JessicaSmithTV: Met Con 5

“Met Con” is short for metabolic conditioning and the “5” means the workout is made up of 5 key moves. Jessica says during the warm up that this is not a workout for beginners. And I agree. It isn’t an advanced workout, but it is intermediate level and pretty intense if you are using appropriate weights. I loved it. This is a total body metabolic weight training workout. The heavier the weights you use the more intense it will become. This is a circuit workout that is done at Jessica’s usual controlled but flowing pace. There are two circuits in this workout. The first is the weighted circuit that consists of 5 compound exercises. The second (and final) circuit is a core based circuit w/ 4 exercises. You repeat both circuits 3 times. I was very impressed with this workout. Just like Jessica’s DVD Boost Metabolism + Muscle Jessica packs a lot into such a short workout and does an impressive job of working your entire body–and raising your heart rate while doing it (the metabolic factor).

Met Con 5 is 35 minutes long; 6:30 minute warm up, 8 minutes core work (circuit 2) and 3 minute stretch. For the warm up, Jessica previews the 5 moves that make up first circuit without dumbbells. Jessica uses a set of 5 and a set of 10 pound dumbbells. You do 3 rounds of each circuit.

Metabolic Circuit:

1. Squat deadlift cobra (squat holding DBs in front of body and when you stand, rotate DBs, bringing them behind body and pulling shoulders back and opening chest–like doing a cobra) (Jessica uses 10# DBs, I used 15# DBs)
2. Push ups side to side (move hand after each push up–Jessica always has one hand gripping a DB)
3. Curtsy lunge w/ bicep curl to overhead press (Jessica uses 10# DBs, I used 12# DBs)
4. Reverse lunge while hinging at hips and swinging arms/DBs straight behind you and when you stand, swing DB to chest level (Jessica uses 5# DBs for rounds 1 & 3 and 10# DBs for round 2, I used 8# DBs for all 3 rounds)
5. Surrenders (standing with arms/DBs held overhead, kneel then stand–keeping arms straight overhead the entire time) (5# DBs)

Core Circuit:

1. Crawl forward and back 4x in elbow plank
2. Lay on stomach, arms out to sides in a T and thumbs pointing to the ceiling, legs are separated–raise legs, arms head/chest, bring arms to sides while closing legs then open legs and return arms to T position
3. V sit or modified boat pose–lower torso a few inches while straightening legs then return to start; changes to twisting torso to side when you return to start
4. Crab hold
5. Repeat core work 2 more times

For more info on JessicaSmithTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.