Top 10 Exercises for Metabolism

QUICKSTART 3 Types of Exercise: Cardio, Strength, and Yin Top 10 Exercises for Metabolism: Squats, Jumping Jacks, Lunges, Planks, Mountain Climbers, Pushups, Side Plank, Burpees , Skater’s Lunge, Jackknife Crunches

For best results we recommend working with a personal trainer to establish your fitness goals and the best routine to get you to your goal. There are 3 types of exercise which include: 1. Cardio, 2. Strength Training and 3. Yin. A balance of 3 is ideal to get lean, fit and energized while at the same time preventing injury. (1)  For a balanced fitness routine it is important to incorporate all 3 types at the same frequency.

CARDIO

Cardio training is working in your Training Heart Zone (THZ) for at least 30 minutes minimally 3 times a week and ideally daily. Cardio training is aerobic exercise that uses large muscle groups and causes your body to use more oxygen that it would while resting (1) The goal of cardio training is to increase your cardiovascular endurance. (2) Examples of cardio training include: cycling, swimming, brisk walking, skipping rope, rowing, hiking, tennis and running. (1)

STRENGTH

Strength or Resistance training is anaerobic and can firm, strengthen and tone your muscles as well as improve bones strength, balance and coordination. (1)  Examples of strength anaerobic training are: weight lifting, interval training, sprinting, pushups, lunges and bicep curls using dumbbells. (1)

Weights: Ideally in weight lifting you are  using  a weight amount called your Strength Training Weight (STW) which is 60-70% of your one repetition max.

STW= 1 Rep Max (lbs. or kg.)  X 0.6-0.7

For example if you can do only one bicep curl with a 20 lb. weight using good form and would find it difficult to do more. Then your STW= 20lbs. X 0.6-0.7= 12-14 lbs.

Exercises: These are chosen based on the areas of your body that you wish to strengthen and for balanced muscle groups i.e. flexors and extensors (biceps and triceps)

Repetitions: The number of times you repeat a given exercise.

Sets: The number of times you repeat the full set of exercises.

For a workout it is recommended to choose:

• EXERCISES: 7-8
• REPETITIONS: 8-12
• SETS: 3

YIN/STRETCHING

We’ve all seen people who tend to overdo it or over train, then are burnt out or get an injury limiting their ability to continue to exercise or compete.  Chances are if your workouts are leaving you with injuries or are stressing you out, you just don’t have the right balance. Exercise as well as other aspects in your health are all about balance. Yin exercises help to relax the body and rebuild the adrenal glands.  Yin exercises include stretching, yoga, Pilates, gentle walking and hydrotherapy (i.e. Scandinavian Spa-cycles of hot, cold and relaxation… yes you get a prescription to go to the spa!) Flexibility exercises stretch and lengthen your muscles. (1) Activities such as stretching help to improve joint joint flexibility and keep muscles limber. (1) The goal is to improve the range of motion which can reduce the chance of injury. (1)(2)

 TOP 10 METABOLISM BOOSTING & STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISES

The best workouts are always going to be those that consist of moves that engage multiple large muscle groups. You can easily take a simple, conventional toning move and turn it into something more efficient that gives you the most bang for your buck for every moment that you spend on your workout. While it takes a lot of different kinds of training to reach well rounded fitness (strength training, cardio, stretching, etc) total body strength training and HIIT (high intensity interval training) are best for burning off body fat quickly. Apply this concept to the exercises that make up your routines and they become dynamic, fat burning workouts.

