We all know that workouts are one of the pieces that can make a big difference in our health and fitness.
While we all might enjoy different things in our workouts, one thing that I know is that a metcon workout can be a great way to challenge yourself.
You may or may not know what that means. But regardless, you're in the right place because we're going to talk about that and a whole lot more today.
Quick Answer: What Is A Metcon Workout?
A metcon workout (metabolic conditioning) is a high-intensity training method that combines strength and cardio exercises. This challenges your cardiovascular fitness, builds muscle, and improves body composition in short, effective sessions.
What You'll Learn In This Article:
• What a Metcon Workout Is
• What Is Metabolic Conditioning?
• Benefits of Metcon Workouts
• Metcon Workout Benefits for Body Composition
• Exercises to Use In a Metcon Workout
• Metcon Workouts For You to Try
• How To Get The Most Out of Metcon Workouts
What Is A Metcon Workout?
Before diving into what a metcon workout is … It's important to know that these are also known as metabolic conditioning workouts.
Now, these are workouts that challenge your body in a number of different ways. They are designed to test your cardiovascular fitness. They are designed to get your heart rate up. They are even designed to help you improve your overall fitness.
Some different forms of exercise that you may be more familiar with that fall into the metcon category are things like CrossFit and Hyrox.
Now that you know what it is, it's only right that we talk about what metabolic conditioning actually means next.
What Is Metabolic Conditioning?
Metabolic conditioning is exactly what it sounds like … It's conditioning your metabolism.
But what does that actually mean? Well, metabolic conditioning workouts are designed to use all three of your body's energy pathways:
Phosphagen System - This provides energy for short, explosive movements (like sprinting or heavy lifting)
Glycolytic System - This kicks in for moderate to high-intensity exercise lasting 1-3 minutes
Oxidative System - This fuels longer, steady-state activities
Most metcon workouts follow a pattern like 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off. This timing allows you to work at high intensity while still being able to recover between exercises.
The beauty of metabolic conditioning is that it challenges your body to become more efficient at producing and using energy. This means better performance in all areas of fitness!
Benefits of Metcon Workouts
The benefits of these workouts can be endless. I mean, they can do just about anything you want for your body when thinking about composition.
While there are a whole lot more than three benefits that we could touch on, these are what I believe to be the most beneficial:
• Quick & Effective
• Improved Strength & Cardiovascular Health
• Better Body Composition
Now, let's look at how each of these can improve with metcon workouts.
Quick & Effective
One of the biggest barriers for people consistently getting their workouts in is time. Well, with metcon workouts, that's a barrier that is no longer in place!
Most metcon workouts only take about 35 minutes, but some even as short as 6 minutes (1). This means that you can get in a great workout in a short amount of time!
Improved Strength & Cardiovascular Health
When working out, there are usually just three things people are after. People either want to look better, feel better, or improve their performance.
Heck, I find myself falling into all of the categories! Who wouldn't want to look and feel their best, while being strong and fit?
Well, one of the best parts about metcon workouts is that they can help you get stronger and improve cardiovascular health (2). That means you can feel better all day long, no matter what you are doing!
Better Body Composition
This actually ties in with the point above. While being stronger and improving cardiovascular health is awesome, this point takes care of looking better. Metcon workouts can help you to build muscle, lose body fat, or in some cases, even both (3).
This means that you can be more confident in your clothes ... have that lean, toned look that you're after ... and see the physical changes that you want.
Let's dive deeper into how metcon workouts can transform your physique…
Can You Build Muscle With Metcons?
Absolutely! While metcon workouts may not build muscle as effectively as traditional strength training alone, they can definitely help you build lean muscle mass. Here's how:
The resistance exercises in metcon workouts (like push-ups, pull-ups, and weighted movements) provide the stimulus your muscles need to grow. Plus, the high-intensity nature means you're challenging your muscles in new ways.
The key is progressive overload. As you get stronger, you can add weight, increase reps, or extend the work periods to keep challenging your muscles.
Fat Loss Benefits
Metcon workouts are incredibly effective for fat loss because they:
• Burn calories during the workout
• Help preserve muscle mass while in a calorie deficit
• Improve insulin sensitivity, which helps with fat loss
Are Metcons Good for Beginners?
