You are on page 1of 68

1

2
3
NOTICE

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of
exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility
for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your
equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training
and fitness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any
exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise
and dietary programs, you should get your doctor’s approval before beginning.

Mention of specific companies, organisations, or authorities in the book does not necessarily imply
endorsement by the publisher, nor does the mention of specific companies, organisations, or authorities
in the book imply that they endorse the book.

Internet addresses, telephone numbers, and product information given in this book were accurate at the
time this book went to press.

© 2012 by Gavin Walsh

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage
and retrieval system, with the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1477685426

1. Physical Fitness 2. Exercise 3. Weight loss

I. Title: MetCon1: Metabolic Conditioning For Faster Fat Loss

4
I dedicate this book to my wonderful wife, Aimi, and my beautiful daughter,
Tallulah, who both make me smile each and every day. I love you both more
than you could ever imagine.

Of course it would rude of me not to say a thanks to all those people who
read my emails, follow my online ramblings and who have trained in some
shape or form with me. A big thank you to all of you for your support and
enthusiasm.

5
Contents
Who is Gavin Walsh?..................................................................................................................... 9
My Imperfect Past ....................................................................................................................... 11
What Is Metabolic Conditioning?................................................................................................ 14
Definition............................................................................................................................. 14
Advantages .......................................................................................................................... 15
Disadvantages ..................................................................................................................... 16
The Science.......................................................................................................................... 16
Incorporating Metabolic Training into Your Workouts ............................................................... 21
The MetCon Mindset .......................................................................................................... 22
Equipment ........................................................................................................................... 23
Example Workouts ...................................................................................................................... 27
Armageddon........................................................................................................................ 27
Big Daddy ............................................................................................................................ 27
300 (Gym Jones) .................................................................................................................. 28
300 (Gavin Walsh Body Weight) ......................................................................................... 28
300 (Gavin Walsh Kettlebell) ............................................................................................... 29
Uncle Bob ............................................................................................................................ 29
Seven ................................................................................................................................... 29
Triple 5 ................................................................................................................................ 30
Vomit Comet (Gavin Walsh) ................................................................................................ 30
Accumulator ........................................................................................................................ 30
Hurtlocker ........................................................................................................................... 31
SMMF .................................................................................................................................. 31
Jones Crawl.......................................................................................................................... 31
Battle Of Hastings................................................................................................................ 32
Tabattered........................................................................................................................... 32
Running Man ....................................................................................................................... 32
Maureen .............................................................................................................................. 33
Sick Bag................................................................................................................................ 33
White Men Can’t Jump ....................................................................................................... 33
The Good, The Bad And The Burpee ................................................................................... 34
50 Cent ................................................................................................................................ 34

6
Walk In The Park ................................................................................................................. 34
Exercise Index.......................................................................................................................... 36
Burpees ............................................................................................................................... 36
Jumping Jacks ...................................................................................................................... 37
Press-ups ............................................................................................................................. 38
Bentover Rows .................................................................................................................... 39
Shoulder Press..................................................................................................................... 40
Push Press ........................................................................................................................... 41
Clean-and-press .................................................................................................................. 42
Squat And Press (Thrusters) ................................................................................................ 43
Deadlift ................................................................................................................................ 44
Box Jump ............................................................................................................................. 45
Kettlebell Swing................................................................................................................... 46
Kettlebell Snatch ................................................................................................................. 48
Kettlebell Slingshot ............................................................................................................. 49
Kettlebell Clean-and-press .................................................................................................. 51
Squat ................................................................................................................................... 52
Squat Jump .......................................................................................................................... 54
Lunge ................................................................................................................................... 55
Lunge Jump ......................................................................................................................... 56
Frog Hops ............................................................................................................................ 57
Bicep Curl ............................................................................................................................ 58
Tricep Dip ............................................................................................................................ 59
Bicycles ................................................................................................................................ 60
Mountain Climbers.............................................................................................................. 61
Warrior Jumps ..................................................................................................................... 62
Russian Twist ....................................................................................................................... 63
Squat Thrust ........................................................................................................................ 64
Floor wiper .......................................................................................................................... 65
Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 66
Online Info................................................................................................................................... 67

7
Who is
Gavin Walsh?

8
Who is Gavin Walsh?
First of all, let me say a big thank you for purchasing this book. I’m not sure how you came
across it: maybe you are one of the thousands of people on my mailing list, or perhaps you
bought it through one of the big stores. Either way, I’m very happy to be sharing this
information with you and I truly hope that what you are about to read opens your eyes to the
world of accelerated fat loss and optimal fitness.

I started in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, although I no longer see myself as a
personal trainer these days. You see, a personal trainer generally works with one person at a
time and that doesn’t really fit my philosophy of helping as many people get fit and lose
weight as I possibly can. That’s why I have changed my focus over the years to writing and
creating fitness programs, books and DVD’s. These methods allow me to reach and so help,
far more people, not only in the UK but worldwide.

I’m the sort of person who has ideas buzzing around in his head constantly: I often lay awake
at night because of it. The idea for this book had been with me for quite some time and it was
only after an almost entirely sleepless night while away in a hotel one weekend that I thought,
“Enough is enough”!

It was an early Sunday morning in a Manchester hotel after the aforementioned sleepless
night and my wife had given me orders not to take longer than 30 minutes in the gym. So, I
headed downstairs with my 30 minutes to blast out a quick workout. As I walked in, I couldn’t
help noticing that there were 20 or so men and women plodding along on the treadmills,
cross-trainers and stationary bikes. I looked over to the weights area and there were only one
or two guys. Why were 99% of the people in the gym doing cardio? Maybe they were training
for some sort of endurance event that meant they had to be glued to the treadmill, cross-
trainer or my pet hate, the stationary bike? Although, on closer inspection I think it was safe
to say that these people were on a weight loss mission. Oh I’m sure they would like to be
fitter, but in over a decade in the fitness industry I know that the vast majority want to lose
the wobbly bits and become more toned. It’s the number one goal and I can’t see it changing
anytime soon, especially not if people keep exercising and eating the way they do. Most of
the people in this particular gym were barely breaking a sweat!

But it’s not their fault. This is, sadly, a typical gym scene. People have been brainwashed by
years of bad advice into thinking that cardiovascular exercise is the best way to burn fat. It’s
not!

This is the reason I have written METCON1. I want to open your eyes to the most effective
way of exercising to lose weight AND increase your fitness dramatically at the same time. No
more plodding along on the treadmill, no more hour long workouts. Just short, sharp and
intense workouts that deliver results.

9
My Imperfect
Past

10
My Imperfect Past
This is me on the right (if you hadn’t already guessed).
Let me preface what I’m about to say by explaining
that I’m not normally a fan of photos like this. I see
other trainers’ and models’ similar photos and can’t
help but think “what an arrogant arse”, as you may
well be thinking of me now! The reason I had this
photo, and a bunch of others like it, done was to
demonstrate that you can still get in decent shape
without setting foot into a gym or spending hours
working out. I honestly didn’t set foot into a gym once
during the six weeks I was training to get this level of
definition. Of course a gym will help, but it’s not
essential if you are willing to train hard.

Not too long ago my wife gave birth to our first child, Tallulah. This meant that getting the
opportunity to dash off to the gym 3 or 4 times a week (or at all, actually!) become a thing of
the past for a while), unless I wanted a poke in the eye from my wife and I didn’t fancy that.
So instead of going to the gym I worked out at home every evening for about 30 minutes. The
key to my spare bedroom training plan was intensity and a whole lot of exercises chained
together. The photos were taken by a professional photographer as a reward to myself and as
proof of the pudding. No gym, no treadmill and no fancy gadgets: just tough and gruelling
workouts that pushed me outside of my comfort zone.

A lot of people have busy lives and I’m no different. I run one of the largest fitness boot camp
companies in the UK and sometimes it’s difficult for me to get the gym. Even when I do I
haven’t got time to prance around in front of the mirror. My workouts are efficient and
effective. Yours will be too after reading this book because I am going to teach you how. But I
haven’t always been like this. Let me take you back a few years.

I was born and raised in Manchester until I was 11 and then my parents moved to Lincolnshire.
Because my parents didn’t know any better, I was brought up on a highly processed diet, I
didn’t eat fruit and didn’t really like vegetables. Mushy peas and mashed potato was about as
good as it got. Just like most young boys, I used to copy whatever my Dad did. One bad habit I
picked up was eating three slices of bread with every meal, even a roast dinner! Have you
ever tried a mashed potato sandwich? I wouldn’t recommend it!