For example, consider the bicep curl. It is an extremely effective basic strength training or toning movement, however, 3 sets of them is not exactly going to crank up your calorie burning furnace or cancel out that cheeseburger and microbrew you had for dinner last night. Instead of isolating just the bicep, you could combine the move with a lunge to significantly boost the caloric burn, and simultaneously tone your lower body.  Tip: focus on your breath vs how hard the exercise is and your body will surprise you! Here are some of the best bodyweight-only exercises that use multiple muscle groups:

EXERCISE

METHOD

STAND: with your feet 6-12 inches wider than your shoulders and point your toes outward at around a 45° angle.SIT: Sit as if you are sitting in a chair, keeping your weight in your heels and ensuring your knees don’t go over your heels and you have a straight back. Lower your hips until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground (or as close as you can get), then slowly return to a standing position. RepeatTARGET:  Strength, Total especially thighs & butt, helps to build explosive speed!Beginner: http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Squat-Sumo/4c/ Advanced: Add a jump! Video Jumping Squats  http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Squat-Jump/62/

 

	STAND: Feet together and arms by your sides JUMP: Spreading your feet and raising your arms, landing with your legs spread about 2-3 feet apart and your arms directly over your head.   Repeat TIP: Add this between your strength training to keep your caloric burn high. TARGET: Cardio, Total Video: Jumping Jacks http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Jumping-Jacks/5b/
	STEP: forward so one food is roughly 3-4 feet in front of the other. (keep your front knee above your ankle and back knee almost touching the ground) REPEAT: with other side Beginner: As above Moderate: Add a weight to each hand OR add a reverse leg raise between Advanced: Add a JUMP between lunges when switching positions. Video: Jumping Lunges http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Lunge-Jumping/43/ Lunges with Reverse Leg Raise http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Reverse-Lunge-with-Rear-Leg-Raise/5r/ TARGET: Cardio & Strength , Lower Body, High Metabolism Burning, Balance
	PLANT: Elbows directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder-width apart) like you’re about to do a push-up, knees bentTOES: Place toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilize the body. Keep the back straight by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond the hands. Your head will be in line with your back. HOLD: for 20 seconds + (work your way up) & SING! Focusing on your breath Advanced: Legs straight with knees straight TARGET: Strength, core Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHQmRINu4jU
	PUSH UP: Start on your hands and toes, in a push up position. KNEE UP: Hold this position and bring one knee up as far underneath your body and towards your chest as you can. At the top of the motion, let your foot touch the ground momentarily, and then extend your leg back out to the starting position. Repeat with other knee. Continue repeating. TARGET: Total, abs, arms, hamstrings, gluts & quads Video: Mountain Climbers http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Mt-Climbers-Lv-1-/44/
	PLANK: Start with a plank with arms directly under your chest and knees bent on the floorPUSH DOWN: Allow your arms to bend moving close to the floor PUSH UP: Push your body up while keeping the back straight and head in line. Repet Moderate: Keep legs straight Push Ups Advanced: Single Leg Push Up http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Pilates-Leg-Pull-Facing-Down-Lv-2-/6c/ TARGET: Strength, Total Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E
	LIE: on your right side with your knees bent and feet stacked. PROP: Up your lower body on your forearm and elbow pressing your shoulder down and away from your neck. Inhale. PLANK: Exhale, lifting your hips up into a side plank so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe with only the right forearm, knee and foot touching the ground. Place your left hand on your hip and keep the line from shoulder to shoulder perpendicular to the ground. Inhale. Repeat repetitions, then with other side. Advanced: Exhale, and raise the left leg up as high as you can, then inhale as you lower it back down to hover over the right foot. When all repetitions are complete, repeat on the opposite side. Side Planks with Leg Raises http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Pilates-Side-Plank-with-Leg-Raise-Lv-1-/5d/ TARGET: Strength, Outer thighs, obliques and deltoids
	SQUAT: From a standing position, squat down, placing your hands palms down on the ground just outside of your feet. KICK FEET BACK: Keep your hands in place and quickly hop both feet straight back to go into a push up position.SQUAT: Quickly hop your feet back under your body JUMP: Stand up and then jump Repeat. Video: Burpees http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Burpee-Lv-1-/4t/ Beginner: Remove pushup Advanced: Increase speed & Combine with a pushup TARGT: Cardio & Strength, Full body (core, upper body & legs), L level 3 (hard but works!)
	STAND: with feet together, arms at sides. SIDE LUNGE: Jump as far to the right side as possible, landing on only your right foot. Extend left foot behind supporting right leg and tap the ground. SIDE LUNGE: Directly after the left foot touches the ground, push off with the right foot, leading with and landing on just the left leg; now tap the right foot behind the body. Repeat, jumping left to right until you have completed all repetitions.TARGET: Strength, Total, hips, butt, thighs, ankle, knee, joints, VIP to prevent injuries for runners, soccer, football, basketball, skiing, snowboarding, speed skating (bc builds strength of knees, outer thighs) Video: Lateral Jumps http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Lateral-Jumps-Lv-1-/3k/
	LIE: on your back with your arms extended above your head and your legs extended straight out in the opposite direction. CONTRACT: your core muscles and push your lower back against the mat. Raise your knees up above your hip joint, then extend your legs straight. Simultaneously crunch upwards, reaching towards your toes.LOWER:Slowly lower back down, keeping your arms and legs straight and hovering them just off the ground before repeating the motion. Continue the motion for a set number of repetitions or a set time period. TARGET: Strength, core (upper & lower-often hard to target lower) Video:Jackknife Crunches http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/exercise-detail/Crunch-Jack-Knife-Lv-1-/68/

