If your workout includes bouts of tough, heart-rate-revving work interspersed with very little rest it becomes “metabolic.” That means you ramp up the amount of calories you burn during the workout and maximize calorie burn after the workout. This high-intensity metabolic circuit, created by Jungin Jung, C.S.C.S., from SoHo Strength Lab, is exactly that. To make this routine crazy effective, Jung capitalized on two old-school pieces of equipment: a medicine ball and resistance bands. The first five metabolic exercises are done with a light- to moderate-weight medicine ball and will help you burn fat, maximize your power output, and forge a rock-solid core. The second round of metabolic exercises comprise moves done with light to moderate resistance bands, which will trigger fat loss as well as improve your athletic performance. In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Prescription: Complete the medicine ball exercises, then move right into the resistance band moves (following the recommended rest for each). Once you complete the circuit, take 2-3 minutes rest, then repeat for a total of 2-3 rounds. Note: It’s best not to plan high-intensity resistance training on back-to-back days. You don’t want to exhaust or overtrain your muscles (which will take vital energy away from your workout anyway). You want to give your body enough time to recover, so plan to do this metabolic circuit two to three days a week with lower-intensity cardio or strength training in between. Always factor in your fitness and comfort level when gauging the frequency and intensity of your workouts.
Metabolic medicine ball exercises
- MB clean and press Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: With the medicine ball in both hands, squat down and touch the ball to the ground; then, explosively thrust up with your legs and hips, cleaning the ball (generating pull power through your arms and shoulders) up to waist-level, pausing again in a squat position to get more power from your trunk. From here, press the medicine ball up over your head. Make sure you’re bracing your core throughout the entire movement.
- MB chest throw (supine position) Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Lie down with your back flat on the ground and your heels planted fairly close to your glutes. Keep your head on the ground and retract your shoulder blades down your back. Explode the ball up, extending through your elbows; then, catch the ball with both hands. You want to throw the ball straight up as high as possible while maintaining control. (You don’t want to throw it halfway across the room—the point is to keep a steady rhythm.)
- MB situp and throw Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Position yourself a few feet in front of a wall. With your heels planted (or feet elevated off the ground for a greater challenge) and arms extended overhead with the medicine ball, perform a situp while simultaneously throwing the ball against the wall as you reach the top of the movement. Pause and catch the ball with both hands, then lower down to the start position. Note: You can also work with a buddy. Throw the medicine ball to him/her rather than tossing it against a wall.
- MB half kneeling rotary throw Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Assume a half-kneeling position so you’re a few feet away from a wall. (You want to be parallel, not facing it.) Your right leg is kneeling on the ground and your left leg is “up” (foot planted, knee at 90 degrees like an exaggerated lunge). Hold the medicine ball down by your outside (right) hip, then twist left and throw the ball against the wall. Catch and freeze a bit before lowering back down toward your hip. Throughout the exercise, focus on putting the majority of your weight on your inside leg (the one closest to the wall) and keeping it as still as possible. Keep your core tight and back tall to protect your spine.
- Single leg MB overhead throw Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee, hovering your other foot just above the ground. Hold a medicine ball—at chest-level—in the palms of your hands. Point your elbows out and throw the ball overhead, catch, then bring it back to the start position. Really focus on keeping your standing leg stable; you don’t want your knee collapsing inward, but you should expect some minor shaking as you maintain balance. Always keep your eyes on the medicine ball, too.
Metabolic resistance band exercises *For exercises 1, 2, and 4, wrap a resistance band around a fixed object like a beam or pole in the gym or in a park/track, then feed the band through itself to create a knot, securing it to your anchor. (Depending on the band, you might need to loop it through a few times to get the right resistance.) Knot another resistance band through the free loop on the anchored band, and slip the large opening around your hips.
- RB shuffle run Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: Stand so the resistance band is anchored against your right hip. Crouch down so you’re low to the ground and bring your hands up. Side shuffle out to the right, working on your speed and explosiveness, then lead with your left leg on the return as you shuffle back to the starting point. You can even work on deceleration by squatting and touching the ground as you come back to really target your glutes.
