So… if you’re anything like us, you have a gym membership and even saying that statement out loud means you deserve a treat. A beer, a glass of wine, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, because hey, you’ll go to the gym later.
The challenge – you exercise regularly, but you’re not really making headway on your fitness goals. Your workout consists of a somewhat easy paced lifting session with a few sets on each machine, maybe a jog on the treadmill, and you’ll sweat a little bit. Then you wonder, why can’t I seem to get rid of this stubborn keg that’s hiding that six pack you know you have?
Same guys, same. I took on a fitness challenge for a month, to see if I could finally make some progress on getting rid of some pre-holiday LBs I had put on and tone down. To save those who just want to see if it worked, I took a minimum of 1 of the below each week…
- Metcon3
- 30/60/90
- Stacked
- Whipped
Results – I lost 10 lbs in a month. But more than just decreasing body fat, I’ve seen massive shifts in how my body/muscle is shaped and even just general strength and endurance levels. Here’s the proof.
Note – I didn’t give up happy hour with my coworkers or dinner out with friends, just changed the way I was working out by switching from working out on my own (treadmill, lifting – using that term gently, etc.) to group fitness classes that focused on high intensity metabolic conditioning – conveniently abbreviated as MetCon.
FOR THOSE WHO MADE IT THIS FAR…
But what does that fancy series of words I’ve seen at GNC once mean, you ask? Great question.
MetCon is short for metabolic conditioning which is a fancy way of naming a training style that has a very high work rate with exercises specifically designed to burn more calories during your workout and make the most of the calories burning after your workout. They’re total body exercises with often 30 second recovery times. Most gyms have these but it takes you some time to go and try a new course, especially if you’re doing it on your own.
If you are going it alone, you’re going to be a little nervous and feel a bit awkward. You walk into the main studio of the gym where there’s often a bunch of extremely fit people around you who all seem to know what they’re doing, and you have zero clue what weights/workout objects you need.
BREATHE. Everyone starts this way. Take cues from what the other people have and if that’s not enough, just ask the instructor. I caught up with one of the fitness instructors after a class and they kept reiterating that not enough people feel like they can come up and ask questions. That’s literally why they’re there. They want you to do this.
This next month, each week, I’m going to get detailed about each of the classes I took and what you can expect along with tips from a few Equinox master trainers on how to get the most out of your work out. Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!
AM
Awkwardly Mansome 