Developing Your Metabolic Conditioning Circuit

The purpose of metabolic conditioning is to maximize the efficiency of a particular energy system to perform better in sports or develop your desired physique. One added benefit is the increase of caloric burn even after the workout is finished. Such a high intensity during the session increases EPOC and leads to a higher resting metabolism for the next few hours according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The effectiveness of your metabolic conditioning is determined by the specificity in the work to rest ratios. The key is finding out exactly what you’re trying to improve. If your goal is to play better in the weekend-warrior football scrimmage – you’re better off working in the intermediate pathway since it closely mimics the demands of the sport (20 second plays with about a 40-50 second rest). However, if your goal were to become better at endurance exercise, you would be better off incorporating longer circuits with minimal rest in between exercises. Keep in mind that the intensity of the set should remain as high as possible throughout the specified work duration. In order to elicit the desired response, the body must be pushed in terms of performance.

Rather than focusing solely on the intensity of the circuit, take into account the rest periods between working bouts. If your goal is to enhance the intermediate system, it’s important that you allow enough time to recover between sets (two to three minutes). Repeating the exercise bout any sooner runs the risk of lowering intensity and turning the workout into an aerobic session. To get the most out of your metabolic conditioning workout, use total body exercises with moderate loads that still allow you to use proper form.