- RB vertical jump Reps: 10 Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: You can set this up one of two ways. (Here’s a tutorial.) Option 1 requires a heavy dumbbell and two skinny resistance bands. Loop one band through itself and cinch down to secure an end to the handle of a dumbbell. Repeat this step on the second band. Stand with the dumbbell between your legs (it should be parallel to your feet). Step both feet through the resistance bands and loop both ends over either shoulder. Option two only requires two skinny resistance bands. Create an “X” pattern with the bands. Step on one band with your right food and loop the other end over your left shoulder; then step on the second band with your left foot, looping the other end over your right shoulder. To make sure the bands stay in place on your feet, double up the loops, wrapping them once more around the front of your feet. Assume a shoulder-width stance and explode up as you jump. Swing your arms to help with momentum and keeping balance. And make sure you’re landing lightly!
- RB high knee run 15 sec Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: With a resistance band around the front of your hips, walk forward to build tension. Lean forward against the band and work explosive high knees so you’re effectively sprinting in place. Make sure you pump your arms through the movement to help drive your knees, and land on the balls of your feet.
- RB forward acceleration, deceleration Reps: 10 Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: Fix a resistance band on the front of your hips. Sprint forward, freeze when the band is at full tension, then decelerate and backtrack until the band loses tension. You want to go slowly on the deceleration, fighting against the band rather than having it yank you back. This drill mimics that acceleration and deceleration needed for sports like basketball or football where an athlete is sprinting at full capacity, then decelerating and breaking away before sprinting in another direction.
- RB pushup Reps: 10 Rest: 45sec How to do it: Wrap a resistance band across your back and shoulders so your palms are resting in the loops on either end (like in the photo above). Assume a regular pushup position. Your hands will anchor the resistance band, creating tension.
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If your workout includes bouts of tough, heart-rate-revving work interspersed with very little rest it becomes “metabolic.” That means you ramp up the amount of calories you burn during the workout and maximize calorie burn after the workout.
This high-intensity metabolic circuit, created by Jungin Jung, C.S.C.S., from SoHo Strength Lab, is exactly that. To make this routine crazy effective, Jung capitalized on two old-school pieces of equipment: a medicine ball and resistance bands. The first five metabolic exercises are done with a light- to moderate-weight medicine ball and will help you burn fat, maximize your power output, and forge a rock-solid core. The second round of metabolic exercises comprise moves done with light to moderate resistance bands, which will trigger fat loss as well as improve your athletic performance.
In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Prescription: Complete the medicine ball exercises, then move right into the resistance band moves (following the recommended rest for each). Once you complete the circuit, take 2-3 minutes rest, then repeat for a total of 2-3 rounds.
Note: It’s best not to plan high-intensity resistance training on back-to-back days. You don’t want to exhaust or overtrain your muscles (which will take vital energy away from your workout anyway). You want to give your body enough time to recover, so plan to do this metabolic circuit two to three days a week with lower-intensity cardio or strength training in between. Always factor in your fitness and comfort level when gauging the frequency and intensity of your workouts.
Metabolic medicine ball exercises
1. MB clean and press
Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: With the medicine ball in both hands, squat down and touch the ball to the ground; then, explosively thrust up with your legs and hips, cleaning the ball (generating pull power through your arms and shoulders) up to waist-level, pausing again in a squat position to get more power from your trunk. From here, press the medicine ball up over your head. Make sure you’re bracing your core throughout the entire movement.
2. MB chest throw (supine position)
Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Lie down with your back flat on the ground and your heels planted fairly close to your glutes. Keep your head on the ground and retract your shoulder blades down your back. Explode the ball up, extending through your elbows; then, catch the ball with both hands. You want to throw the ball straight up as high as possible while maintaining control. (You don’t want to throw it halfway across the room—the point is to keep a steady rhythm.)
