One method of training that’s been gaining in popularity for its numerous health benefits is metabolic conditioning. Just as you can condition your heart, muscles, and skeleton, you can also adapt your metabolism progressively through exercise. But what exactly is metabolic conditioning or metcon?

What Is Metabolic Conditioning?

Metabolic conditioning is actually more of a principle of fitness than it is a fitness program. You might be engaging in some form of metabolic conditioning even when engaging in vastly different workout methods.

There are a few types of training that are inherently metcon by nature. The criteria for any form of training to be pro-metcon is that it is high intensity and anaerobic dominant.

Types of Metcon Training

Because of the criteria mentioned above, there are a few sure-fire training methods that are equipped to deliver a metcon training effect.

These include

• HIIT
• Tabata
• Heavy Resistance Training
• Sprint Training
• Calisthenics
• High Altitude Training

This article will delve into some of the many health and fitness benefits of metcon training forms. We want to help you gain a deeper understanding of what goes on when you hit or rather “HIIT” the gym.

Top 5 Metcon Workouts For Beginners

1. Increased Endurance

One amazing benefit of metabolic conditioning is increased endurance.

Your metabolism is an energy conversion system. By training and adapting it, you effectively improve the efficiency of how it runs.

This means you can work/train for longer than normal, thus increasing your overall endurance and stamina.

2. Increased Energy

Just as your energy efficiency improves, so does your energy output.

Since your metabolism is an energy production system, conditioning it progressively will result in an overall increase in the amount of energy you have available.

This is because the mitochondria commonly referred to as the powerhouse of the cell, increase both in number and activity as the metcon effect takes place.

3. Increase in Strength

Another standard outcome of the metcon effect is an increase in strength. Strength requires energy. The more energy you have, the stronger you can be. So it goes without saying that metcon will lead to strength gains as you progressively adapt your energy system.

Metcon also amplifies your power output. Power and strength are similar concepts but mean two different things when going deeper. That’s because strength simply describes your ability to do work, where power describes how quickly you can do the work. Metcon not only increases your ability to work (strength), it also allows you to work at a faster rate (power).

4. Better Body Composition

For most people getting into fitness, especially in America, losing weight is a huge motivating factor. If you’re one of those people seeking to take that necessary step towards better health, you’re reading the right article.

Your metabolism is a crucial measure in your energy balance, and your energy balance is the main determining factor in whether you gain or lose weight.

Your energy balance contrasts the energy entering your body in the form of consumed calories vs the amount you burn through daily activity. In order to achieve weight loss, you need what you take in to be significantly less than what you burn out.

One way of doing this is by reducing your intake. This could mean calorie restriction, and in the case of some people, borderline starvation. The problem with restrictive intake is it can quickly lead to disordered eating, not exactly the healthiest place to be.

So what if instead, you could just increase the amount of energy your body uses? Enter metcon, the best way to turbocharge your metabolism both in the short term and the long term.

That’s because the increase in efficiency and turnover of energy that occurs during training and after as a result of permanent changes means your energy balance will tilt more in favor of burning more calories than you generally consume.

5. General Wellness

Your metabolic activity will determine your general wellness for several reasons. Firstly, you’ll just generally have more energy to do more of the stuff you want to do during the day. The sense of productive fulfillment is both a mental and physiological boost to your wellbeing.

The improved metabolic activity also means an across-the-board improvement in all vital aspects of your health, these include:

• Immune system
• Reproductive system
• Nervous system
• Digestive system

Conditioning your metabolism has also been shown to decrease the signs of aging both in terms of physical appearance and level of activity.

Conclusion

Metcon was always here, metcon workouts for beginners we just didn’t know about it or how to isolate its benefits into purpose-driven fitness programs.

Now that we’re getting better at understanding it, you can begin to take advantage of what conditioning your metabolism can do for your health.