Earning Style Points

I use a whole host of styles of metabolic resistance training in my own programs, and not just for the sake of keeping it interesting. Each will elicit a different response in the body, especially once you start manipulating factors such as weight used, number of rounds you do, and how quickly you complete each round. Regardless of the structure, those factors will always come into play. Use the template Ive given you below, and vary rest, rounds and repetitions to keep your body responding. With conditioning, density or the amount of work you complete in a given timeframe is what really sets lifting weights faster apart from traditional strength training. You can either aim to complete a certain amount of reps or rounds, or set a fixed time that you aim to complete as many rounds or reps as possible. Both are great ways to set up your conditioning for both performance and fat loss. Seeking improvement in the number of reps completed or how quickly you complete the workout can help you gauge progress.

A note on rest: Rest periods are crucial to maintain form and create physiological adaption (in other words, to make progress). Case in point: One of the first things to drop off with fatigue is range of motion. Decrease range of motion and youre missing out on a lot of the strength benefits of the workout. Remember to work within your limits, especially if youre just starting out.

Circuits
Often used as a larger umbrella term, this simply denotes any workout that includes various consecutive stations, often using different pieces of equipment. Work-to-rest ratio and rep schemes can vary immensely. Example:You might do five rounds of five stations pushups, kettlebell swings, pull-ups, goblet squats, and Russian twist performing each exercise for 30 seconds and then resting for 30 seconds after every exercise.

Complexes
In a complex, the same implement is used throughout the workout, and all reps of one exercise are to be completed before moving on to the next exercise. Oftentimes, you will complete the entire complex without putting the implement down, unless you need to rest.

Example:Using the same barbell, you might do 10 reps of conventional deadlift, 10 reps of bent-over row, 10 reps of push press, and then 10 back squats, and then repeat that for three rounds, resting for exactly how long it took you to complete the complex in between rounds.

Combos
Also known as a flow, this type of workout consists of one rep of each exercise involved flowing into each other. As with a complex, you dont put the implement down between reps. Because the volume tends to be quite low, you can often ratchet the weight way up for combos.

Thrive with JenSinkler.com and LiftWeightsFaster.com 2014

Example:The classic barbell Bear Complex is actually a combo, and is one of my favorites (once Im done) to do intermittently in my training. In the Bear, you do one barbell power clean, followed immediately by a front squat, followed by a push press, followed by a back squat, and topped off with another push press. All of that counts as one rep, and you repeat it for five rounds of five reps at a time. To measure progress I record my weight used and time to completion.

Chains
This circuit style is Metabolic Effects blend of a combo and a complex. In a chain, you start with a combostyle workout, and add reps to only certain exercises with each subsequent round. This allows you to hone in on particular body parts you really want to work.

Example:You might do a squat thrust to a pushup to a jump squat to a biceps curl to an overhead press, and if you wanted to blast your shoulders, you would add one rep apiece to the pushups and the overhead press each round, keeping the reps for the other exercises at one. When you got to five pushups and five overhead presses, you would begin again at one rep apiece across the board. Chains are usually capped at a certain time, such as seven minutes.

Ladders
In an exercise ladder, you either add or subtract a rep or a number of reps each round, depending on if it is an ascending or descending ladder. Ascending ladders get progressively more difficult, while descending ladders begin with the max number of reps and decrease after that.

Example:Pairing two exercises, such as the goblet clean and the kettlebell swing, you might assign one an ascending ladder structure and the other a descending ladder structure, and perform them together. In this instance, you might begin with 10 goblet cleans and 1 swing, next performing 9 goblet cleans and 2 swings, and then 8 goblet cleans and 3 swings, and so on until the reps have been reversed.

Pyramids
Much like a ladder, a pyramid is when you begin with few reps, adding reps each round, and then heres where its different from a straight-up ladder you come again back down in reps, retracing your steps the way you came.

Example:You might do one goblet clean, then two, then three, all the way up to 10 and then all the way back down to one.

Plug and Play

After you get a handle on the various metabolic-resistance-training structures, its just a matter of plugging and playing them within your routine, and discovering both what you enjoy doing and what helps you make progress toward your fitness goals. Also included in this PDF is an example of how to fill out a workout log to track your progress.

Thrive with JenSinkler.com and LiftWeightsFaster.com 2014

SQUAT MOVEMENTS

HINGE MOVEMENTS

Barbell Back Squat Barbell Front Squat Kettlebell Goblet Squat Bulgarian Split Squat Skater Squat

Conventional Deadlift Sumo Deadlift Kettlebell Swing Hip Thrust Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

PUSH MOVEMENTS

PULL MOVEMENTS

Hand-Release Pushup Clapping Pushup Floor Press Strict Press Push Press

Suspension Trainer Inverted Row Chin-Up Bent-Over Row Resistance Band One-Arm Row Dumbbell Renegade Row

CORE MOVEMENTS

TWISTING MOVEMENTS

Hand-to-Forearm Plank Pledge Plank Side Plank With Leg Raise Farmers Walk Valslide Body Saw

Russian Twist Landmine Full Contact Twist Slam Ball Lateral Slam Sandbag Lunge Swing Wood Chopper Low-to-High

Thrive with JenSinkler.com and LiftWeightsFaster.com 2014

MOVEMENT
Squat

WEIGHT USED ROUNDS

REPS

Twist

Core

Pull

Hinge

Push

Total Reps Completed: Total Time To Complete Circuit:

Thrive with JenSinkler.com and LiftWeightsFaster.com 2014

Below is an exampleof how to fill out a workout log to track your progress.

MOVEMENT
Squat

WEIGHT USED ROUNDS

45lbs BW 95lbs BW BW 15lbs 3 3 3 3 3 3

REPS
15,15,15 = 45 8,8,8, = 24 12,12,12 = 36 8,8,8 = 24 10,10,10 = 30 20,20,20 = 60 219 22:30

Kettlebell Goblet Squat Hand-Release Pushup Barbell Hip Thrust Chin-up Pledge Plank Russian Twist

Twist

Core

Pull

Hinge

Push

Total Reps Completed: Total Time To Complete Circuit:

Thrive with JenSinkler.com and LiftWeightsFaster.com 2014