Metabolic Bodyweight Circuits

Are you ready?

Metabolic bodyweight circuits. The name implies sound scientific protocols applied by guys in white
lab coats on subjects hooked up to multiple monitors.

While this may be how we discover the effectiveness, or uselessness of certain exercise modalities, (read: Tabata vs. long slow cardio for the average person,) here we can just say that this is going to be a kick-ass workout that tests your strength-endurance and cardiovascular endurance.

Of course, it will also leave you in that lovely state of EPOC, or excess post exercise oxygen consumption. But don't worry, you'll recover, eventually.

So, on to the B-WOD.

Warm-up:

Light jog, you'll need this as a specific dynamic warm-up for what's to come. Aim for ~10 minutes going easy.

Joint rotations. Always, always do mobility exercises. If you need a refresher on this, you can review here.

Circuit 1:

*I recommend having a space at least 15-20 feet long, and outside would be ideal.

• Leg raises. Plain Jane. Lying on floor, hands at your sides. Do 1, hold in the up position for 3 seconds. Do 2, hold for 6 seconds. Do 3, hold for 9 seconds. See where this is going? Try to make it up to ten. 

(By the way, these are not necessarily scientifically derived multiples of 3, I just happen to know that having to exert muscular strain for longer and longer periods takes serious mental and physical effort.)

If 10 is laughable to you, keep going and do as many as possible. The second you can't raise or hold your legs 8 inches off the ground, jump up and do:

• Burpees: x10-20 (or 5, scale it to your failure rate.)

Once you've pushed your limit on Burpees, start crawling:

• Bear Crawl: If you have 15-20 feet, try to make the 2-3 round trips. If you are doing this outside, aim for 25 feet out and 25 back. Again, if you can bear crawl a football field, that's what you do. 

*Keep going until you can't crawl any further.

When you reach the end of your crawling, stop, in a push-up plank that is (you'll be tempted to rest, but don't, you can do this!)

• Push-up Plank: How long? Beginners could crumble at 10 seconds or less, but if you've ever done more that 2 core sessions involving planks, you should be doing no less that 30 seconds at a time.

• No sagging pelvis.
• Tuck the belly up and in.
• Shoulder blades are engaged, not shrugging.
• Head neutral.
• Engage lats by pushing hands hard into the ground and shoulders back until you feel the lats flexing. 
• **You can switch between pushup planks and elbow planks for this. Just maintain solid form and serious contracting. It is even easier to engage the upper back in the elbow plank by pulling elbows down and back, keeping them on the floor of course. 

The strong athlete can aim for 1-2 minutes, while you elites out there are welcome to go for world records. 

Keep this in mind: If you are contracting everything in the plank, abdominals, glutes, lats, etc., you are not going to last as long as if you just tightened your stomach enough to keep from sagging. 

More effort-less time-stronger core.

Now you can rest, AFTER you repeat this circuit at least 2 more times. Advanced and show-offs, if you are ready for more when you finish 3 rounds, you didn't push hard enough!

Seriously, if you do leg raises/holds until your muscles fail, followed by Burpees to failure, then Bear Crawls and fully contracted planks until you literally drop to the ground, 3 rounds will be enough.

Keep going, you're halfway there.

Circuit 2:

You'll be glad you skipped those extra rounds anyway, because we're not quite done yet. 

This circuit is best done outdoors, but if you have to stay in, use a treadmill or a spin bike.

This is the deal, it's very simple:

After a nice stretch, and about 3-5 minutes rest after Circuit 1, do:

• 400 meter sprints (or your fastest run at least, unless you're a seasoned track athlete.)
• BW Squatsx20

Repeat this circuit 4 times. As always, the repetitions are a guideline, if you don't start feeling bodyweight squats until you hit 50, then get to that number and then sprint. If you get to 10 and need help standing up, then that's fine too.

*Also, 400 meters is one lap around a standard collegiate track, or about a 1/4 mile. You don't need to go further if this isn't enough, you need to go harder. You can work on your long distance time trials another day.

Now, if you happen to be lying flat on your back on the ground, I recommend doing some back bridges to stretch out those hip flexors, followed by deep lunge stretches, followed by the Camel posture or Beautiful Thunderbolt if you know your yoga.

That's it! Post your results in the comments below!

Core, Legs, Triceps BW Workout Routine

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Today's workout is courtesy of the pain in my shaking legs for two hours after I was finished. It stems from two things I enjoy when working out: A lack of any pre-determined sets and reps, and exercises that flow together in a seamless fashion. A little further explanation:

My bodyweight routines tend to have a loose structure with a general goal in mind. For example, this workout I wanted to do several sets of pushups, work squats until my quads screamed and get warm enough to do some yoga poses. The overall goal was to go until my muscles, in particular my triceps, chest and legs, were spent. Here was the result, more or less...

Warm-up: Sun salutations, half moon to both sides and back, sun salutations then immediately to...