The only reason I wasn’t seriously overweight as a child was because I enjoyed playing so
much sport and being active. Just give me a ball to throw or kick around and I’d be happy for
hours. Although, I was also partial to climbing the odd tree from a young age, one of which I
fell out of when I was 8 years old and landed on a spike railing. Yes, it hurt immensely and I
was very lucky to be alive, but the one thing that annoys me most about this accident now
that I look back on it is that the spike damaged the muscle fibres on the right side of my
abdomen, which is why, if you look closely you’ll notice that one side of my abdominals is
more defined than the other. It’s a bid of an odd look for a fitness pro! Anyway, I digress.

11
Back to my atrocious diet which, you may be surprised to learn, didn’t change much until I
finished University. I studied Sport Science at University and you would think that I would
have learned a few things about nutrition, which I did; I just never put them into practice until
after I finished. I was still highly active playing sports and going to the gym, so I mistakenly
thought, like many people do, that I could eat and drink what I wanted without damaging my
body. I wasn’t getting fatter and, while I didn’t have a six pack by a long shot, I was very fit.

Like most graduates, after finishing University I was completely broke. I was eager to start my
career and I figured that if I was going to be a successful personal trainer I best get my ass to
London, where at the time it seemed to me, all the money was.

Now I had no money, was living in London and had no friends (cue violins). My diet was
marginally better but only because I didn’t have the time or money to go out drinking every
night. I ended up losing weight just by cutting out the booze, although it wasn’t to last. As
soon as I started earning some decent money I did what many new young professionals do
when they live in London: went out, drank too much and spent lots of money. I was young
and naïve and had a lot to learn

Back then I was working in the gym all day, so getting a workout wasn’t a problem but I still
had the mentality that exercise trumps nutrition and because of this my abs were nowhere in
sight. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that maturity kicked in. The partying slowed down
and I was concentrating on growing my business. Nutrition-wise I upped my game and was
munching on greens, lean meats and the odd bit of fruit (I still don’t eat a lot of fruit). Guess
what happened? Boom! My abs appeared for the first time ever. The missing piece of the
puzzle had finally been solved.

So why am I giving you my life story? Because thousands of people, and you may find yourself
included in this, think just as I used to, that they can out-train a bad diet. Especially if they
have led an active lifestyle and so not really piled on the pounds. The problem is, as we get
older, the time we have to exercise in our busy lives becomes less and less, your metabolism
starts to slow a little and unless your nutrition is straight out of the top drawer you’re never
going to have the body you want. I am going to help you ensure that this never happens to
you!

Although the majority of this book is about exercising with intensity to bring about quicker
results, don’t be fooled into thinking you can out-train your diet. You will be sorely
disappointed and never be able to fully achieve the body you desire. I have included a lot of
good nutrition advice. Follow it. Learn from my story and combine exercise with nutrition
and you will be surprised and thrilled by the results. Perhaps you will be posting professional
half-naked shots of yourself for all to see! Or perhaps you will just be quietly content that you
look and feel on top of the world.

12
What is
MetCon?

13
What Is Metabolic Conditioning?
Definition
Scientifically speaking, metabolic conditioning, or ‘MetCon’, refers to the usage of all three
energy systems during exercise: phosphagen, glycolytic and oxidative. For the non-scientists
among us, MetCon is exercising that combines strength training with cardiovascular exercise
to create a short but intense workout that has you wondering why on earth you have put
yourself through such pain. I just want to take a moment note at the start that, because this is
a workout guide and not a science text book, I have tried to keep the text as flowing as
possible by putting all references at the end for those of you who do want to delve into the
science a little further. So, let’s continue.

The phosphagen energy system is primarily responsible for providing energy for the most
explosive exercise lasting less than 10 seconds. Think of Usain Bolt running the 100m as an
example. The glycolytic system is responsible for supplying energy for moderate activities
lasting up to several minutes, e.g. an 800m run. And then there is the one that most people
use in a bid to lose weight: the oxidative energy system, also known as ‘aerobic’. This system’s
role is to provide energy for those activities that last in excess of several minutes. This is what
I like to refer to as “slow boring cardio”; the type you see so many so-called gym-bunnies
doing all the time – running on a treadmill at the same pace for 40 minutes or chugging along
on the cross-trainer at the same low intensity for an hour.

If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight then metabolic conditioning is the way to
go. In weight loss terms it works so well due to the fact you will experience an elevated
metabolism for hours (in some cases days) after a MetCon workout. A major contributing
factor to this elevated state is the body’s high demand for oxygen after exercise, which, for the
scientists, is known as Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). After intense exercise there is
an increase in lactic acid, an elevated body temperature, an elevation in breathing and heart
rate, regeneration of phosphocreatine and elevated hormone levels. All of this means that the
body has to use more oxygen to restore homeostasis. I’ll talk more about the science in a
moment. For now, let’s look at what a metabolic conditioning workout consists of:

1. Loads of muscle activity

The more muscles you are able to use in your workout, the larger the metabolic increase will
be. You will use compound exercises that involve multiple joint movements in order to hit
several muscle groups in one go. A good example would be a simultaneous squat and
shoulder press. If you prefer to learn by the ‘what not to do method’ a seated tricep extension
is exactly the opposite of what we would want.

Some trainers believe that each exercise has to involve both the lower and upper body, but in
my opinion you can still make an upper body workout a metabolic workout as long as the
intensity is high and the weight lifted is heavy.

14
2. High intensity

If you’re working out and you’re not sweaty or out of breath (and I mean really out of breath,
not just a bit puffed out) then the chances are you’re not exercising hard enough for it to be a
metabolic workout. If you’re using weights you should be lifting as heavy as you can and
resting as little as you can.

3. You feel like you’re on fire

What I really mean by this is that your muscles will be working so hard that they will fill up
with lactic acid and you will experience a burning sensation in as a consequence. You won’t
actually be on fire, don’t worry.

Advantages
This is the part you are really interested in, right? The multitude of benefits that this
revolutionary approach to exercise will heap upon you. So, without further delay, let me
reveal some of the benefits that you can expect when you put my advice into practice:

1. Improved cardiovascular capacity

When most people think of cardiovascular exercise they automatically think of running,
especially the steady-state type of running. This type of exercise is very much aerobic and will,
of course, improve your cardiovascular fitness. However this type of exercise will not give you
the benefits of metabolic conditioning mentioned below. Because its emphasis is on intensity
and use of all three energy systems, metabolic conditioning can help increase cardiovascular
fitness beyond that of those who choose to only perform aerobic exercise.

2. Improved hormonal profile

Hormones are often overlooked when it comes to fat loss. This is a mistake because hormone
activity essentially controls the mechanics of fat storage and consumption by our bodies. The
good news is that with metabolic conditioning you are able to create an accelerated state of
metabolism to help use stored fat as energy. One of the processes by which our bodies are
able to increase metabolism has already been mentioned, EPOC aka ‘the afterburn effect’,
however there are many more processes that occur via our hormones and I will discuss them
later in the book.

3. Serious calorie burn

MetCon is tough going and so you will be unsurprised to learn that it certainly burns a ton of
calories. The problem is that it’s difficult to truly calculate the calorie burn when it comes to
metabolic conditioning. Sure, you can estimate how many calories you burn during the
workout with the use of a heart rate monitor and an equation based on your height, weight
and fitness level. But that doesn’t tell you how many calories you are burning after your
workout. It is estimated, however, that high intensity exercise, like MetCon, can increase
metabolic rate anywhere between 10% to 25% for up to 48 hours after a workout, with some
studies showing an increase in metabolism for up to 72 hours.

15
4. Shorter workouts

If you’re stretched for time you’ll be pleased to hear this one: metabolic training is intense,
which means you can get a really good workout in 30 minutes or less. Some of the workout
examples I mention later can be performed as your main workout and others as add-ons to be
used as a ‘finisher’ at the end of your regular workout. Gone are the days where you have to
plod on a treadmill for an hour. Yay!

Disadvantages
Even with all the amazing benefits some people will still choose to ignore metabolic
conditioning as a way of exercising and will carry on with their slow boring cardio. While
there, I am sure, lots of people who like nothing more than to run for a couple of hours
through the countryside (and I won’t take that away from them), there are others who will
choose to ignore the benefits because metabolic conditioning seems too hard for them.

I won’t lie to you; metabolic conditioning is bloody hard work and some people are just too
lazy to push themselves. These workouts ask you to step out of your comfort zone and
unfortunately not everyone is capable of this. Some are destined to plod away on the
uninspiring treadmill, never daring to see what they could really achieve if they gave
themselves the chance.