Yes, but with some important considerations. Metcon workouts can be scaled for any fitness level. The key for beginners is to:
• Start with bodyweight exercises
• Focus on proper form over speed
• Take longer rest periods if needed
• Begin with 2-3 workouts per week
• Listen to your body and progress gradually
Remember, everyone starts somewhere. The most important thing is consistency, not perfection!
Exercises To Use In A Metcon Workout
There are so many different exercises that you could put into a metcon workout. Honestly, I probably can't even count that high. However, there are a few popular options for your upper body, lower body, core, and cardio.
Upper Body Exercises
• Pull-Ups
• Inverted Rows
• Push-Ups
• Push Press
• Renegade Rows
• Battle Ropes
Lower Body Exercises
• Walking Lunges
• Sled Pushes
• Box Jump Overs
• Dumbbell Snatch
• Lateral Lunges
Core Exercises
• Farmer Carries
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Planks
• Mountain Climbers
• Plank Pull Throughs
• V-Ups
Cardio Exercises
• Assault Bike
• Row Machine
• Ski Erg
• Sprints
• Jump Rope
Metcon Workouts For You To Try
Now that you have this list of exercises that you can use, I want to help you get a couple of different ideas for metcon workouts that you can try.
Below, I have beginner, intermediate, and advanced options for you. If you try one and it's too challenging, you can either pull back and start with the beginner option ... or you can decrease the weight, sets, or reps to make it a little more suitable for you.
If you try one and it's too easy, you can either try the next level up ... or you can add weight, sets, or reps to make it even more challenging.
Beginner Metcon Workout
Complete 3 rounds of every exercise, allowing yourself 2 minutes to rest between rounds.
| Exercise | Reps/Time/Distance |
|---|---|
| Air Squats | 10 |
| Wall Push-Ups | 10 |
| Planks | :20 Seconds |
| Run | 200 Meters |
| Dumbbell Rows | 10 |
Intermediate Metcon Workout
Complete 3 rounds of every exercise, allowing yourself 2 minutes to rest between rounds.
| Exercise | Reps/Time/Distance |
|---|---|
| Walking Lunges | 10 Each |
| Inverted Rows | 10 |
| Mountain Climbers | 30 |
| Ski Erg | 10 Calories |
| Jump Rope | 50 |
| Box Step Ups | 8 (Each Leg) |
Advanced Metcon Workout
Complete 3 rounds of every exercise, allowing yourself 2 minutes to rest between rounds.
| Exercise |
Reps/Time/Distance |
|---|---|
| Sled Push/Pull | 20 Yards |
| Battle Ropes | :30 Seconds |
| Farmer Carries | 40 Yards |
| Pull-Ups | To Failure |
| Assault Bike | 10 Calories |
| Plank Pull Throughs | 8 (Each Side) |
| Box Jump Overs | 10 |
Now, while not all of these exercises are listed above, they are all just as reliable when it comes to putting them to use to earn results.
Getting The Most Out of Metcon Workouts
Metcon workouts can be great, there's no denying it. But at the end of the day, we all want to get the most out of our workouts.
Like we talked about before, getting the most out of your workouts could mean that you look better. It could also mean that you feel better or are performing better.
But how do you get the most out of your metcon workouts? Well, that can be answered with two very simple things:
• Training hard and with intent
• Eating the correct amount of food for your goals
This means that you are challenging yourself in your training and progressing over time. That means that you are adding weight, sets, reps, or following progressive overload in some other way.
In addition to that, it means you are eating the correct amount of calories and protein for your goals.
Now, this can look a little bit different for you versus me based on each of our individual goals. I know that may sound like a lot … But we are here to help!
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References:
(1) Schlegel P. CrossFit® Training Strategies from the Perspective of Concurrent Training: A Systematic Review. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. 2020;19(4):670-680.
(2) Rios M, et al. The Effects of CrossFit® Practice on Physical Fitness and Overall Quality of Life. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024;22(1):19.
(3) Choi EJ, et al. Effects of the CrossFit Exercise Data Analysis on Body Composition and Blood Profiles. Iranian Journal of Public Health. 2017;46(9):1292-1294.
