Extreme Calorie Burn

The title snagged my attention, then I saw it was by Patrick Goudeau and knew that it was probably an accurate title! Patrick can burn the fat off anyone with his intense metabolic weight training workouts. I am working on building a solid collection of advanced metabolic weight training workouts and of course Patrick will dominate that collection. He really is the best, followed closely by Toby Massenburg (who is one of his crew members in this workout, too!!), Cathe and Michelle Dozois (with her Peak 10/Peak Fit). Paul Katami puts out some good ones, too and a few of Kelly Coffey-Meyer‘s are seriously metabolic (Circuit Burn!!!). And all of Jari Love’s Get Ripped workouts that have a “1000” tacked onto them. But Patrick is the king of metabolic strength training and Extreme Calorie Burn is another serious scorcher. He creates some very impressive and challenging workouts. So far, in addition to Extreme Calorie Burn, I have done Lean, Hot Body and Hard Work Conditioning 2. I also own Hard Work Conditioning 1 and Body Weight Blast but haven’t done them yet, so those reviews will be posted eventually. Of the 3 I have done, they are all similar–compound strength exercises with intense cardio blasts/HIITs done in circuit format–and the action is nonstop. Very little recovery time between moves–you go, go, go. I really liked this workout (I like all of Patrick’s that I’ve done so far), but it’s not the most intense of the 3 I have done, nor is it my favorite. Of the 3 I’ve done so far, Hard Work 2 is the most intense followed by Lean Hot Body and this one is the “easiest” of the 3. Do not misunderstand! This is not an easy workout! It is very intense and very challenging, but that is what Patrick does well and of the 3, this one is the easiest. I have disclaimer to add to that. This one has some awkward compound moves which is why Lean Hot Body is still my favorite of the 3. Lean Hot Body has no awkward moves at all. Plus, Extreme Calorie Burn is another super long workout. Lean Hot Body is the perfect length for my morning workouts. Nevertheless, Extreme Calorie Burn is still an excellent and effective workout.

Before I get into the workout, I want to talk a little bit about Patrick since this is the 3rd (4th if you count Kickbox Burn) workout by him I’ve done and reviewed. I really like Patrick. Not only does he construct the best metabolic strength training workouts out there, but he has a great camera presence. He is very “real,” if that makes sense. He is laughing and seeming to have fun throughout the workout, but he also seems to be very challenged by his own workouts! So he’s right there with you, fighting to get through it, but cracking jokes and laughing. It really makes such a intense workout more bearable and easier to get through. Now, with other trainers this is never a good thing because once I love their workouts I suddenly feel compelled to hoard every single workout they have created and Patrick has created a lot. Luckily, however, he doesn’t have a lot of metabolic strength workouts; in fact, the only other one (that I am aware of) that I don’t own is Hard Work Conditioning 24/7, which I’m on the fence about buying because of the reviews I’ve read (it appears to contain to most awkward compound moves of them all). And the rest of his workouts don’t really appeal to me. So I will probably just keep buying his metabolic strength workouts when he releases them but not bother with the rest.

Extreme Calorie Burn is structured the same as Lean Hot Body: 5 blocks; each block consists of primarily compound strength exercises interspersed with cardio using dumbbells and ends with a HIIT segment (no dumbbells for the HIITs); you then repeat it all on the other side of the body before moving on to the next block. And just like Lean Hot Body there is a bonus ab section at the end. On the main screen you can choose to do just the workout (with warm up and cool down) or the workout + the bonus abs (which he inserts before the stretch). The workout w/out bonus abs is 68 minutes long, the workout with bonus abs is 78 minutes long. And you can also choose to only do the bonus abs, which is 10 minutes long.

For the workout you will need a set of heavy dumbbells and a set of moderate dumbbells. Because of the pace of the workout you cannot go super heavy. The first time I did it I used 8 and 12 pound dumbbells. I think in the future I can probably up that to 10 and 15 pound dumbbells. That may very well bring it up to the same intensity as Lean Hot Body. You also need a mat.

Extreme Calorie Burn is 68 minutes long; 6 minute warm up, 57 minute training time and 5 minute stretch.

