Metabolic Strength Vol 1 & Vol 2

Tracie Long has 3 DVDs in her Metabolic Strength series. Each DVD has two 30 minute workouts on them. When previewing these workouts, I immediately knew I wanted them all. Total Fitness DVDs has clips of all of the Metabolic Strength workouts up on their website and that is where I previewed and purchased these workouts.

What can I say about Vol 1 & 2 except wow. These were amazing! Especially Vol 1 Coming On Strong, but they are both incredible workouts. I did them both back to back–Vol 1 followed by Vol 2 and Tracie worked me very hard. I had to modify the balance moves in Vol 1 but I was able to do everything else as presented. I was very challenged. Vol 1 is primarily strength work. She does not rep you out so you can lift heavy. There is some cardio/plyometrics in Vol 1 but, as usual, Tracie approaches it in a very functional manner–meaning nothing crazy or high speed. Her approach to burpees and other plyometric moves is so different from other trainers (such as Cathe, but other trainers, as well). And tho I love those other trainers, I can see being able to do Tracie’s workouts for longer because of the way she approaches exercise–always safe and functional, while still working you hard. Though both workouts are metabolic, Vol 2 is more so. Lots of active core work, some strength work and some cardio. My entire posterior chain is still burning hours later from these wonderful workouts. Tracie was burning her own glutes out during the Bulgarian Split Squats!

The main screen lists both workouts. When you choose one it takes you to a chapter menu for the workout. You can either choose the individual chapters or choose “play all.” If you have your remote nearby and use a workout card like I do, you can hit pause during each chapter switch to quickly swap out equipment. That is the way these workouts play out. Between each chapter you are taken to a screen informing you of what is coming up next and when it returns to Tracie, she already has her equipment ready to go. Both workouts have warm ups but neither has a cool down/stretch. That is really the only negative to these workouts. Tracie does stretch you out sometimes at the end of a chapter, but not always and not a lot. Since I did these two back-to-back on a weekend, I finished them off with Cathe’s STS Extended Stretch. But if I were to do these on a work day, I am not sure how I would approach getting in a good stretch at the end. Done back-to-back they would consume the entire hour I have available in the morning to workout, so when I do them on a work day I might have to do them individually and use a shorter add on that also contains a stretch. I will figure it out because I love these two workouts and I am looking forward to trying Vol 3-6!

Vol 1 Coming on Strong is 31:30 minutes; 5 minute warm up and no cool down/stretch. The warm up starts with balance moves. Equipment: full step w/ 3 risers on each side and dumbbells. I do not know the weights Tracie was using so what is listed below is what I used. As usual, I was conservative with my weights the first time through, but since she never gives you a ton of reps, I can lift heavier on some of the exercises in the future.

Push Ups & Squats:

1. Push ups (start in toe plank, lower body to the floor then push back up on knees then raise to toes); add raising arms into goal post while you are on your stomach and pushing arms overhead 2x
2. Goblet squats (one 25# DB)
3. Chest press, alternate arms; changes to double arm chest press (18# DBs)

Deadlifts & Rows: (#1 & 3 are the balance moves I had to modify)

1. Raise one knee then bring that leg back into lunge, raise out of lunge, raising knee in front of you again then lower into single leg deadlift, lifting leg behind you–the entire time you are balancing on one leg (15# DBs)
2. Bent over double arm back row (20# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 on other leg
4. Repeat #2
5. Deadlifts (25# DBs)

Bulgarian Split Squats: (there is a step @ 8 inches behind Tracie)

1. Squats w/ one arm overhead press at top of squat, alternate arms (15# DBs)
2. Bulgarian split squats (back foot is on step behind you) (15# DBs)
3. Repeat #1
4. Mountain climbers (8 fast regular + 2 slow diagonal)

Single Arm Row: (full step at 10 inches is present)

1. Bent over single arm row w/ other hand on step (one 20# DB)
2. Stationary alternating side lunges (15# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 on other arm
4. Alternating side lunges (stepping out side to side) (15# DBs)

The Gun Show (arms):

1. Kneeling bicep curls (13# DBs)
2. Lying overhead tricep extensions; changes to alternating single arm overhead tricep extensions (11# DBs)
3. Kneeling double arm tricep kickbacks (palms facing forward); changes to straight arm tricep pulse backs (8# DBs)
4. Kneeling alternating hammer curls (13# DBs)

Metabolic Finisher:

1. Burpees w/ 2 frog jumps (while still in plank, jump feet in to hands and back out to plank 2x)
2. Squat jump, touching one hand to floor while in squat, and when feet are together do alternating step backs
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

Vol 2 Get Up & Go is 30 minutes; 5 minute warm up and 30 second stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a medicine ball. She also uses a yoga block during the warm up. Again, I do not know the weights that Tracie is using so what is listed below are what I used. For this workout the weights I used really challenged me so I do not need to lift heavier in the future. I was struggling to push out the last two reps of #1 in the Weights chapter.

Weights:

1. In elbow/knee side plank, so a one arm row w/ top arm, rowing from ground to just above ribs 2x, then row the DB but continue lifting DB toward ceiling and hold for a few seconds (one 15# DB)
2. In straight arm plank while holding DBs do one renegade row then bring same side knee in under body, remain on one side alternating these two moves (20# DBs)
3. Alternating jump lunges
4. 4 knee repeaters + 2 step out squats, continue alternating these two moves on same side of body
5. 3 lateral skaters + 1 single leg hop
6. Squat jack in and out + raise onto toes while reaching arms overhead (she calls it releve)
7. Repeat #4 on other side of body
8. Repeat #5
9. Squats
10. Repeat 1 & 2 on other side of body
11. Repeat #3

Burpees: (medicine ball; I used a 5 pound medicine ball)

1. Start in straight arm plank, lower to elbow plank, tap one foot out and in then tap other foot out and in, raise back up to hands, jump feet in, stand and jump then do a side lunge to each side then jump back out into straight arm plank; after repeating this series add a slow push up then tap opposite shoulders
2. 2 steps side to side holding med ball in both hands in front of chest
3. Hop step to side while circling ball + stationary taps while pushing ball out to each side
4. Squat and place ball on floor between legs, stand and jump, squat and pick ball up and push overhead
5. Repeat #3 & 4
6. Repeat #1
7. Squats holding ball in both hands in front of chest; add a big figure 8 when standing (she calls it around the world) then push the ball side, front, other side, front
8. Repeat #4 & 7

Big Finish:

1. Tap out to one side + knee raise (other leg); add a tap back after knee raise + another knee raise
2. Triangle jumps (start with feet together and jump forward with wide legs, jump back to start w/ feet together then jump back with wide lets then jump forward to start with feet together)
3. Repeat #1 on other side of body
4. Repeat #2
5. Slow high knee runs

Core:

1. Russian twists (one 8# DB)
2. Lay on back, hands behind head, knees bent and legs raised off ground, lower heels to floor while keeping knees bent then return to start; add 4 “walk on the ceiling” (alternate pushing feet toward ceiling while slightly lifting hips)
3. Still laying on back but legs are extended straight with feet flexed and arms are extended straight overhead, raise one straight leg and touch opposite hand to toe, alternate sides
4. Still on back, arms and legs are extended straight to ceiling, lower opposite arm/leg a few inches off floor then return to start, alternate sides (dead bug variation)
5. Elbow plank on toes, extend one arm out in front of you touching fingers to ground while also tapping other leg out to side of body, alternate sides