URX-MT: Total Body Metabolic Strength Conditioning

Workout #2: Total Body Metabolic Strength Conditioning is led by trainer Gay Gasper. This workout was more of what I was hoping for from the URX-MT program. This is primarily a cardio workout and 95% of it is done on the rebounder. There are a few moves where you come off the rebounder but they were few and minor in comparison to Workout #1. This was fun and excellent cardio. It wasn’t terribly intense tho. According to my FitBit, in 51 minutes I burned nearly 400 calories and was in my cardio zone the entire time. So this is more of a steady state cardio workout. I really liked Gay, too. Unfortunately the sound quality of this DVD was terrible. I had the volume turned all the way up and still sometimes had problems understanding what she said. But I could hear the music fine and it was easy to follow even when I couldn’t understand what she said–she always demonstrates each move before she expects the home exerciser (and her background exercisers) to do it. This workout is made up of 5 combos. Each combo starts with a cardio combo that Gay builds in layers and ends with some type of power combo which is more difficult than the cardio combo but (for me at least) was never HIIT level. The workout ends with some toning and core work. Since this is a program that apparently came with additional equipment, that is what Gay and her background exercisers are using. 1, 2 and 3 pound sandbag hand weights. I own a pair of 1 pound sandbag hand weights so that is what I used. I didn’t even feel it with those, so in the future I will definitely have to bump it up to dumbbells. They would still be light dumbbells and I will increase it up in increments but I estimate I would need at least 5 pound hand weights to make the toning portion worthwhile. However, the vast majority of this workout is cardio and it doesn’t use the sandbag weights. And I loved it! This one is a winner that I will definitely be returning to.

Here is a little background on this series. URX-MT stands for Urban Rebounding Extreme Metabolic Training. I bought the entire series as a program. The program is made up of 13 workouts but you can buy each workout individually on the Urban Rebounder site, so that is how I will be reviewing them. The program apparently originally came with more than just the rebounder and the workouts. It also came with sandbag hand weights that you can no longer purchase. I think all of the workouts in the program use the sandbags. They range from 1-3 pounds. I did not purchase an Urban Rebounder. My rebounder is a different brand. I also did not buy the DVD program from the Urban Rebounder website. I found it much cheaper on Ebay.

Total Body Metabolic Strength Conditioning is 51 minutes; 5 minute warm up and 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: rebounder and sandbag weights (you might need heavier hand weights for the toning segment at the end).

1. Basic hops; add cross-jack legs
2. Hopping hamstring curls; changes to 4 hamstring curls on one leg, alternate legs (doing 4 on each leg)
3. Combine #1 & 2–cross jacks + 4 hamstring curls (but hamstring curls only done on one leg), alternate legs with cross jacks between them
4. Double jack legs; changes to single jacks legs; add raising and lowering arms straight to side
5. Combine #3 & 4
6. Two high jumps then land in squat
7. Alternating cross-back lunges, tapping back leg on floor and reaching one hand toward far edge of rebounder
8. Combine #6 & 7, alternating 2 high jumps + squat + one #7, alternate legs
9. Quarter turn hops; alternate sides; add jack legs between sides
10. Combine #8 & 9
11. Double cross country skiers; changes to singles
12. Power squat jacks
13. Alternating hopping knee raises; changes to 2 hopping knee raises each leg; changes to 4 hopping knees before changing to other leg
14. Combine #11-13
15. Stand on floor behind rebounder, place hands on edge of rebounder, jump feet back so you are in straight arm plank, do a plank jack, jump feet in, jump up onto rebounder, do one high jump and high knee run on rebounder
16. Heel digs with bicep curls
17. Jumping jack legs
18. With legs together, hop forward and back
19. High knee run
20. Repeat #16-19 several more times but Gay adds arm movements to the moves and high knee run changes to single leg hops
21. Hop on one foot with other knee raised then leap to other side of rebounder onto other foot, continue leaping side to side with knee raises
22. With feet together, jump side to side
23. Double jacks w/ 180 turns
24. Combine/alternate #21-23
25. With feet together, do small hops with jump rope arms; hops change to heel digs; heel digs change to heel-toes
26. 2 hops + 1 high tuck jump
27. Basic hops with figure 8 arms
28. Repeat #25-27 several more times
29. With feet together, hop feet side to side with hips twists; changes to double hop hip twists
30. Forward jump on a diagonal + one jack, alternate sides when jumping on diagonal with a jack between each diagonal jump
31. Combine/alternate #29 & 30 several more times
32. 3 wide hops then jump high clicking heels together + 3 wide hops then jump feet together and lower into 2 narrow squats
33. Combine #31 & 32
34. Tricep push ups with hands on rebounder and toes on floor
35. In elbow plank with forearms on rebounder and toes on floor, rotate upper body raising one bent arm to ceiling, repeat on opposite side, jump feet in, place one foot on rebounder and do 2 knee pulls, one jack on floor and 2 knee pulls on other leg + jack on floor; knee pulls change to extending leg out behind you rather than tapping floor while also reaching down to touch opposite end of rebounder
36. Stand in front of the rebounder holding a sandbag weight in each hand, squat and sit on rebounder, roll onto back bringing knees to chest, roll back to sitting and stand and push sandbags overhead; add a jump when standing
37. Sit on edge of rebounder, knees bent and feet on floor, hold one sandbag in both hands and do figure 8s with sandbag, rowing it from hip to hip; raise feet off floor and lower torso back to  rebounder then sit back up, keep feet raised the entire time and continue rowing sandbag
38. Grip sandbag between knees, knees bent and feet on floor, come to edge of rebounder with hands holding edge of rebounder, keeping arms straight, lift and lower hips; changes to tricep dips; alternate tricep dips with hips lifts
39. Stand on rebounder holding a sandbag weight in each hand, squat, reaching sandbags toward rebounder and at top of squat do a bicep curl; add a jump at top of squat while also reaching sandbag weights overhead
40. Place one foot on top of rebounder, other foot on floor, hinge forward, extend straight arms holding sandbag weights at sides and pulse up to ceiling–3 pulses then straighten while also doing a hammer curl; add a knee pull when doing hammer curl
41. Repeat #39
42. Repeat #40 with other foot on rebounder
43. Repeat #39
44. Lay on rebounder (still holding sandbag weights), knees bent and feet raised, elbows bent, do full crunches, bringing sandbags from head level to knees
45. (set sandbags aside) Get into straight arm plank, hands on floor and feet on rebounder–hold plank