Just as physical stamina can be learned, so can mental stamina: the ability to just keep going
regardless. And, I’ve got to say, it’s pretty satisfying when you do as I have seen with seen
with my own clients. It’s like a switch has been flicked mentally. Some people get it straight
away, whereas others take a few months but when they do it’s brilliant to watch.

Picture this: you’ll be going through a MetCon1 workout when all of a sudden you hit rock
bottom, struggling mentally and considering the possibility of quitting this awful torture you
are putting yourself through. You wait a moment and then, out of nowhere, deep from within,
you tell yourself, “Come on! You can do this!” That is the switch. Any doubts will disappear
and you will finish.

Apart from the sweat and breathlessness (and the occasional tear) that is when you know you
are working hard enough and when you train this hard only good things will happen to your
body and your fitness.

The Science
It’s all very well me saying that metabolic conditioning is the bee’s knees and will work
wonders for your fat loss and fitness but sometimes you need a bit of science to back it all up.
After all, I could be making all of this up (I’m not by the way).

So, I’ve set out (below and throughout the book) plenty of scientific studies to show you that
aerobic exercise is not the best way to exercise if your goal is blast belly fat and get in shape;
that MetCon is the way to go. Even if fat loss isn’t your goal you will see some pretty
impressive fitness improvements with MetCon; the fat loss is just a consequence of the
training method.

16
While it was once believed that only aerobic exercise served to increase cardiovascular health,
studies have now shown that metabolic conditioning can also condition the heart to the same
level as aerobic training alone.

In 2001 the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports found a lower body fat per cent and
greater muscle gain in 35 females who merged lower and upper body exercises in quick
succession with little rest into their workouts. Sounds like a tough metabolic workout, right?

In 2004 the National Strength and Conditioning Association studied changes in endurance
fitness of 35 elite level rugby union players undertaking skill-based conditioning games for a 9
week pre-season training period. These skill-based conditioning games were in the format of
metabolic conditioning and therefore reasonably intense. Heart rate monitors were worn to
keep track of maximum heart rate and recovery and assessed at weekly intervals via the
recording of heart rate responses to a multistage shuttle test. Their results showed that these
skill-based conditioning games were successful at improving cardiorespiratory fitness
significantly over a 9 week period.

In 2005 and 2006 the European Journal of Applied Physiology found substantial benefits for
exercise protocols that combined endurance and resistance training. Both studies created
workouts that mirrored that of a metabolic workout. In the first of these studies, body fat per
cent was reduced by an average of 1.3%, while abdominal adiposity declined by 12% over just
a few months. These findings surpassed the results of the aerobic exercise control group
(unsurprisingly I might add).

In 2008 the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research analysed the effect of a treadmill
sprint sandwiched between a few weight lifting exercises. Guess what happened? This
metabolic protocol produced a 10 times greater reduction in fat mass when compared with
the same workout where the aerobic component and weight lifting element were separated
into different workout sessions.

Another study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2009 looked at
metabolic conditioning among a team of female university football players. They wanted to
analyse whether metabolic conditioning would enable these player to reach optimal fitness
whilst preventing injury during pre-season training. They set up two groups: conventional
group training (CGT) versus individualised training (IT). Both groups participated in practice,
although the IT group were assigned to supplemental conditioning with the use of player
specific heart rate training. This specific heart rate training would see that these players
trained at a level of intensity required to elicit a metabolic effect. The results showed that the
IT group had better maximal oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold and rate of recovery
than the CGT group.

The following year, the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness compared an
endurance-only group with a circuit weight training group mixed with short sprints, in essence
metabolic conditioning. The metabolic conditioning group provided an average 15 pound
weight loss and a 5% reduction in body fat over 12 weeks, almost double the results of the

17
endurance group, which lost just under 7 lbs. and 3% body fat. This evidence would suggest
that metabolic conditioning is a far more effective conditioning tool when it comes to losing
body fat.

The problem with the EPOC theory explanation of the results of these studies is that the extra
calories burned do not seem to add up to anything special. Say you burn 600 calories during a
tough 30 minute workout, for example. You might be able to burn an extra 10-15% through
EPOC (afterburn) when compared to regular slow boring cardio, which equates to just 60-90
calories. This clearly doesn’t go far enough.

More recent research suggests that EPOC is not the major contributor to the impressive fat
loss results seen by so many studies using high intensity training, but rather it can be
attributed to the resulting hormonal changes which lead to excess fat being shown the door.

Studies point to the fact that pairing aerobic and resistance training may increase satiety
hormones (leptin and ghrelin) and boost the body's ability to stabilise blood sugar, meaning
you feel fuller for longer. Based on this, let’s then suppose we swap your aerobic exercise for
resistance training several times a week and combine the two in true MetCon style, what do
you think would happen? That’s right; you’ll be able maximise fat loss and dramatically
improve your fitness.

Let’s dig a little deeper. Because of the intense nature of MetCon and high intensity
intermittent exercise we are able to release more adrenalin when compared to steady state
exercise (the slow boring cardio). An increase in our bodies’ adrenalin hormones, especially
epinephrine, gives our body the nod to open the fat cells to use our fat reserves as energy. In
addition, according to studies in 1978, 1989 and 2008; it’s thought that our belly fat is more in
tune with this type of exercise. In order to burn belly fat better we need to do more intense
bouts of exercise. Look at the year of this first study. This is not new knowledge. Why do so
many people still favour slow boring cardio for fat loss?!

Back in 2008, the International Journal of Obesity took a look at the impact intense bouts of
exercise had on total body fat, leg fat, trunk fat and insulin resistance in young women. It was
no surprise to me, especially as I was doing this type of workout with clients back in 2006, that
they found three such intense sessions a week for 15 weeks resulted in a significant reduction
in all of the above as well as a significant increase in cardiovascular fitness.

Resistance training alone helps raise your resting metabolic rate and there is a list of studies as
long as my arm already backing this up (check out the reference section at the back for some
of these). It’s widely accepted that resistance training improves energy expenditure and also
fat usage through an increase in muscle mass. As I’m sure you’re aware, there are many guys
who just lift weights and don’t have an ounce of fat on them. Their cardiovascular fitness
might not be up to much, but the extra muscle ensures their metabolism keeps on firing and
that’s before we even consider the impact that this type of training has on the body’s
hormonal controls and the consequential effect on weight loss.

Firstly, MetCon will increase the body’s production of human growth hormone in both the
resistance training element and the exercise intensity of workouts. This hormone, in the
absence of a carb heavy diet, helps turn our body into a fat burning furnace, so it makes sense

18
that we try to stimulate its production. You have probably seen growth hormone in the press
as there are frequently articles about naughty celebs who take artificial supplements of the
stuff to fight off the symptoms of age and generally give their bods a boost. This is illegal, by
the way, so of course we’re not talking about doing anything dodgy like this, as we can
increase our own levels of growth hormone within the body naturally with a little bit of work.

Studies have found that exercise of itself induces an increase in growth hormone, but the real
key to maximising this is the intensity of the exercise: the higher the intensity, the larger the
increase in growth hormone. In 1992, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
found that a minimum of 10 minutes of high intensity exercise significantly increased
circulating growth hormone. It is thought that the immense lactic acid build up in the
exercising muscles causes an increase in human growth hormone, which then leads to a better
hormone profile in terms of burning fat and toning our muscles.

One of the reasons that many high profile celebs turn to the growth hormone black market is
due to the fact that as we age we produce less of it, meaning that we are less able to release
fat for fuel and exercise selection and intensity becomes an even more important factor with
age.

I’m going to introduce hormones formally later on but seeing as we’ve mentioned a couple of
the big hitters already it would be rude of me not to talk about insulin and the impact that
MetCon has on this hormone.

Insulin is a storage hormone which is released in response to increases in blood sugar when
we eat. If our body produces a lot of insulin we can start to pile on the pounds very quickly.
And if our diet is such that our insulin levels are constantly high (i.e. high carb diets) we can
become insulin insensitive. This means that our muscles become less efficient at soaking up
the energy that is transported to them by insulin. If our muscles become insensitive or worse,
resistant, to insulin our bodies then try to produce even more insulin in a bid to try and open
the doors to our muscles. Unfortunately the ‘doors’ aren’t always quick to open and this then
leads to the excess energy (blood sugar) being stored as ugly fat.