3. MB situp and throw
Reps: 10 Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Position yourself a few feet in front of a wall. With your heels planted (or feet elevated off the ground for a greater challenge) and arms extended overhead with the medicine ball, perform a situp while simultaneously throwing the ball against the wall as you reach the top of the movement. Pause and catch the ball with both hands, then lower down to the start position. Note: You can also work with a buddy. Throw the medicine ball to him/her rather than tossing it against a wall.
4. MB half kneeling rotary throw
Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Assume a half-kneeling position so you’re a few feet away from a wall. (You want to be parallel, not facing it.) Your right leg is kneeling on the ground and your left leg is “up” (foot planted, knee at 90 degrees like an exaggerated lunge). Hold the medicine ball down by your outside (right) hip, then twist left and throw the ball against the wall. Catch and freeze a bit before lowering back down toward your hip. Throughout the exercise, focus on putting the majority of your weight on your inside leg (the one closest to the wall) and keeping it as still as possible. Keep your core tight and back tall to protect your spine.
5. Single leg MB overhead throw
Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 30 sec How to do it: Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee, hovering your other foot just above the ground. Hold a medicine ball—at chest-level—in the palms of your hands. Point your elbows out and throw the ball overhead, catch, then bring it back to the start position. Really focus on keeping your standing leg stable; you don’t want your knee collapsing inward, but you should expect some minor shaking as you maintain balance. Always keep your eyes on the medicine ball, too.
Metabolic resistance band exercises
*For exercises 1, 2, and 4, wrap a resistance band around a fixed object like a beam or pole in the gym or in a park/track, then feed the band through itself to create a knot, securing it to your anchor. (Depending on the band, you might need to loop it through a few times to get the right resistance.) Knot another resistance band through the free loop on the anchored band, and slip the large opening around your hips.
1. RB shuffle run
Reps: Each side x 10 (20 total) Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: Stand so the resistance band is anchored against your right hip. Crouch down so you’re low to the ground and bring your hands up. Side shuffle out to the right, working on your speed and explosiveness, then lead with your left leg on the return as you shuffle back to the starting point. You can even work on deceleration by squatting and touching the ground as you come back to really target your glutes.
2. RB vertical jump
Reps: 10 Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: You can set this up one of two ways. (Here’s a tutorial.) Option 1 requires a heavy dumbbell and two skinny resistance bands. Loop one band through itself and cinch down to secure an end to the handle of a dumbbell. Repeat this step on the second band. Stand with the dumbbell between your legs (it should be parallel to your feet). Step both feet through the resistance bands and loop both ends over either shoulder. Option two only requires two skinny resistance bands. Create an “X” pattern with the bands. Step on one band with your right food and loop the other end over your left shoulder; then step on the second band with your left foot, looping the other end over your right shoulder. To make sure the bands stay in place on your feet, double up the loops, wrapping them once more around the front of your feet.
Assume a shoulder-width stance and explode up as you jump. Swing your arms to help with momentum and keeping balance. And make sure you’re landing lightly!
3. RB high knee run
15 sec Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: With a resistance band around the front of your hips, walk forward to build tension. Lean forward against the band and work explosive high knees so you’re effectively sprinting in place. Make sure you pump your arms through the movement to help drive your knees, and land on the balls of your feet.
4. RB forward acceleration, deceleration
Reps: 10 Rest: 45-60sec How to do it: Fix a resistance band on the front of your hips. Sprint forward, freeze when the band is at full tension, then decelerate and backtrack until the band loses tension. You want to go slowly on the deceleration, fighting against the band rather than having it yank you back. This drill mimics that acceleration and deceleration needed for sports like basketball or football where an athlete is sprinting at full capacity, then decelerating and breaking away before sprinting in another direction.
5. RB pushup
Reps: 10 Rest: 45sec How to do it: Wrap a resistance band across your back and shoulders so your palms are resting in the loops on either end (like in the photo above). Assume a regular pushup position. Your hands will anchor the resistance band, creating tension.
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