You want to train! You have all the best intentions to get to your workout, but your time is limited. Or you’re looking for a perfect fitness solution that combines the best of both worlds by training both resistance and cardio training?

If you can relate to this battle of time or training modes, then Gareth Sapstead has a solution for you in the form of metabolic resistance training circuits.  

What is Metabolic Resistance Training?

As the name suggests, metabolic resistance training combines resistance training with training the metabolic system. Now at first thought this doesn’t sound so different to HIIT training. The main difference comes in the amount of weight that you lift. In HIIT training you rely on high repetitions to achieve the calorie burn.

However in metabolic resistance training the focus is on higher weight. The heavier weights and low rest periods create a high intensity workout. Due to the nature of the workout your session will be relatively short but with heaps of benefits. The most obvious benefit would be the increase in muscle strength and size. However, due to the structure of the workout your heart rate is boosted, leading to a high calorie burn. The calorie burning effect continues well after exercise ceases as well, maximising the calories burned during your shorter session.

Lift Heavy

Lifting weights that are too light is not going to get you to the intensity that is required. Rather select a weight that you can just manage in the region of 6 - 8 reps.

Multi-Jointed Exercises

Select compound movements that use as many joints as possible. The more joints you use the more muscle groups you will have active. This not only helps increase the intensity of the circuit but also increases the calorie burn.

Exercise Flow

Choose an exercise flow that allows you to move from one exercise to the next without requiring long rests. As Gareth demonstrates, an ideal way to do this is to select exercises around a single piece of equipment such as a barbell.

Number of Exercises

Intensity and duration are inversely related. The longer you train for, the lower the intensity that you can train at. The goal of this resistance circuit is to reach a high intensity so keep the number of exercises low. 5 - 6 exercises is all that is needed. To make the session long enough you can increase the number of sets. Start with 3 sets and as you get stronger you can increase the number of sets to four or five.

Rest Periods

It is important to keep the rests between exercises short. Select exercises that flow easily into each other with minimal disruption. You should not have longer than 10 seconds between exercises. At the end of a set, you can have up to 2 minutes rest before starting again.

Barbell Metabolic Resistance Training Circuit

Gareth’s circuit makes use of a Barbell with plates. The order of the exercise is structured so it is easy to transition from one exercise to the next with minimum transition time. Below are the exercises with the muscles that are targeted.

Barbell Row - Major muscles of the back including latissimus dorsi, trapezius and posterior deltoids.

Barbell Deadlift - This hip dominant exercise predominantly works the glutes, hamstrings and lower back muscles such as the multifidus.

High Pull - While it might look like an upper body workout, this exercise target the hamstring, glutes, quadriceps as well as the shoulders and lower back.

Push Press - The deltoids and triceps push the bar above your head with assistance from the glutes and quads.

Back Squat - This knee dominant exercise works mainly the glutes, quads and hamstring.

Metabolic resistance training circuits provide you with plenty bang for your buck. You don’t need a lot of space or a large range of gym equipment to get a good workout in. Give Gareth’s barbell circuit a go or create your own circuit. Just apply the principles of how to structure a training program and you will be able to maximise the calorie burn, get stronger and save time.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout