Metabolic training is a type of intense training that helps athletes push past plateaus for peak sports performance. Metabolic training is also used by individuals who want to push their limits and challenge themselves to gain personal fitness and blast calories while building endurance and stamina. Metabolic exercises such as HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is one way to train for peak performance and maximum calorie burn.
A metabolic fitness specialist can help you create a series of exercises using HIIT as part of your fitness program. High-intensity interval training involves high-impact aerobic exercises that get your heart rate up fast and holds it for a specific amount of time, such as three minutes. After the timed aerobic session is up, you switch to a recovery anaerobic timed work out, such as lifting weights and then switch back to aerobic conditioning. A popular ratio is 3:1 or 3-minutes aerobic to 1-minute anaerobic, but you can personally modify those ratios to fit your specific needs.
A popular combination of metabolic training uses plyometric exercises such as scissor jumps or lunges for the aerobic interval. These exercises use your larger leg muscles and core for proper form and the power comes from the larger supporting muscles. These types of exercises also build stability, stamina, and endurance. Using light weights for overhead presses or triceps extensions can be used for the anaerobic interval and complements the body by continuing to build strength and stability, but gives the larger leg muscles a small recovery break in-between those challenging aerobic intervals. Individuals who practice metabolic training see results more quickly than other types of workouts and have the greatest increase in athletic performance. Military fitness programs also utilize metabolic training to get military members into shape quickly and to improve overall stamina and levels of personal fitness.
Metabolic training can be used for all ages and can have accommodations made for all levels of fitness so it can be used for general fitness or for sport specific conditioning. If you are new to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), contact a local personal trainer in your area to help create a personalized fitness plan to fit your specific fitness goals.
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