How can we become more insulin sensitive so that we don’t have to avoid carbohydrates for
the rest of our lives? You can start by ensuring that you reduce processed carbohydrates and
increase the good fats in your diet. But one of the best ways to improve insulin sensitivity is to
exercise. By combining cardio and resistance training we are able to improve the relationship
between our muscles and insulin so that the doors open far wider and fat storage is
prevented. In fact, for those who are insulin resistant (often non-insulin dependent diabetics)
exercise has been recommend as an essential tool in improving insulin sensitivity. The
sensitising effect of exercise lasts for up to 48 hours and if you are able to exercise regularly
you will benefit greatly from more effective insulin reactivity.

While it is obviously very important to have the science to back it up, I am aware that most of
you will be more concerned with the proof of the pudding. I and many other trainers have
been using these types of workouts for years without the scientific ‘nod’. You don’t need a
bunch of scientific journals to see when the scale drops or when your jeans become looser.
Because I know it gets results, I’ve been using MetCon with my clients for a long time, both
with my PT clients and my boot campers. I’m guessing you’re all about the results? You want

19
to look better naked, be more toned and feel fitter, right? Not everyone enjoys exercising, but
I do know that everyone likes to look and feel better. This is what this book is all about. Follow
my guidelines and you won’t regret it.

20
Incorporating Metabolic Training
into Your Workouts
If you’ve been training for some time or have experience of my fitness programs already, you
will have a good idea how to use metabolic conditioning in your own workouts. If you haven’t,
or if you need a refresher, here are some basics principles of MetCon to bear in mind:

 sweat and move continuously throughout your workout, rather than stopping after
each exercise and staring into the void – I see far too many in the gym meandering
from one piece of kit to another. GET MOVING!;
 choose compound exercises whenever possible. This means choosing exercises that
use more than one joint (e.g. a bicep curl, which uses just the elbow joint). In doing
this you will automatically use more muscles and burn more calories;
 structure the resistance exercises so that you can quickly move from one exercise to
another with little rest between rounds/sets. This will mean preparing your
equipment before you start your workout;
 group exercises together that use the entire body and as many muscle groups as
possible: upper, lower, and core;
 be imaginative when creating your workouts. There is no hard and fast rule, so feel
free to make up your own metabolic workouts or tweak the examples I have provided;
 time yourself. The stopwatch really can help with intensity and you can then record
your times to beat past attempts;
 stick some high energy music on. Whatever floats your boat and gets you motoring!
 depending on the amount of time available you could either use a metabolic workout
as your main workout or add it to the end of a regular workout to finish on a high.
This is known as a metabolic finisher;
 MetCon training is great for when you find yourself with little time to get a regular
workout. Use my examples or create your own MetCon style workouts for these
occasions;
 if you’re training in a gym be prepared for some funny looks. As you know now, most
people do not train hard enough and when people see you going all out they’ll
probably think you’re a loon. Ignore them. They will be insanely jealous when they
see your results;
 I love MetCon workouts, but trying to perform them every day at a very high intensity
can become difficult. If you are super fit to start with, you may be able to perform
back-to-back sessions whilst still hitting it hard for a while, but sooner or later your
body will tell you that you need a rest. This is why I always recommend recovery days,
either full rest or very light activity. Not only will this give your body the rest it needs,
but you will be more likely to go all out in the next session.

So, now you’ve got a feel for the basics, there are a two more essentials we need to focus
on: mindset and equipment.

21
The MetCon Mindset
If you’re completely new to the concept of training as hard as you possibly can in a short
period of time then it may take some time for you to learn really to push yourself and step out
of your comfort zone. Once you grasp this concept, with a good dose of mental toughness and
determination, you won’t look back.

I mentioned earlier that one of the disadvantages of metabolic conditioning is that it can be
bloody tough, not just physically, but mentally. These workouts can mess with your mind and
you’ll feel like quitting again and again. These are the moments that you will learn to
welcome. You will resist the temptation to give up and, in time, you will even resist the
temptation to stop to catch your breath. A MetCon workout will test your boundaries and
push you way beyond where you thought they were.

But if you are worrying that you don’t have it in you, let me put your mind at rest. Mental
toughness is a skill. It is the ability to maintain the focus and determination to complete a
course of action despite the difficulty or consequences. As with any skill, anyone can improve
their mental toughness through training and practice.

I often surprise my clients with random workout challenges to improve their mental
toughness. They have no idea how they will feel or how tough the workout challenge will be
so they can really give it their all with me standing behind them to make sure they don’t quit. I
give them just two rules. The first is not to pace the workout: it’s all out or nothing. The
second is to finish the workout no matter how long it takes. That might sound harsh, but it is
usually no longer than 20 minutes due to the intense nature of MetCon.

During these workouts you will most certainly have some sort of internal dialogue going on
with yourself. I know I do! You must take control of these thoughts and instead of letting
them become overly negative block them off with positive outspoken words of
encouragement. Yes, you heard me, I am telling you to talk to yourself while you work out.
Trust me, it’s the best way to train your mind’s positive focus and it’s completely normal when
it comes to training with intensity; all the top sportspeople do it.

Remember: there is a reason why you’re reading this book and looking to put yourself through
these vigorous workouts. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying before, but you can't get to where
you want to be if you don't know where you're going and you will have no motivation to get
there if you don't know why you are going. Ask yourself why you want to melt fat and get fit,
how you will and what it will mean to you? Clarify these goals in your mind and write them
down. It will definitely help you when the going gets tough. Each goal should be followed up
with a reason. Place your goals somewhere you will see them frequently. Take the paper to
every workout with you, if necessary, and start by reading them. If you exercise at home stick
them on the wall next to where you train. If you train in a gym put them in your bag and to
make sure you stay even more focused stick them on your fridge.

For me, like many of you no doubt, nothing works better than setting a deadline. It might be a
wedding, a holiday or just a random date you pick out to give yourself a target, but once
you’ve got the date set you are way more likely to dedicate more time and effort towards

22
achieving it. Also, go a step further if you feel the need for an extra push and tell your friends
and family about your goal so the pressure is on!

I get a little OCD when I am in full training mode. I become super-focussed to the exclusion of
anything that will get in the way of achieving my target. You might have to become slightly
unsociable for a week by cutting out the boozing, takeaways, chocolates, etc. but the results
will be worth it. I’m talking ninja focus. Go all out. Do you think you can become that
focused? Can you say “no” to the crappy food when everyone else around you is saying “yes”?
I believe you can. The fact that you’ve bought this book and have read this far tells me that
you’ve got it in you. You have the desire; you know it’s going to be tough and you’re prepared
to invest the time and effort to take your body to the next level. Yes, you are!

Now let’s take a look at some of the bits of kit that I recommend you to get for your new
MetCon lifestyle.

Equipment
I have used a variety of equipment in the example workouts, below, but I have purposely kept
it to a minimum as I am aware that not everyone has access to a gym or even likes training in a
gym. Most of this equipment you will find in a commercial gym but if you prefer to train from
your own home then I have also provided links to where you might source this equipment
from, below.

Barbells:
If you’re using weights to perform a metabolic workout free-
weights are better than the fixed machines you see in the gym
as free-weights allow us to perform a huge array of exercises
whilst working our stabilising muscles. If you can’t use free-
weights, use your own body weight. Some barbells are fixed like in
this photo whereas others use disc weights (plates) that slide on to the bar enabling you to
change the weight of the bar easily. Most gyms will have a variety of barbells but if you are
training from home and wish to buy yourself a bar I would go with the loading plates and bar
combination.

Dumbbells:
In the picture are a set of bowflex dumbbells which I highly
recommend if you have limited space. The only catch is they are
a lot more expensive when compared to other dumbbells on the
market, because of their great design and engineering. Of course
you can buy cheaper dumbbells if you find these are out of your
price range.

23
Kettlebells:
The kettlebell is great for combining cardiovascular, strength and
flexibility training which, you will note, fits nicely into our
metabolic conditioning program! There are a hundreds of
companies online that now sell and deliver to your door.
Women, in my experience, should go for nothing less than a 6kg
weight and men no less than a 12kg. If you’re pretty fit already
you will need to bump these numbers up a bit.

Plyo Box:
The plyo box is designed for athletes who want to perform
plyometric jumping exercises and comes in a variety of
shapes and sizes. I recommend them because they are
purpose built for this but, in all honesty, you do not need to
buy one of these if you have a bench or other sturdy
platform that will take your weight for jumping exercises.
Men should aim for 24 inch platform and women for 18 inch
platform. The higher you jump the more intense the workout becomes.

Exercise bands:
Exercise bands are super versatile and allow you to mimic many
free-weight exercise using the tension of the band. They usually
come in several colours which distinguish the different tensions
and therefore the difficulty. If you’re on a budget that won’t
stretch to free-weights or a gym membership then exercise bands
coupled with your own body weight is the way to go.

