URX-MT: Cardio Metabolic Intervals

Cardio Metabolic Intervals is the 8th workout in the URX-MT program. It is led by trainer Gay Gasper. This is the second workout by Gay in this program. I really enjoyed her first workout, Total Body Metabolic Strength Conditioning. This is a good rebounder workout, too, though I did not like it nearly as much as her first one. But it is still an excellent rebounder workout. This one has some more advanced rebounder footwork and, for a few of the moves, I had a hard time keeping pace with Gay and crew. But I was able to do all of the exercises–just not at the same speed. Of course, some if it has to do with the fact I have a completely different rebounder but I’m also not as skilled with the rebounding footwork as they are. This is primarily cardio but there is a little bit of strength work interspersed but not much. The body weight moves actually work you nicely but there isn’t much of it. There is some nice hip/glute bridges. Gay uses the sandbags on hips to add resistance but they do not add much resistance. However, with your feet elevated on the rebounder, that is a move you feel without any added resistance. As for the other “strength” exercises, it’s hard to count anything using 1-3 pound sandbags as “strength” work, so the moves using the sandbags could be considered some light toning I guess. The sandbags do a good job of increasing cardio intensity though and they are used in all of the cardio moves in this workout. Overall, it is primarily a cardio workout. The workout ends with some nice core work.

This workout suffers from the same issue that many of these “low impact” rebounder workouts suffer from: the trainer has you jumping on the floor as well as on the rebounder. So… I guess it’s not really low impact, is it? I will ask the same question I ask in all of these workouts–what is the point of doing rebounder work for its low impact aspect (the reason the creator of the Urban Rebounder and the associated workouts created them–because of his own joint issues, or so he claims), if you are jumping on the floor? Anyone? Anyone?

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.

Cardio Metabolic Intervals is 54 minutes; 3 minute warm up and 1 minute stretch. Equipment: rebounder and sandbag weights. The warm up starts marching on the floor behind the rebounder holding the sandbags.

1. Still standing behind rebounder, still holding sandbags, alternate tapping toes to top of rebounder rim with alternating bicep curls
2. Step one foot on top of rebounder and do a 7 knee repeater
3. Repeat #1
4. Repeat #2 on other leg
5. Repeat #1
6. 3 knee repeater then high knee run 8x on top of rebounder
7. Step off rebounder and do side step squats on floor behind rebounder, alternate sides (also do hammer curls as you squat)
8. Repeat #6 on other side of body
9. Repeat #6-8
10. High knee runs on rebounder
11. Hop on rebounder
12. Hopping heel digs
13. Repeat #11 with overhead press
14. Repeat #12 with bicep curls
15. Repeat #13 & 14
16. Squat jacks
17. Stand on rebounder with legs wide, alternating cross punches with toe taps
18. Hop with alternating front punches
19. Repeat #15-18
20. With feet together, jump forward and back
21. Jumping jacks legs
22. Repeat #20 while raising arms/sandbags forward and back
23. Repeat #21 while holding arms/sandbags isometrically out to sides in a T
24. Repeat #22 & 23
25. High knee run; changes to sprint
26. Repeat #24-25
27. 4 hops + tuck jump landing in squat; add a 180 turn with each tuck jump
28. Alternating hopping knee raise with alternating hammer curls; changes to 2 single alternating hopping knee raise + one double hopping knee raise
29. Hop while lifting one leg out straight to side 4x before repeating on other leg; add upright rows
30. Repeat #27-29
31. Double jack legs; changes to single jack legs; changes to one double jack + 2 single jacks; add tricep kickbacks
32. Repeat #19
33. Repeat #26
34. Repeat #30 and the finished product of #31
35. Stand in front of rebounder, tap one foot behind you on top of rebounder, alternate legs; add reaching sandbags down toward foot with each tap back then do one row (turns into alternating single leg deadlifts with a row)
36. Still in front of rebounder, one leg remains behind you on rebounder, hinge forward at hips and do rear delt flys
37. Stand to side of rebounder with the rebounder behind you, squat and sit on rebounder then roll back, raising feet to ceiling then roll back up to standing, jump (on floor) and do 4 jacks (on floor)
38. Repeat #35
39. Repeat #36 on other side of body
40. Repeat #37
41. Repeat #32-34 four times
42. (set sandbags aside) One tricep push up with hands on rebounder and feet on floor + 2 plank jacks + wide lunges (bring one foot up beside the rebounder, one each side) + return to plank then push back to pike and tap one hand to opposite shin (alternate 4x)
43. Get into elbow plank, raise one leg and bend knee bringing heel to glutes
44. Flow between child pose and downward facing dog (hands still on rebounder)
45. Repeat #42
46. Repeat #43 on other leg
47. Repeat #44
48. Repeat #42-47
49. (grab sandbags) Repeat #41
50. (Gay grabbed heavier sandbags) Lay on back on floor, heels on top of rebounder, hold sandbags on hips, raise and lower hips in glute bridge; changes to single leg glute bridges
51. (set sandbags aside) Get into straight arm plank with hands on floor and feet on rebounder, rotate into side plank reaching top arm toward ceiling, return to plank and do one push up then rotate into side plank on other side, continue alternating side planks with a push up in between
52. (grab sandbags) Sit on rebounder with knees bent and feet on floor, arms/sandbags are extended straight in front of you, slowly roll down on mat, raising arms/sandbags overhead then roll back up to starting position; at top of roll up add opening one straight arm to side, rotating torso to look behind you, alternate sides at the top of each roll up
53. Lay back on rebounder (knees still bent and feet still on floor), raise head and shoulders, elbows are bent and sandbags are held near ears, alternate crunching up and reaching one sandbag across to opposite knee, alternate sides
54. (set sandbags aside) Still laying on rebounder, reach arms overhead and grip the edge of the rebounder behind you, raise bent legs (feet off ground now), do reverse crunches; straighten legs at top of reverse crunch, raising hips even higher
55. (grab sandbags) Lay back on rebounder, knees bent and feet on floor, reach arms/sandbags overhead, circle them around to thighs as you sit up while also raising one bent leg, alternate legs; changes to raising one straight leg instead of bent leg
56. Modified Turkish get up on rebounder (lay on rebounder holding a sandbag in one hand, same leg is bent with foot on edge of rebounder, other leg is extended with foot on floor and other hand is on edge of rebounder, push up on hand and leg that are on the rebounder, extending body straight and reaching hand holding the sandbag to ceiling, lower back onto rebounder and do a reverse crunch extending straight legs to ceiling
57. Repeat #56 on other side of body
58. Pilates double leg stretch (lay on back, both legs extended straight, one in line with hips and the other raised toward forehead, head and shoulders are raised and hands are behind thigh of raised leg, pulse that leg 2x toward forehead then swap legs); changes to singles (no pulse)