The Benefits of Metabolic Resistance Training:

This article is about a training approach called Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT). At 98 gym we call them Hybrid workouts. Metabolic Resistance Training combines metabolic (cardiovascular training) with resistance (weightlifting) in one workout. Unlike the traditional session which begins with 40 or so minutes of weightlifting and ends with 20 minutes of cardio work, or a cardio workout all by itself, MRT combines the two forms of exercise. This form of exercise has been around for some time. In recent years, it has become popularised by CrossFit. However, it has become far more widely employed. This is undoubtedly a good thing. But as with many things that become popular, misinformation and misuse often follow. My aim here is to give readers a bit more certainty about what MRT is and why it is a very beneficial form of exercise if done correctly.

What would a MRT workout look like?

I’ll get to the explanation of what and why MRT is and does in a moment. First, let me lay out 2 sample MRT sessions:

Session 1: 30 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

15 calories on an erg of choice (bike, rower, ski)

12 kettlebell swings

10 push ups

 5 burpee box jumps

200 metre run

Session 2: For Time (time cap 30 mins)

1000 metres on erg of choice (2000 metres on the bike)

50 push ups

800 metres on erg of choice (1600 metres on the bike)

40 Goblet squats

600 metres on erg of choice (1200 metres on the bike)

30 dumbbell push press

400 metres on erg of choice (800 metres on the bike)

20 weighted box step ups

200 metres on erg of choice (400 metres on the bike)

10 Pull ups

Dumbbell Push Presses are a great exercise combining both upper body and lower body strength

 So, from the above you can see that these are high intensity workouts with a lot of volume combining cardiovascular training with a range of resistance exercises utilising both body weight and load. Good MRT programs use functional, multi-joint movements, squats, push ups, presses and hinge exercises like kettlebell swings.  

These workouts allow people to train at their own pace, but the expectation is that the workout is conducted at a person’s maximal effort. The combination of anaerobic and aerobic training forces the body to enlist all three energy systems: phosphagen, glycolytic and oxidative. This is one reason why MRT is such an effective form of exercise.

High Intensity Interval Training and MRT are sometimes mistaken. They are similar which accounts for the confusion. HIIT sessions are characterised by the work to rest ratio. Rest is an important component of HIIT. In an MRT workout, rest is minimal or non-existent. Typically, HIIT sessions only utilise bodyweight. MRT incorporates dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls as well as bodyweight. The heavier the load the greater the strength and size gains. As with all exercise plans, the programming should be based on the principles of progressive overload and other fundamentals of strength and cardiovascular training. Additionally, the principle of specificity applies to MRT as it does to all exercise or sport training. With MRT, you get out of your training what you put in.

As with all training programs, the principle of specificity applies: the body adapts to the type of physical activity it does. A MRT program with lots of resistance exercises at heavier loads will elicit more strength gains, some hypertrophy and possibly some muscular endurance. Higher rep ranges and less load will result in muscular endurance, some hypertrophy and some small strength gains. Neither is better or worse than the other. Whatever the program you do has to speak to the type of training goals you have. One reason I like MRT so much is that many workouts can be moulded to meet your goals. For example, if you’re after strength gains, choosing heavier loads in an AMRAP will mean you’ll do less rounds, but the heavier loads means the workout will trigger a strength adaptation over muscular endurance. Conversely, a lighter load will allow for more rounds and produce stamina gains.

Another reason, I like MRT, is that it allows me to push through a high volume of compound exercises often under fatigue.  This kind of training allows me to feel that I can exercise at my threshold without risk of injury. I’ve been doing MRT workouts for a while, this year I’ve dedicated myself to doing an entire block of MRT and halfway through the first block I can already report that I feel fitter than I have felt in a while which is to be expected. But what has been more surprising is that I have leaned up and put on weight at the same time. In other words, I have lost fat and built muscle at the same time which is very hard to do and nearly impossible for someone who has been training for a while using traditional cardiovascular and weight training methods.

The Benefits of MRT

There is still limited research on the benefits of MRT. However, some of the research has shown that the effectiveness of MRT lies not only in the calories burned during a workout but in the increase in the amount of calories the body burns in the day or so after the workout is done.

Indications are that MRT increases the body’s calorific needs for up to 36 hours post workout. This is good news for people trying to lose weight. Combining MRT with a clean diet and plenty of NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis- walking, housework, playing with kids, gardening, etc.,) is probably one of the best ways to drop weight fast. MRT training is not for the faint-hearted but as with any training regime, the key is to work at a pace that is challenging and that does not risk injury or a health-related incident.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to jump into a MRT workout without first seeking medical clearance. But, I do believe that even very unfit people can benefit from MRT style training under the close supervision of someone who knows what they are doing. The use of full body compound exercises, i.e. functional movements, usually sub-maximal load at higher volume combined with cardiovascular training with minimal rest is a recipe for fitness, muscle and mobility gains. All in all, a win-win for everyone.

So, if you’re looking for a workout that is going to deliver fast and safe results why don’t you give it a try?