Your body:
Sometimes all you need is a strong mind and your own body to get a
really good workout. I run a fitness boot camp company and we have
helped thousands of people lose weight and get fit simply by using
their own body weight. The only problem with body weight training
is that you can hit a ceiling which will limit how far you can progress.
It is then definitely time to start on the free-weights.

24
Foam roller:

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (self-massage)


technique used by athletes and physiotherapists to
release tension from overactive muscles. Using your
body weight on top of the roller you roll the foam roller
under each muscle group until a tender (painful) area is
found then maintain pressure on the tender area for
30–60 seconds. Everyone should have one and use it
before and after each workout.

In the next chapter we are going to put all of this theory into practice with some sample
workouts for you to try. Are you ready?

25
Example
Workouts

26
Example Workouts
To help you on the road to MetCon enlightenment, I’ve put together a few metabolic
workouts for you to try out. Some of them can be used as full-on workouts whereas others
are better used as metabolic finishers (by this I mean simply stick it on the end of a regular
workout for a hard-core finish to your session). It’s worth mentioning that some are harder
than others, but all of them are guaranteed to fire up your metabolism and seriously improve
your fitness.

Armageddon
If you haven’t already guessed this one works the arms only! Get it…Arm-ageddon!

Press-ups x 50 secs
Bicep curls (with bands/bar/DBs) x 50 secs
Shoulder Press (with bands/bar/DBs) x 50 secs
Tricep dips x 50 secs
Repeat for 4-5 rounds with only 10 seconds rest in between exercise for transition.

Total time: 16-20mins

Big Daddy
This is a mammoth workout because it is rep-based as opposed to time-based. The exercises
are all body weight, but I love to step this one up a notch if I’m in the gym by adding weights
into the mix.

100 x jumping jacks


100 x mountain climbers
100 x squats
100 x bicycles
100 x press-ups
100 x lunges
100 x tricep dips
100 x squat thrusts
Total time: 20-30 mins depending on fitness level of the group.

TIP: This workout can be a bit of a slog and you could lose your mojo half way through, so keep
on top of those exercises and finish as quickly as possible with good technique.

27
300 (Gym Jones)
This workout was made famous by the film ‘300’. You remember those Spartans, right?
Anyway, this workout was one of many that Mark Twight, the founder of Gym Jones, came up
with to get the actors into incredible shape. It’s a full-on workout for most people.

25 x kipping pull-ups (or bentover rows)


50 x deadlifts (60kg/135lbs)
50 x press-ups
50 x box jumps (24 inch)
50 x floor wipers (60kg/135lbs)
50 x kettlebell clean-and-press (16kg/35lbs)
25 x kipping pull-ups (or bentover rows)

1 round, non-stop.

Time: 17-35 mins

TIP: Strictly speaking, for this to be the Gym Jones 300, you have to do the kipping pull-ups. If
you’re not familiar with ‘kipping’, take a look on YouTube. It is easier than a regular pull-up as
you are able to use momentum but the result of this is far more reps and a cardiovascular
component to the exercise.

300 (Gavin Walsh Body Weight)


This has my adaptation of the Gym Jones 300 workout and has been featured in Men’s Fitness
and across the world with the help of MSN!

25 x press-ups
25 x squat thrusts
25 x squats
25 x lunges
50 x bicycles
50 x jumping jacks
25 x lunges
25 x squats
25x squat thrusts
25 x press-ups
No scheduled rest.

Total time: 4-10 mins

28
TIP: For those of you who are relatively fit, change the squats and lunges to jumpers or switch
the jumping jacks to burpees!

300 (Gavin Walsh Kettlebell)


I’m quite partial to a kettlebell workout and this one will finish off a regular workout nicely.

25 x swings
50 x snatches
50 x press-ups
50 x sling shots
50 x Russian twists
50 x clean-and-press
25 x swings

No scheduled rest.

Total time: 15-20 mins

Uncle Bob
If you are in the gym and are able to do pull-ups, you can switch this workout to one that is
famous in the CrossFit world called ‘Fran’. My workout uses bentover rows instead to target
the back muscles.

20-15-10 x squat and press (aka thrusters)


20-15-10 x bentover row

3 rounds with no rest. First round is 20 reps, second round is 15 reps and the last round 10
reps.

Total time: 5-10 mins.

Seven
3 exercises, 7 reps and 7 rounds. Sounds easy, right?

7 x clean-and-press, 7 x kettlebell swings, 7 x press-ups


No scheduled rest.

Total time: 5-10 mins

29
Triple 5
This is a really short workout and a Gavin Walsh Boot Camp classic. It is great for a quick blast
and increasing heart rates, fast!

5 x press-ups (chest to ground and clap in front of head)


5 x squat jumps
1 x 50 yard sprint
Repeat for 5 rounds with no rest.

Total time: 5 mins

Vomit Comet (Gavin Walsh)


This workout involves a lot of head movement and, consequently, can make those who are not
accustomed to such rapid movements feel a little bit ropey!

Squat Jumps x 15
Shoulder presses (with band) x 12
Lunge jumps x 9
Press-ups x 6
Burpees x 3
Repeat for 3 rounds with no rest.

Total time: 5 mins

Accumulator
Simple: just add an extra exercise each round!

Burpees x 30 secs
Rest x 30 secs
Burpees x 30 secs + squat jumps x 30 secs
Rest x 30 secs
Burpees x 30 secs + squat jumps x 30 secs + press-ups x 30 secs
Rest x 30 secs
Burpees x 30 secs + squat jumps x 30 secs + press-ups x 30 secs +
mountain climbers x 30 secs
Total time: 6 mins 30 secs

TIP: This is the standard layout but if feel free to add equipment-based exercises into the mix.

30
Hurtlocker
This is one of my favourites!

Burpees x 50 secs
Squats x 50 secs
Mountain climbers x 50 secs
Warrior jumps (jumping jack-squat combo) x 50 secs
Repeat for 4-5 rounds with only 10 seconds rest in between each exercise for transition.

Total time: 16-20mins

SMMF
I’ve borrowed this method from the Gym Jones crew as it is really great for mental training.

The SMMF stands for ‘Single Movement Mind F@#k’. As you can guess this will mess with
your mind and involves only one exercise (the single movement). I always use burpees for
this, but feel free to switch it up with box jumps, clean-and-press or any other exercise that
will blow your mind.

100 x burpees
Total time: 5-10 mins (longer if you’re not particularly fit)

TIP: This is not pleasant, especially if you’re not familiar with burpees.

Jones Crawl
The first time I did this I was in a world of pain. The usual practice is to do the deadlifts with
115% of your own body weight. This would be about 90kg for me. “OMG”, I hear you cry, but
don’t worry. If you’re not up to this challenge just yet try it out with a weight you think will be
more suitable. In my experience the first round goes down pretty well, but then round two is
a killer and round three…well, I won’t spoil it for you.

10 x deadlifts (115%)
25 x box jumps (or onto a bench)
3 rounds non-stop.

Total time: 3-15 mins depending on your size (the bigger they are the harder they fall).

31
Battle Of Hastings
This is a super-simple workout, but one my boot camp members love. In case you’re not hot
on your history, the battle of Hastings occurred in the year 1066. This should give you a little
clue as to what you’re in for…

10 x burpees
66 x mountain climbers
Repeat for 3 rounds with no rest.

Total time: 5 mins

Tabattered
The tabatta protocol is not new but sticking a few exercises together in the following workout
is a real blast. This workout is not for the faint-hearted and you will need some serious words
with yourself around the halfway mark.

20 secs on, 10 secs off for 4 mins x squats (with body weight/bar/DBs)
20 secs on, 10 secs off for 4 mins x bicycles
20 secs on, 10 secs off for 4 mins x push press (with band or band)

1 minute rest in between each 4 minute block.

Total time: 14 mins

Running Man
I love running as a method of exercising but, as you know by now, I don’t like the slow, steady
stuff. Instead I prefer sprints and sometimes even a slow steadily increasing sprint. This is
what I mean:

Hop on the treadmill and set the speed at a nice, comfortable pace for 3 minutes.

After every minute from then on increase the speed by 0.5 kmph.

If you’ve started at the right speed then you’ll get to around minute 7 when the questions
start to creep in. This is the wall. Once you get past minute 7 you only have 2 minutes to go
and the belief that you can finish returns, just about! If you get to minute 10 and it feels like
you can do more you didn’t set the initial speed fast enough, so next time crank it up a gear
from the beginning.