HIIT TRAINING

Want to get the best bang for your buck? HIIT Training or High intensity interval training workouts that use short bursts of very intense activity to bump up your metabolism, burn fat, and even build lean muscle to some extent – many of these require no equipment at all. HIIT Training uses both cardio and strength training. All you need to do then is add the YIN balance and you’re all set! It’s again best to work with a personal trainer for best results and prevention of injury.

VIDEO OPTIONS:

HIIT and Strength Training Combined – HIIT and strength combinations to make for quick fitness gains and very sore muscles (in the best way possible). Examples:

• P90x – Beachbody.com
• Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred: Level 1 – YouTube
• 35 Minute Total Body Toning Strength and HIIT Cardio Workout – You vs You
• Build a Booty Workout – 27 Minute Butt and Thigh Workout for a Round Lifted Butt & Great Legs
• Upper Body Superset Workout with Fat Burning Cardio Intervals – Arm, Chest, Back & Shoulder Workout

HIIT Training Video Options: Examples:

• 45 Minute HIIT Cardio and Abs Workout – Insane At Home Fat Burner – Interval Cardio Training and Core
• Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout Round 2 – Advanced Workout to Push Your Limits
• Butt and Abs Tabata Workout – Fat Blasting Cardio Interval Workout

 

Total Body Strength Training – Lift heavily enough to challenge yourself and you will raise your metabolism around the clock, making it easier to stay lean. Examples:

• Kelli’s Superset Total Body Strength Workout: Calorie Torching, Muscle Building, Fat Burning Workout
• Non-Stop Endurance Kettlebell Workout – 33 Minute Total Body Kettlebell Routine
• Total Body Boot Camp Workout for Lean Muscles – Work for What You Want

Fitness Blender 1000 Calorie Workout Videos – A Fitness Blender Signature workout video; brutal workout videos that burn 1000 calories – for advanced exercisers only. Examples:

• 1000 Calorie Workout Video – Fitness Blender’s 84 Minute HIIT Cardio, Strength, & Abs
• 1000 Calorie Workout Video: 94 Minute Insane Bodyweight Workout Challenge – Attempt at Your Own Risk
• 1000 Calorie Workout Video: HIIT, Strength Training, Abs and Obliques Workout to Burn 1000 Calories

 

YIN EXERCISES VIDEO EXAMPLES

• Yoga For Beginners Morning with Rodney Yee – YouTube
• Rodney Yee: Yoga
• Online Yoga Videos – Unlimited Yoga Classes, Anytime‎
• http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/gear/dvds/best-yoga-dvds/

 

REFERENCES

1. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (June 2006). “Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart”. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. O’Connor D., Crowe M., Spinks W. (2005). “Effects of static stretching on leg capacity during cycling”. Turin 46 (1): 52–56.
3. http://www.fitnessblender.com

 

 

 

• Contact Us

  • Top 10 Exercises for Metabolism