Block 1: Grab one heavy dumbbell. Suitcase squats. Squat drop w/ tap over and overhead press. Straight leg reverse lunge with knee lift at top, jump into wide squat (facing side) and pulse then jump to the front with legs together. Repeat all exercises. Side lunge with curtsey lunge to the other side (he calls them Spiderman lunges).  Three fast rows (lawnmower rows) with side leg lift. Repeat Spiderman lunges and fast rows. Cardio: zigzag leaps over mat. Run along side of mat, touch the floor, run back and raise knee. Repeat cardio. Repeat entire block on other side of body.

Block 2: Grab both heavy dumbbells. Squat down until dumbbells touch the floor, shift dumbbells in front of feet and straighten legs, stand, do a deadlift, do another deadlift, shift dumbbells to side of feet, bend knees into squat, do one back row, and stand. Alternating reverse lunges. Reverse lunge, set dumbbells on floor, come up into knee lift to front lunge (touch floor with hands), back into reverse lunge (with knee lift) and grab weights and stand with bicep curl. Hold one arm in static bicep curl and do one arm bicep curls (with other arm). Weighted burpees. Alternating squat drops (squatting and putting the dumbbells on the floor one at a time and picking them up). Repeat all exercises. Cardio: three 180 squat jumps with tuck jump, skaters. Repeat cardio. Repeat entire block on other side of body.

Block 3: Grab both heavy dumbbells. Patrick puts his hands on the ends of the dumbbells to do push ups into pikes, but my wrists didn’t like that so I just put my dumbbells to either side of the mat and did the push ups/pikes with hands on the mat. From plank, come to standing, run forward a few steps (length of mat), run back and drop back into plank. Pop ups (from plank, jump into deep squat and jump back to plank). Repeat the plank/runs and pop ups. Get into a “crouch” position (hands holding dumbbells on mat and knees bent but off of mat) and do one arm tricep kickbacks. Mountain climbers (24) then bring one knee in and then back over, foot touching the floor on other side of body (do the mountain climber combo 4 times). Repeat crouching tricep kickbacks and mountain climber combos again. In high plank position, lower body so nearly touching the floor and hold. Cardio: boxing shuffle, add arm movement, increase arm movement, add leg lift to side.  Repeat entire block on other side of body.

Block 4: Grab medium dumbbells. Two diagonal walking lunges with hammer curls; bob and weave back. Holding dumbbells out in front of you, elbows bent, palms up, cross them in front and alternate with knee lifts. Four corner move (tough and awkward compound move): side lunge bringing dumbbells to ground, go into side plank, raising one arm (with dumbbell) overhead, rotate into plank and do push up, then jump in and stand. You do this move 4 times making a “box”–four corners. Jump squats putting dumbbells on ground and picking up. Repeat all exercises. Cardio: lateral jumps over mat, front kick and touch the floor. Repeat cardio. Repeat entire block on other side of body.

Block 5: Grab one heavy dumbbell. One arm burpee (arm holding dumbbell will be the one on the ground supporting body in plank, the other arm hel straight out in front of you). Fast side-to-side hop squats while touching dumbbell to ground on one side and pulling back to shoulder on other side. Circle dumbbell all the way around and overhead and step in–alternate sides. Hold dumbbell on one hand and put other hand behind head, lean to side working obliques. Add raising opposite knee to elbow. Repeat all exercises. Cardio: grab the other dumbbell. Up and overs: while holding both dumbbells, dumbbells on mat, donkey kicks side-to-side over mat. Wide jump squats touching ground at bottom and reaching arms overhead at top. Repeat cardio. Repeat entire block on other side of body.

Stretch

Bonus Abs: 10 minutes. You start with one dumbbell and get into side plank on forearm. Raise dumbbell to sky, bring down and put under you as you transfer (using forearms) to other side of body; keep going from side-to-side. Get in low plank and do “rock the boat”–twist lower body side-to-side so hips/outer thighs touch mat. Get on back and do full sit ups with knees bent. Continue the full sit ups but alternate straightening one leg as you go back. Negative crunches (crunching from sitting). Add twists, touching opposite toe. Grab dumbbell and hold by ends; twist side to side. Put weight aside and lean back slightly with legs straight in front of you; lift legs up into V and bring to the ground then up and back together and to the ground. Lay on back for bridge sequence. Hold in bridge then start pulsing hips. Raise one leg, then add leg extension while still pulsing. Do bridge series again this time raising other leg. Roll onto stomach and do cobras. Do child’s pose.