Total time: 10 mins

32
Maureen
Never judge a book by its cover: this Maureen’s a racy one and will certainly get your blood
pumping!

10 x press-ups (chest to ground with hand clap)


25 x box jumps

3 rounds non-stop.

Total time: 5-10 mins

Sick Bag
The clean-and-press is one of those exercises that can come up and bite you in the butt and in
this routine it will almost certainly bite you. Go as heavy on the clean-and-press as you can
handle to make sure this workout does its job.

20 x clean-and-press
15 x swings
12 x bentover rows
8 x burpees

3 rounds non-stop.

Total time: 5-15 mins

TIP: For added discomfort, throw in a 3 minute hill sprint on a spin bike or an uphill sprint on a
treadmill.

White Men Can’t Jump


This one goes heavy on the legs and jumping towards the end of the workout will be tough!

24 x squats
24 x lunges
12 x squat jumps
12 x lunge jumps
Repeat for 3 rounds without any rest .

Total time: 5-10 mins

33
The Good, The Bad And The Burpee
I used to set this for my boot campers. I would let them choose two out of the three exercises
(you could almost guarantee that they would never pick the burpee) and so I would throw in
the burpee round at the end, just when they thought it was all over. Mean, huh? But you
guys have seen it coming, so make sure you push through right to the end.

30 secs on, 30 secs off for 4 mins x frog hops


30 secs on, 30 secs off for 4 mins x lunge jumps
30 secs on, 30 secs off for 4 mins x burpees (burpee press-ups if you can
handle it)
1 minute rest in between each 4 minute block.

Total time: 14 mins

50 Cent
5 rounds, 5 exercises, 50 reps for each exercise. Nothing to do with 50 Cent, but it sure is a
tough mofo!

50 x jumping jacks
50 x squats
50 x mountain climbers
50 x bicycles
50 x press-ups
Total time: 10-20 mins

Walk In The Park


This workout might seem like a walk in the park, but, as I’ve said before, never judge a book by
its cover.

12 squats (at 12RM)


Rest 60 seconds
12 chins (at 12RM)
Rest 60 seconds
12 deadlifts (at 12 RM)
Rest 60 seconds
12 dips (at 12 RM)
They key is to make sure you select the correct weight for each exercise. If you get to 12reps
and you feel you can do more they’re not heavy enough.

Total Time: 10-20 mins

34
Exercise
Index

35
Exercise Index
Burpees

The burpee is one of the best conditioning exercises out there. I once did 500 in a row after a
bet with my wife. It wasn’t pretty.

1. Start from a standing position and then crouch down and place your hands on the
ground so that your knees are inside your elbows (see picture 2).
2. Next, jump and kick your feet backwards so that your body extends fully (picture 3).
3. Then jump and bring your knees back into your chest (picture 4).
4. Jump straight up into the air, clapping your hands above your head to finish the
exercise (picture 5).

If you start to find these easy, increase the difficulty by throwing a press up into the mix at
the bottom of the exercise!

36
Jumping Jacks

The jumping jack isn’t one of those tough exercises you dread and we actually use it in
metabolic conditioning as more of a warm-up or activity recovery during the workout.

1. Stand upright with your legs together and arms by your sides.
2. Jump your legs apart so that they are wider your hip width. At the same time raise
your arms out to your sides above your head to make a star shape.
3. Return your arms and legs to the start position by jumping back in.
4. Be light on your feet throughout and keep your knees slightly bent. Breathe out as
you jump out and breathe in as you jump back in.

37
Press-ups

Gravity's pull on your own body weight provides the resistance needed to develop your chest,
shoulder and triceps.

1. Place your hands on the floor so they're slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
Spread your fingers slightly and have them pointing forward.
2. Rise up onto your toes so that all of your body weight is on your hands and your feet.
3. Contract your abdominals to keep your torso in a straight line and prevent arching
your back or pointing your bottom in the air.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your chest down toward the floor.
5. Once your elbows bend slightly beyond 90 degrees, push off the floor and extend
them so that you return to starting position.

38
Bentover Rows

The bentover row is great exercise for the back, although because of the position I do not
recommend this exercise if you have any lower back issues: use a seated cable row instead.

1. Holding a barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing down), bend your knees slightly
and bring your torso forward, bending from the waist, while keeping your back
straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Make sure that you keep your head up.
The barbell should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to
the floor and your torso. This is your starting position (see picture 1).
2. Now, while keeping your torso stationary, breathe out and lift the barbell up towards
you keeping the elbows close to your body and only using your forearms to hold the
weight.
3. At the top contracted position (pictures 2 and 3), squeeze the back muscles and hold
for a brief pause.
4. Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

39
Shoulder Press

1. Assume the start position with the resistance band under the arch of your foot, hands
by your shoulders, palms facing in.
2. Stretch the band out as you lift your arms overhead.

40
Push Press

You might think that this exercise is all about the


shoulders if you’re not familiar with it, but in actual
fact we want to get your legs working as well.

1. I’m using kettlebells in the picture, but you


can also use a bar or dumbbells. Position your feet
shoulder-width or slightly wider and hold the
weights at shoulder height.
2. Bend your knees slightly and push your hips
backwards.
3. Forcefully drive your hips forward whilst
standing tall and pressing the weight overhead.
Think of fast snapping motion, rather than a slow
and controlled movement.
4. Finish with your arms straight and the
weight locked out overhead.
5. Poke your head through the window made
by your arms so that the weight is over your hips.
6. If you’re going to use a bar make sure you press the weight overhead by keeping the
bar as close to your face as possible without scraping your nose

41
Clean-and-press

The CLEAN:

1. Stand with your feet hip width apart, holding a barbell in your hands (palms facing
your body).
2. Bend into a top-half squat quickly as you pull the bar up towards the chest (almost like
an upright row–but with a lot more power)-and quickly return to standing. At the
same time, flip your elbows under the bar so you’re holding the bar at chest height,
and return to the half squat. This part of the move is explosive! You must use your
legs AND back to bring the bar to chest level. It is NOT an upright row and it is NOT a
shoulder move.
3. Make sure that during the clean phase your abs are braced and the bar stays close to
your body. Don’t let the bar swing out away from your body (the most common
mistake). It’s almost like you’re sliding the bar up your body in a quick, explosive
manner.

The PRESS:

4. Starting from that half squat position (and with the bar now at chest level), press the
bar overhead. Make sure you press your heels to the ground as you press the bar up.
This allows you to engage more muscles in your back and hamstrings.

The Catch and Release:

5. Bring the bar back to chest level (sitting in half squat).


6. Return the bar back to starting position by rising up out of the squat, and flipping your
elbows up over the bar.

42
Squat And Press (Thrusters)

1. To begin, take two dumbbells or a barbell or two kettlebells and hold at shoulder
height.
2. Squat down, keeping the weight on your shoulders.
3. Push up out of your squat and as you rise up, press the weights to the overhead
lockout position.
4. You can either press as you rise or use the momentum to help rocket the weight
overhead.
5. Lower bar back down to shoulder height and return to the squat.

43
Deadlift

Deadlifts are a simple exercise really, made difficult by over-trying and over-thinking.

1. Stand before the weight in a solid, shoulder width stance (may be up to six inches
wider), shin to the bar. You are about to bend over and pick up a heavy object before
you and this should be your mental and physical approach.
2. Bend at the waist and at the knees equally.
3. Grasp the bar fully and securely in an overhand grip or an alternate under/over grip
about waist width (may be up to six inches wider for comfort).
4. Looking straight ahead and with your spine in a powerful flat position (not stooped
over or rounded), focus, regulate your breathing, breath in deeply at the bottom of
the movement and steadily pull the bar to a full standing position while exhaling (see
picture 2). You should keep the bar close to your body throughout.
5. Pause for a second of contraction then slowly bend your knees and lower back as you
return to the starting position and repeat.

44
Box Jump

The box jump is a plyometric exercise where you jump from the floor onto a platform, which
could be a box, although something of a similar will do. Plyometric training is designed to
produce fast and powerful movements to enhance your speed and strength. This exercise is
good for your vertical leap and getting you breathing very heavily.

1. Stand about one shoulder width from the box. The box should be between 1 and 2 ft.
high. Keep your abs tight during the entire exercise and stand as upright as possible.
2. Squat down slightly and then jump up onto the box, landing both feet at the same
time, knees bent. You should use the squat position to propel yourself upwards onto
the box.
3. Stand straight up on the box, .
4. Don't jump back down, but instead step back down with one leg then the other.

