Boost Up Your Metabolism and Conditioning!

Posted above is the end of a training session I recorded toward the end of last Fall. These are called "Bastardo's", which are burpees with a tuck jump at the top. I performed them Tabata style (alternating periods of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest), although you could also do them in a circuit with other exercises, or see how many you can do in a designated period of time (ex. 60 seconds). If you are a beginner, I recommend using a work:rest ratio of 10s:20s (10 seconds work/20 seconds rest) to begin with, moving to 15s:15s and finally 20s:10s as shown in the video. I did this for 4 minutes, but you could also begin with 2 minutes and work your way up. I often like to add something like this throughout the week to keep my conditioning levels (as well as fat stores) in check.

Bear in mind, these are absolutely brutal, and much more difficult than they look (you'll notice toward the end I can hardly bring my knees high). The first time I tried this I got 57 total, and in the video above I finished with 83 (this was the fifth time I tried these, so improvement comes quickly). However, you'll notice rapid improvements in your conditioning, and these will elevate your metabolism more than any type of aerobic exercise you'll do in a group class or on the elliptical! Also, they beauty of this is that it only takes 4 minutes to complete, and the post-effects will be much greater than spending 20-30 minutes jogging (the higher the intensity of the exercise, the greater your metabolism will be elevated during the 24-48 hours following the training session). Give it a shot!