6
Rest 2 mins and repeat if you dare.
Travelling can put a major obstacle in your way when it comes to maintaining any kind of training momentum. But with a little forward planning you can keep things going. Choosing a hotel with a gym or checking out the local area for a gym that allows day or week passes means you can adapt and get a decent training session or 2 in.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Ropes, slam balls, treadmills, rowers and bikes can all get your heart rate sky high. Here are a few ideas to help incorporate them into your conditioning and get a bunch of work done, blast a load of calories and, dare I say it, have fun too!
2500 Rower
The total work distance covered in this one is 2500m, the total you actually cover including the rest periods may be more… 100m 30-45s rest 200m 45-60s rest 300m 45-60s rest 400m 60-90s rest 500m 60-90s rest 400m 60-90s rest 300m 45-60s rest 200m 45-60s rest 100m Now find somewhere quiet to lie down and recover!
Some advice on this one, don't go all out. 70-85% is more than enough to get a big cardio hit and still allow adequate recovery between rounds.
www.Edinburgh-pt.com 25/250 Kettlebell/ rower
Swings and rowing. 2 of the best conditioning tools you can find. 25 KB swings 250m row Rest only as needed…
10mins on the clock. As many rounds as possible.
Racked squat and sprint Kettlebells/ treadmill
This combo of double KB racked squats and sprints is a brutal option. Your heart and lungs will be going crazy before you even get to the sprint.
KB racked squat x 8 (keep your elbows up!) Sprint for 20-60s (depending on your fitness level)
Rest 2-3 minutes
Repeat 2-3 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Tuminello Torture Battle ropes
Palms up grip: Slams x10 Mini waves x20 (fast) Alternating arms x30/side Palms down grip: Slams x10 Mini waves x20 (fast) Alternating arms x30/side No rest between palms up and palms down, 2 mins rest at the end. 2-3 rounds
Slam bears Slam balls/ Bodyweight
Slams x20s Bear squats x5 Rest till the end of the minute 8-15 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Medball Medley Medicine/ slam ball
Med ball side to side slams x6/side Med ball rev lunge with rotation x6/s Med ball slams x12 Med ball bearhug squats x12 Med ball pushup x12 Rest 60s 3-5 rounds Side to side slams - if forward is 12 o'clock, alternate between 10 and 2 on the dial. Rev lunge with rotation - step back into the lunge and rotate the ball over your front leg, drive back up off the front foot.
Rope swings Battleropes/ kettlebells
Rope slams x15 KB swings x10 Rope slams x15 KB goblet squat x10 Rest 60-90s 5-8 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Band practice Resistance band/Kettlebell
Kb swing x12 Reverse lunge x6/s Band pull throughs x20
Rest 60-90s Repeat for 3 rounds
Sorry for your glutes...
Y u do dis? TRX/ Slam ball/ Bodyweight
Pushup x10 (use an incline if needed) Side to side slams x8/s TRX Y x12 - Aim for control and technique, not speed on these. Slam ball bearhug squat x12
Rest 60s 4-6 rounds
www.Edinburgh-pt.com Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to read this ebook and hopefully, I've not only given you some great conditioning ideas, but inspired you to go and actually do some of these in your training. The difference between you and most people is the action that you'll take. Right?
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please email me at [email protected] and I'll get back to you within 48 hours
www.Edinburgh-pt.com