Modified Hindu Push-ups: Upward facing dog to child's pose. Then:

Pushups: This started as regular pushups, then progressed to walking pushups. Like this: Do a pushup,  walk both hands one 'step' to the right, do a pushup. Then repeat on other side. Always do a pushup in the center.

Quad Sit-ups? From resting on your knees with your butt on your heels, use your quads to pull your body up to kneeling. Keep the glutes and stomach tight. Sit back down and repeat.

When you can't do another, immediately pitch forward and do more of the pushups as done above.

When you have had enough of this (I lasted about three rounds for ??? reps) do:

Pushup to Extended Side Arm Plank: Do a pushup and press up into an extended side arm plank. That is, the arm on the bottom and top are extended. Repeat on both sides until you can't do another one.

Elephant Walkout: At this point the memory gets hazy, so this may not be the exact order. However, these are great for the core. Stand up straight, reach your hands straight to the floor and walk out as far as you can go. All the way to a Superman plank if possible. Walk back the way you came. Do this several times and try to progress to:

Iron Cross Plank: Once fully extended, or close to it, walk your hands out to your sides. The goal is to have them parallel with the shoulders and the arms still extended. The reality is it will probably take you a while to do it that way! But try just the same. It's fun, and effective.

Now at this point you may feel like you need a break, but don't stop for water just yet! Instead, bring your arms in, drop to your elbows, keeping them extended in front of your shoulders, and press off the floor. These are basically triceps extensions, adjust your arms to place the emphasis on the triceps.

I can't tell you how long this went on for, or whether or not I left out some exercises. But this is how I finished:

Balanced Leg Extensions


Stand straight with hands on hips. Bring your right knee up as far as you can (your chest is ideal). Make your other leg strong and press it into the ground. From here, extend your right leg straight out in front of you. Try to hold it for at least 3 seconds.

Without putting the leg down, bring your knee back to your chest, turn the hip over and push the leg out to the side as straight as possible, driving with the heel. For you 'tae kwon do fans, this is a side kick.

Bring the knee back to the starting position and press it straight backwards. Hold each position for several seconds, and always struve to keep the leg at waist height.

With all three positions done, you can lower the leg to the ground. Now repeat on the other side. Remember to move slowly and in perfect form. Think 3 seconds to extension, 3 seconds hold, 3 seconds back to flexed position.

Do as many sets/rounds of these exercises as you need to get a thorough workout. Push yourself to get the best results. Feel like something is missing? Throw your own favorite in between these movements! Especially if it flows.

For more on the Elephant Walk-Out, click here:

 Bodyweight Workout Routine: Whole Body Conditioning

For more on pushup variations, read these:

MosLadder: The Mother of All Chest Workouts???

Every Pushup Exercise you can Think of and the Celebrities Who do them

Bodyweight Workout Routine: Whole Body Conditioning

This bodyweight workout is intended to get your metabolism pumping, your heart rate up and multiple muscle groups activated. Warm-up thoroughly with a slow and easy version of the intervals here, or do joint rotations and sun salutations for a few minutes.

For instruction on these warm-ups, click here:

Follow these general guidelines based on your individual fitness level:

-Beginners (little or no regular exercise, otherwise healthy.) 2 rounds, resting longer between exercises if necessary.

-Intermediate (some regular exercise, regular exposure to strenuous exercise.) 3 rounds minimum, rest longer between intervals if necessary, don't stop between exercises.

-Advanced (regular exercise routine. Comfortable with high intensity.) Up to 5 rounds, all-out intensity; bonus exercises when available.

Perform the following without stopping (lower reps generally for beginner level.)

-Swinging Arms Bodyweight Squats: (Swing arms back behind you as you squat down, swing them up explosively as you squat up. ) 12-20 reps

-Burpees (jumping) Drop to pushup position, execute pushup, shoot up to squat, perform jump squat, repeat. 6-10 reps.

-Elephant Walk: Stand with feet inside shoulder width, hands on floor, arms extended. Walk hands out as far as possible. Goal is to end up in 'Superman' position. 6-10 reps.

Beginners can stop with these three exercises. Intermediate and advanced, add a fourth and fifth exercise immediately following the Elephant Walk, from fully extended position, go to:

-Elbow Plank: Start in center, 10 seconds, switch to left, 10 seconds, switch to right, 10 seconds. Then,

-Elbow Crawl 10-20 seconds forward, 10-20 seconds backward.(Keep butt down. In this version, using only your upper body to pull yourself forward, legs dragging behind.)


If you can not get into full Superman position in the Elephant Walk, go as far as possible. Alternatively you can use a Power Wheel, like the SKLZ from Dick's Sporting Goods (try the 50% off Shop here) for a smoother version of this exercise (but not easier. You can ) Need to know how to do any of these exercises? See the references below:

Burpees



Elephant Walk



Want to see more drills from Steve Maxwell? click here:

Steve Maxwell Bodyweight Training DVD's