Some group fitness classes definitely make us work harder than we would on our own, but in others, we barely break a sweat. Thankfully MetCon3 , an interval-based, total-body class offered at Equinox gyms, fell into the first group: Afterward we were soaked in sweat and feeling a lot stronger OK, and more sore than when we walked in. Studies show this type of high-intensity interval-style training can boost aerboic fitness as much as longer cardio sessions and improve muscular endurance and increase metabolism more than cardio can by itself.
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Turbocharge your metabolism and sculpt lean muscle all over with this incredibly effective plan inspired by one of Equinox's most popular classes. It's easy to see why MetCon3 is one of Equinox's most popular group fitness classes. The high-intensity metabolic conditioning workout taxes all three of the body's energy systems phosphagen, glycol, and oxidative to help you torch fat in record time. That's why we asked certified instructor Rachel Buschert to put together an at-home version of the insanely effective workout. Now you can get the MetCon3 experience without setting foot inside a gym though if you have an Equinox location near you, we highly recommend trying this addictive class in person too. How it works: After the warm-up, perform 1 set of each exercise back to back. Repeat the full circuit twice more, resting 1 to 2 minutes between rounds.
THE EXERCISES
You push the body to its limit. MetCon, as it is known, uses aerobic and anaerobic activity, along with cardiovascular training and resistance training designed to exert every muscle in the body. Class are so hardcore they only last 45min and this includes a warm up and cool down. Not knowing what to expect I opt for the lightest bar 4kg , 3kg dumbells and a 6kg medicine ball. The class consists of 10 exercises ranging from jumping lunges whilst using the medicine ball to chop from side-to-side to one handed press ups on the ball. We do each exercise for 60 seconds straight through and then rest for 60 seconds. We then repeat the 10 exercises twice more.
I took the kids winter coat shopping yesterday and it was not a good time. And I was pretty pleased with myself. Description from the Equinox : This high-intensity metabolic conditioning workout taxes all three energy systems and acts like a fat-incinerator to ensure results that leave you fit and motivated for the demands of your life. The heart of the class was 10 different exercises done for 1 minute each repeated 3 times. During the first set there was a necessary instructional break between exercises. The next two sets flowed from one exercise to the next using music with warning beeps and then a horn to indicate it was time to move onto the next exercise. Yup, I googled it for you. Finished with some bonus work of 20 push-ups no knees allowed, reduce the quantity or take a break instead and then jumping a huge jump forward with the bench in between your legs and four small hops backward while holding a large dumbbell, then stretching. We did pick our own weights which makes the weight work easy to modify. Richard is also a fantastic instructor.