45
Kettlebell Swing

If you’re not the most athletically gifted person then you may struggle to get the technique
right first time when it comes to the kettlebell exercises. Start off with a light weight until you
have mastered the technique and then increase the weight. Seriously, kettlebells are a
fantastic way to exercise but they are also responsible for a lot of injuries from those who try
to perform the exercises without the correct technique. So take care! You have been warned!

Having said this, the swing is one of the most basic exercises you can do with the kettlebell. It
will work your hamstrings, your lower back and your core. Oh, and of course it will raise your
heart rate and increase your rate of breathing.

1. The starting position of the two arm kettlebell swing is with the kettlebell on the
ground in front of you.
2. Squat or deadlift the kettlebell so that you are then standing tall with shoulders back
and arms hanging with the bell positioned in front of you.
3. Start the movement by ‘hiking’ the kettlebell through your legs and then drive your
hips forward to propel the kettlebell through its arc.
4. Your arms are just hooks and the power comes from the movement of the hips and
your hamstrings, glutes and lower back.
5. Swing the kettlebell to about chest height. At the top of the movement breathe out
whilst contracting your quads, glutes and your abs (by tilting your pelvis up).
6. Breathe in and hold your breath as you let the kettlebell free fall back between your
legs so that it passes through your legs above knee height.
7. Forcefully extend your hips to start the movement again.

A common mistake amongst beginners is to squat whilst performing the swing. The swing is
not a squat movement and knee bend should therefore be kept to a minimum. The important
thing is that the hips go back and thrust forward and that the quads do not take over the
exercise. You should feel the movement in your hamstrings. If your quads are, instead,
fatiguing then you are not taking the hips back at the bottom of the movement.

46
There are many different ways to perform the kettlebell swing. Some swing to chest height
and others swing the bell directly above the head. There are pro’s and con’s to both methods
and whole internet forums debating this. For now I would stick to the method above until you
become proficient enough to experiment with swing variations.

47
Kettlebell Snatch
The snatch is an evolution
of the swing, press and
clean; a hybrid that is a
tricky one to master, but
once you’ve got it, you’ll
love it!

1. Start with your


feet shoulder width apart
and toes pointing out
slightly.
2. Pick up the
kettlebell with one hand
with your thumb
positioned on the inside
of the bell.
3. Stand tall with
your chest forward,
shoulders back and abs
slightly contracted.
4. Begin the
movement by initiating
your hip drive, as you did
with the swing. This
needs to be FORCEFUL
and POWERFUL.
5. The idea is to
blast the kettlebell up by
will of hips alone. A common mistake made by newbies is to use their arms. This
might work with lighter weights, but it’s not going to help when the heavier weights
are attempted. Another mistake is to try and swing the bell up all the way to the top.
6. Bend in your elbow once the kettlebell is on its way up and keep it close to the body.
7. Your explosive hip drive will allow the movement to continue up – the ‘clean’ like
movement (keeping it close to you) just initially reins the kettlebell in and directs it up,
instead of outward.
8. Continue this upwards movement above your head.
9. There are two ways to do this next part. I find that rotating the forearm so the
kettlebell sits on the outside of the wrist prevents ‘wrist bang’( where the kettlebell
flips over the top of the hand and, if timed incorrectly, bangs the wrist). This works
well for newbies, but would be frowned upon by hard-core kettlebell users and as
soon as you start using heavier weights you are really going to hurt yourself. The
‘hard-core’ way is to let the kettlebell flip over with your arm slightly bent (if it’s
straight already, the weight is either too light, or your timing isn’t right just yet). As
the kettlebell is flipping over your hand to the back of your forearm, think “PUNCH”
and punch upwards. This will help with the shock absorption, if you time it right that
is.
10. Once in the top position with your arm extended directly to the sky and almost
touching your ear all that is left to do is reverse the movement.

48
Kettlebell Slingshot

If you Google this exercise you will find a basic version whereby you swing the kettlebell
around your back passing between your hands. This basic version is ok for a warm-up routine
but it won’t do much to get your heart rate up. The outline below gives the slingshot a kick up
the backside and will be far better suited to our metabolic conditioning needs.

1. If you’re not familiar with kettlebell exercises start this exercise by passing the
kettlebell backwards between your legs in a figure of 8 motion whilst holding a squat
position and keeping your back neutral. To help you progress the figure of 8 motion is
best kept an imperfect one. By this I mean that the kettlebell is better passed from
hand to hand whilst positioned closed to the leg. Otherwise you will have to reach too
far behind which will compromise your back position. Once you can do this at speed
(and without dropping the kettlebell) you can move onto to the next step.

49
2. Now for the fun part. As you bring the kettlebell around your right leg with your right
hand stand up forcefully and ‘sling shot’ it up from shin height across the front of your
towards your left shoulder.
3. Your left hand will catch the kettlebell and allow it to sit on the left shoulder.
4. Pause for a moment.
5. Let the kettlebell drop in a downward arc so that the natural swing takes the weight
back through your legs over to the left side of your body.
6. As the kettlebell falls, position your body into a squat with a neutral back and prepare
your left hand for the transition.
7. Pass the kettlebell to your left hand by reaching behind your left leg slightly.
8. From here bring the kettlebell around your left leg with your left hand, stand up
forcefully and ‘sling shot’ it up from shin height across the front of your body towards
your right shoulder.
9. Repeat.

50
Kettlebell Clean-and-press

1. Place a kettlebell on the ground between your feet.


2. As you bend down to grab the kettlebell, push your butt back and keep your eyes
looking forward.
3. Swing the kettlebell between your legs as if you are passing a football behind you.
4. Quickly reverse the direction and drive through forcefully with the hips.
5. Bring the kettlebell straight up using the momentum created whilst keeping it close
the body. This part has to be done quickly otherwise it’ll look more like a bicep curl. I
don’t want the kettlebell to flip over your wrist with a bang, so instead rotate your
forearm and open your hand slightly so that the kettlebell sits on the outside of your
wrist.
6. As you catch the kettlebell on the outside of the arm descend into a partial squat.
7. Explosively drive upward with legs, driving the kettlebell up off your arm and
overhead.
8. Lower the kettlebell to the front side of your body, catching it on the side of your arm
with your wrist straight while dropping into the partial squat position again.
9. Stand tall and then allow the kettlebell to fall following the same path that it came
from.
10. Allow the kettlebell to swing through the legs, whilst sticking your butt back and
keeping your back in a neutral position.
11. Blast the kettlebell forward again using your hips to start the exercise again.

51
Squat

The squat is probably the Daddy of all exercises. It is avoided by many, but it should be in
everyone’s training plan. It hits your butt, quads, core and hamstrings. Plus, when you
combine it with other exercises in MetCon fashion your lungs will explode!

The description below outlines how to perform the squat with a barbell but, of course, you can
perform the exercise with kettlebells or just your own body weight.

1. Get underneath the bar and place the bar across the top of your shoulders (not your
neck). Your hands should grip the bar about 5-7 inches outside of your shoulders and
the bar should effectively be trapped between your hands and your shoulders. Make
sure that your wrists are not underneath the bar supporting the weight. Stand with
your feet about shoulder width apart and angled out about 30-45 degrees. Your butt
should be slightly out, your eyes should be facing forward.
2. Squat down, making sure not to round your back or bend over too far at the waist.
For a full squat your hip crease (where your legs attach to your hip) should drop below
the top of your knees. Make sure your knees track your toes. This means your knees
should be on the same path as the toes (not bending in, or bending way outside).
3. When you get to the bottom, drive back up with your hips. This is very important! The
hip drive is where all of your power will come from.
4. Continue to drive up and return to the standing position with your body fully erect.

52
There are a few common mistakes to look out for whilst performing the squat:

The first is placing your weight towards your toes. If you don’t want to increase the likelihood
of injuring your knees make sure you place the majority of your weight through your heels.

The second mistake is arching the back. You should hold a neutral back position by pushing
your hips backwards. If this means you can’t squat all the way down, so be it. There may be
postural issues preventing your from squatting fully and that’s ok, as these can be worked on,
but if you bend your back whilst squatting with weights you’re asking for trouble.

The final, most common, mistake is not having your knees tracking your toes. If you find your
knees cave in towards each other, then forcefully push them out until they are in line with
your toes.

53
Squat Jump

The squat jump is predominantly a body weight exercise, although you can use dumbbells or
even a barbell if you want to make the exercise more difficult. Just ensure you maintain good
form throughout the exercise.

1. Start in a standing position, feet shoulder width apart.


2. Squat with your knees bent 90°, thighs parallel to the floor. Your feet should be
shoulder width apart, your heels on the floor and your back straight.
3. Exhaling, jump straight up and extend your entire body, keeping your abs nice and
tight. Your knees, ankles, shoulders and elbows should be fully extended.
4. Land on the same spot you jumped from and compensate the impact with the balls of
your feet. Don't drop into the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
5. Lower yourself back into the squat and repeat.

