Exercise Plan to Increase Metabolism  

John Berardi doesn't have his Ph.D. in prestidigitation, but he can still make your gut disappear. The following workout from Berardi's new book, The Metabolism Advantage, combines weight training and interval sprints to create a calorie-incinerating afterburn that lasts for hours after your last rep. No mirrors, just the magic of metabolism.

 

WEIGHT TRAINING

 

Alternate between Workout A and Workout B two or three times a week, resting at least a day between sessions. Do the exercises in the order shown, performing three sets of five to seven repetitions of each movement and resting for 90 seconds between sets. For a video demonstration of each exercise, click on the links below. 

 

WORKOUT A

 

1  Dumbbell squat

2  Dumbbell alternating bench press

3  Dumbbell walking lunge

4  Swiss-ball alternating shoulder press

5  Dip

 

WORKOUT B

 

1  Deadlift

2  Pullup

3  Swiss-ball single-leg curl

4  Dumbbell alternating curl

5  Barbell rollout

 

INTERVAL SPRINTS

Rotate between these three workouts 3 days a week. You can perform them either after a weight-training session or on the days in between, using any form of cardio--running, cycling, rowing. Before each workout, warm up for 5 minutes by exercising at an easy pace (about 30 percent of your full effort). After you're finished, cool down for 5 minutes in the same manner.

 

WORKOUT 1

--Run for 30 seconds at 90 percent of your best effort.

 

--Slow down to about 30 percent of your best effort for 90 seconds.

 

--Repeat six to eight times.

 

WORKOUT 2

--Run for 60 seconds at 80 percent of your best effort.

 

--Slow down to about 30 percent of your best effort for 60 seconds.

 

--Repeat four to six times.

 

WORKOUT 3

--Run for 90 seconds at 70 percent of your best effort.

 

--Slow down to about 30 percent of your best effort for 180 seconds.

 

--Repeat two to four times.

 

For a complete 8-week diet-and-exercise plan, purchase a copy of The Metabolism Advantage at shop.MensHealth.com.

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