A Thoughtful Approach to Metabolic Conditioning- Part 1

In the quest for fatloss, one training method which has become increasingly popular of late is metabolic conditioning.

While this type of training is utilized to describe everything from Crossfit (enough said about that) to circuit training, the best definition I have come across is “training which stressed multiple energy systems through a combination of strength, power and cardiovascular endurance training”


In laymen’s speak, this means timed circuits or intervals consisting of bodyweight or strength training exercises performed at high intensity.

An example may look something like this:

Push ups- 8 reps
Jump squats- 8 reps
Pull ups- 8 reps
30 yd sprint
• Perform this circuit as many times as possible in eight minutes

This method is great for fatloss, but it is also powerful medicine for clients unfamiliar with intense training and must be taken in doses.

While anyone can throw together a circuit, far more important is the ability to scale conditioning for various populations.

At Peak Fitness, we have found the easiest method of doing so is duration. With most new and healthy clients, this begins in our first workout assessment is our “work capacity” test.

This test consists of a simple six minute timed circuit designed to test the client’s ability to perform vigorous work. Assumig we are not dealing with any orthopedic issues, the circuit consists of:

- Push presses- 8 reps
- Step ups- 8 reps
- Inverted rows- 8 reps
- Burpees- 2 reps

The client is instructed to perform as many rounds as possible in six minutes. Some things we observe in this assessment include:

- visual indicators such as the client’s expression, level of fatigue, and how many times they stop to get water
- Rounds completed

After this assessment, we now have an idea of where to begin on our metabolic totem pole. While I will delve further in to program design for this type of training in later posts, our scaling looks something like this:

L1 Client- 8-10 minutes
L2 Client- 12-15 minutes
L3- Client- 15-22 minutes
L4- Client- 22-30 minutes

In order to monitor clients, we will re-test every thirty days with a clearing exam for each level.

While we never go beyond a thirty minute workout with this type of training, reaching this level of conditioning is an amazing feat and really builds a sense of accomplishment amongst our troops.

Join me for my next post in which I talk about the similarities and differences in programming for Metcons versus strength training and how to successfully blend both for optimal body comp change.