54
Lunge

There are several variations of the lunge: static, dynamic and lateral. For now we will stick to a
basic dynamic lunge:

1. Start by standing straight and upright and take a step forward with your right foot
(make sure you’re not walking the tight rope, by this I mean feet on the same line).
The right foot should be flat and the left foot now up on the toes.
2. With a straight back, lower your left knee towards the floor. Your left knee should be
under your hip so that you have two right angles: one in your left leg and one in your
right leg. If this is not the case then you need to adjust the length of your initial stride.
3. Push back up to the starting position, concentrating on squeezing your buttocks to
push yourself up, and keeping the abdominals tight and the lower back in a neutral
position.
4. Throughout the exercise, maintain the body in an upright position and avoid leaning
forward.

55
Lunge Jump

The jumping lunge is a plyometric version of the standard lunge. As mentioned above,
plyometric training is designed to produce fast and powerful movements to enhance your
speed and strength. This makes the exercise that little bit more difficult. It’s performed
quickly and, as such, is more intense.

1. Stand straight-backed, with your feet shoulder-width apart, but with one stationed
about a foot and a half in front of the other. Your back leg should stand directly under
your body, and your forward knee should sit at a ninety degree angle (see first picture
above).
2. Jump off the ground slightly, and quickly switch the position of your feet in mid-air,
keeping your torso straight throughout the exercise. You should land in the opposite
of your starting position. Bend your knees to absorb the impact but keep your feet
and knees facing straight forward.
3. Jump back off the ground, switching your feet to your original position.

56
Frog Hops

There are many variations of the frog


hop. I use one that is similar to that of
the jump squat.

1. Start in a partial squat position


with your knees bent at a 40° angle,
your feet shoulder width apart and
your heels on the floor. Keep your
back straight and inhale.
2. Exhaling, jump straight up and
extend your entire body. Your knees,
ankles, shoulders and elbows should
be fully extended and your abs should
be slightly contracted.
3. As you land, take the impact
on the balls of your feet and lower
yourself back into the partial squat
position. Don't drop into the Hunchback of Notre Dame!
4. Repeat!

57
Bicep Curl

This exercise breaks our rule of making all metabolic


exercises compound movements, as the bicep curl
only works one joint. However, I’ve put this in here
for the guys who like to work their guns. You can do
it with dumbbells, a bar, band or kettlebell.

1. Stand straight with a dumbbell in each hand


at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your
torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they
are facing forward. This will be your start position.
2. Now, keeping the upper arms stationary,
exhale and curl the weights up towards your shoulders while contracting your biceps.
Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells
are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze
your biceps.
3. Inhaling, slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

58
Tricep Dip

Tricep dips are one of those body weight exercises that is harder than it looks, so don’t be
fooled.

1. Begin this exercise sitting on a step or chair with your hands resting on the step/chair
next to your thighs, palms down.
2. Transfer your weight onto your arms, sliding your rear forward, just off the edge of the
step with your legs either straight (harder) or bent at right angles to the floor (easier).
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body a few inches, keeping your shoulders down
away from your ears and your elbows parallel, going no lower than 90 degrees (see
picture). Inhale as you do so.
4. Push yourself back up to starting position whilst exhaling.
5. If you are feeling ambitious have another chair/bench to hand to make this exercise
harder by placing your legs out straight in front of you rather than resting them on the
floor!

59
Bicycles

Interesting fact:

A study done at San Diego State University compared thirteen common abdominal exercises in
an effort to determine the best. Each exercise was ranked for muscle stimulation in the rectus
abdominis, the external obliques and internal obliques. The bicycle crunch came in at the top
spot.

1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and contract your core
muscles.
2. With your hands gently touching your temples, lift your knees to about a 45-degree
angle.
3. Slowly stretch one leg out straight and keep the other bent up, bringing your opposite
elbow across to the bent knee (see picture above).
4. Bring the outstretched leg back to the bent position and outstretch the bent leg,
moving the other elbow in to touch the bent knee. Keep alternating touching your
elbows to the opposite knees as you twist back and forth.
5. Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.

60
Mountain Climbers

1. Start in something similar to a sprint start position (see picture): with your hands
shoulder width (or wider) apart, left leg with the knee next to and tucked inside your
left elbow and the right leg outstretched.
2. Hop and switch leg positions while at all times keeping your body weight on your
arms: so your right knee is tucked up inside your right elbow and your left leg
outstretched.

61
Warrior Jumps

1. Start with your arms overhead and your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Jump your feet to your sides a yard or so and allow your body to squat with your
hands in front of you (or to the sides of your shins if you prefer).
3. Jump explosively upwards from the squat returning to the start position.

Once this exercise gets going it looks very much like a jumping jack and a squat jump
combined.

62
Russian Twist

1. Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent, feet together and flat on the floor.
2. Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest with your palms facing down. Lean
back so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the floor.
3. Twist your upper body to the left as far as you can, pause, then reverse the movement
and twist all the way back to the right as far as you can.
4. Increase the intensity by raising your feet off the ground.

63
Squat Thrust

You might remember this as one of those horrible exercises you used to do in school PE
lessons. It's great for working your entire body while getting your heart rate nice and high.

1. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet.
2. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a press-up position.
3. Jump feet back between hands to finish.

64
Floor wiper

This is a challenging exercise that shouldn't be tried by people who are not accustomed to
working their abs, nor should it be tried without a spotter.

1. Lie on your back and lift the bar up as if you were going to bench press (the bar and
any weights you use on it will add an extra challenge as well as a bit of shoulder work
to the exercise). People who are new to weight-lifting should try this exercise with a
lighter, more comfortable weight or with the bar only. If you have trouble keeping
your arms steady during this exercise, opt for a lighter weight. You shouldn’t rock
when doing the exercise.
2. Tighten your abs and lift your heels from the ground.
3. Lower your legs towards the far right of the bar past your right hand, keeping your
lower back against the floor the whole time.
4. Raise your legs back to the start position (centre of the bar). For increased difficulty,
lower your legs back down towards the floor straight out in front of you instead but
do not let your heels touch the ground.
5. Next, move your legs towards the far left of the bar past your left hand, again keeping
your lower back against the floor.
6. Finally, slowly move your legs back to the starting position. This is one repetition.

65
Summary
This is the bit where you expect me to tell you that after reading this book everyone lives
happily and healthily ever after. Unfortunately that won’t be the case, at least not for
everybody. Because some people will read all of this wonderful information and still sit on
their backside rather than make it work for them. Please don’t let that be you. Take this new
found knowledge and bloody well use it!

I meet people all the time who want to be fitter, slimmer and healthier. I give them the
necessary information they need to fast track their health, fitness and fat loss but for one
reason or another (the excuses I hear are almost infinite in variety and creativity) they don’t
take action. This drives me insane.

If you want to get fit and lose weight, do it, or stop whinging about it. Perhaps I’m being
harsh, but you’ve paid good money for this book, you’ve almost finished reading it and if you
do what it says you won’t need to be one of those people who go out spending a fortune on all
the latest gizmos and gadgets to get the body they have always wanted.

What I want you to do now is give yourself a couple of days to digest the information, read any
bits that you are unsure of again and then go to war for the next 28 days. By war I mean give
it your best shot, no excuses. Work your pants off for 28 days. Once the 28 days are up I’m
certain you’ll be pleased with the results and this will be your springboard to a healthier
lifestyle.

The information in this book is not a crash diet or weight loss regime. It is designed to make
you healthier; fat loss is just an added perk of the process. If you can stick to my nutrition
guidelines and exercise with intensity in the time you have available, I’ll be a happy man.
More importantly, you’ll live happily and healthily ever after.

Now go: it’s time for all-out war!

66
Online Info
Just in case you, like me, learn better by watching someone actually performing the exercises I
have included some of the workouts in video format. Just head on over to the link below and
you can watch them from the comfort of your own home and then get stuck in yourself:

www.metconone.com/workoutvideos

As well as METCON1 you might like to try the following (shameless plugs):

www.bootcampathome.com – no need for a gym or any fancy equipment with this one.

www.walshthefataway.com – if you are committed to losing weight and getting fit this could
be your best weapon.

www.thebootcamp.co.uk – non-residential fitness boot camps throughout the UK.

www.gavinwalsh.co.uk – personal training with me personally.

67
ALL OUT WAR!

68

You might also like