Barlates: Metabolic Training/Box Sculpt

Metabolic Training: Box Sculpt is a tough workout from Linda @ Barlates! And my glutes are still very sore from her Metabolic Training: Cardio Sculpt! This workout hits them again. This is a cardio + strength workout but, just like Cardio Sculpt, it does not hit every muscle group–so it’s not a total body workout. You start with cardio boxing then you work the lower body then the chest and core and end with more core work. I got a great workout. My shoulder problems flared up again yesterday so I used the same weights as Linda. You are doing a lot of reps so it worked fine for me. You are also doing high steps but because these include a balance challenge, using a chair is necessary (rather than a high step) so that you can hold onto the back of the chair. In addition, I used a folded yoga mat on the chair seat for #2 below to protect my knees.

This workout is available for free on YouTube but I purchased the DVD which contains 3 other workouts in her Metabolic Training Series. You can also purchase the download from Linda via her website. The other 3 workouts in the series are: Functional, Circuit and Cardio Sculpt.

Metabolic Training: Box Sculpt is 56:30 minutes; intro 2 minutes, 27 minutes of cardio boxing, 9:30 minutes of lower body work, 8:30 minutes of chest/core work, 4 minutes of ab work and 4 minute stretch. Equipment: light dumbbells for boxing (Linda is using 500g or 1 pound and I wore 1 pound weighted gloves), medium dumbbells (Linda is using 3.5kg or 8 pounds), a medium tension pilates band and a sturdy chair with a back. The first part of the workout is 27 minutes of cardio boxing using the light dumbbells. Linda goes through all of the punches to warm you up then she starts adding impact with boxer shuffles, jumping jacks, pendulum legs, etc. The last 2:30 minutes of the cardio boxing is side kick drills. She shows low impact modifications for the majority of the exercises (she does not offer a modification for the pendulum leg/hop move) and also shows modifications for some of the core exercises.

After you finish the side kick drills, get your chair.

1. Stand beside your chair with the seat facing you, step onto chair with one leg (leg closest to chair, hold the chair back for balance), lift other straight leg out to side, step down off chair and tap ground; changes to keeping foot on chair seat and pushing up while raising other leg out to side
2. Place one knee on chair seat, both hands gripping the edge of the chair seat and lift other leg out straight to side
3. Lay chest on chair seat, hands on ground and one knee on the ground, extend other straight leg behind you but on a diagonal, lift and lower leg
4. Repeat #1-4 on other side of body
5. (set chair aside) Wrap pilates band around back with one end in each hand and also hold a medium DB in each hand, lay on back with knees bent and feet on floor, do chest presses
6. In same starting position as #5, still holding DBs but elbows/triceps are resting on the floor, raise feet off ground and alternate tapping toes to floor; add slow chest presses
7. Release band (only holding DBs now) and raise straight legs to ceiling, do a chest press to a 1 count up and 3 counts down pattern/pace and scissor the legs to the same pattern; changes to raising and lowering both straight legs while continuing to do chest presses
8. (set DBs aside) Still laying on back, knees are bent and feet are on floor, band is still on floor underneath you, hold one end of the band in each hand and, with straight arms, do a chest fly, crossing arms when they are over chest; add scissoring straight legs; do the arm crosses over chest at a brisker pace while bicycling legs
9. Band is still wrapped around back with one end in each hand, come into straight arm plank and do 1 full push up, then lower body all the way to the ground and push back up to plank, alternate these two push up versions
10. (set band aside) Sit on bottom, lean torso back and support yourself with your hands behind you, bicycle legs in this position; changes to scissoring straight legs
11. Lay flat on back with arms reached overhead and legs straight, raise up into a full boat pose but with legs split (one leg higher than the other) and hold for a second then lower back to floor, when you repeat, the other leg is higher, continue to alternate which leg is higher
12. Sit on bottom, knees bent, feet on floor, torso leaned back with spine in a C curve, band is folded in half and you are holding one end in each hand, in this position, do a large figure 8 with the band, bring close to the floor on either side of body
13. In same starting position as #12, bring band from in front of you to one side of body while lifting same side leg

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