21 METCON WORKOUTS FOR HEALTH
As a professional coach, you know how fitness can be the medium to transform your client’s lives. In an industry bombarded with high-intensity training, get-fit-quick challenges, and crazes that change yearly, it is easy to lose sight of workouts that are truly providing long-term health and fitness.
Metabolic conditioning, or a metcon for short, has become a common style of training in the fitness industry. The term has been associated with task or time-dependent work that participants complete as fast as possible or for maximum repetitions. Though there are short-term benefits to high-intensity training, in the long-term this can lead to burnout and injury.
It is possible to design metcons for health, but they must reflect the goal of consistency. A client should be able to complete their workouts with the ability to train at the same output the following days, and for years down the road. Workouts created with the intent of consistency and longevity will lead to a lifetime of sustainable aerobic training and daily movement.
The key factor is making sure your clients don’t go too hard. Sustainability can be monitored with consistency in pacing and power output across an entire workout.
It is also important to ensure the exercise selection is right for your client’s capabilities. Exercises should challenge your client’s postural and muscle endurance and replicate their daily function.
Below you’ll find 21 different metcons for health. Each workout has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced version. There are specific notes in place, to communicate the intention of the session, along with a monitoring system to ensure that your client is training at a sustainable pace.
21 Metcon Workouts For Health
Metcon #1
Beginner
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
1 minute Assault Bike @ 50rpm
30 seconds Elbow Plank
30 seconds Plank Shoulder Taps
25 Single Unders
30 seconds Wall Sit
Coaches Notes: Report your Assault Bike calories completed each round
Intermediate
5 Rounds For Time @ sustained pace
1 minute Assault Bike @ 52-54rpm
40 seconds Ring Plank
20 step Walking Lunge
Coaches Notes: Report your Assault Bike calories completed each around
Advanced
5 Rounds For Time @ sustained pace
20 calorie Assault Bike
20 step Handstand Walk
Coaches Notes: Report time of each round
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Metcon #2
Beginner
20 min Clock
Assault Bike @ 60 Min Pace
Every 3 minutes complete:
50ft Sled Push @75% of Bodyweight
30 second Bent Hollow Hold
Coaches Notes: Report time total time spent on the Sled Push each round
Intermediate
20 min Clock
Assault Bike @ 60 Min Pace
Every 3 minutes complete:
50ft Sled Push @Bodyweight
30-second V-Up Sit up
Coaches Notes: Report time total time spent on the Sled Push each round
Advanced
20 min Clock
Assault Bike @ 60 Min Pace
Every 3 minutes complete:
50ft Sled Push @1.25% of Bodyweight
Coaches Notes: Report time total time spent on the Sled Push each round
Metcon #3
Beginner
8 Rounds @ sustained pace
250m Row @ 2:30/500m
8 Sumo Kettlebell Deadlift @ 25% of Bodyweight
50m Single Arm Kettlebell Farmer Carry – 25m per arm
Coaches Notes: Report times of each round
Intermediate
8 Rounds @ sustained pace
250m Row @ 2:15/500m
8 Dual Kettlebell Deadlift @ 35% of Bodyweight
8 Push-Up
Coaches Notes: Report times of each round
Advanced
8 Rounds @ sustained pace
250m Row @ 2:00/500m
8 Power Clean @ 50% of 1RM
50m Farmer Handle Carry @ 35% of Bodyweight each hand
Coaches Notes: Report times of each round
Metcon #4
Beginner
10 minutes @ sustained pace
500m Bike Erg @ 70% effort
Walk 5 minutes
x 2 Sets
Coaches Notes: Report your Bike Erg pace per round
Intermediate
10 minutes @ sustained pace
750m Bike Erg @ 70% effort
15 Goblet Squat @ 53/35 lbs
10 Burpee
Walk 5 minutes
x 2 Sets
Coaches Notes: Report your Bike Erg pace per round
Advanced
10 Min @ sustained pace
1000m Bike Erg @ 70% effort
30 Wall Ball Shots 20/14 lbs
10 Kettlebell Push-Up – Full Depth
10 Box Jump Step Down 24/20 inches
Walk 5 minutes
x 2 Sets
Coaches Notes: Report your Bike Erg pace per round
Metcon #5
Beginner
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
2 Minute Assault Bike
30 second Single-Leg Ground Touches L
30 second Single-Leg Ground Touches R
30 second Side Plank L
30 second Side Plank R
60 second Air Squat @ quality focused
Coaches Notes: Keep your Assault Bike RPMs the same per round
Intermediate
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
2 minute Assault Bike
30 second Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift L @35/20 lbs
30 second Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift R @35/20 lbs
30 second Side Star Plank L
30 second Side Star Plank R
60 second One and One Quarter Air Squat @ quality focused
Coaches Notes: Keep your Assault Bike RPMs the same per round
Advanced
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
2 minute Assault Bike
30 second Single-Leg Barbell Deadlift L @75/55 lbs
30 second Single-Leg Barbell Deadlift R @75/55 lbs
30 second Weighted Side Plank Arch Ups L
30 second Weighted Side Plank Arch Ups R
60 second Alternating Pistol @ quality focused
Coaches Notes: Keep your Assault Bike RPMs the same per round
Metcon #6
Beginner
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
30 second Row @ sustained pace
30 second Row @ sustained pace
15 Split Squat L
15 Split Squat R
30 second Row @ sustained pace
20 Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 25% of Bodyweight
Coaches Notes: Report your average rowing pace per round
Intermediate
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
30 second Row @ sustained pace
30 second Row @ sustained pace
15 Front Foot Elevated Split Squat L
15 Front Foot Elevated Split Squat R
30 second Row @ sustained pace
20 Dual Dumbbell Power Clean @ 50/35 lbs per hand
Coaches Notes: Report your average rowing pace per round
Advanced
5 Rounds @ sustained pace
30 second Row @ sustained pace
10 GHD Raise
30 second Row @ sustained pace
15 Goblet Drop Lunges L 53/35 lbs
15 Goblet Drop Lunges R 53/35 lbs
30 second Row @ sustained pace
20 Deadlift @ 50% of Bodyweight
Coaches Notes: Report your average rowing pace per round
Metcon #7
Beginner
25 min Clock
50 Foot Suitcase Carry L
30 Second Elbow Plank
10 Single Arm Dumbbell RDL R
50 Foot Suitcase Carry R
30 Second Reverse Plank Hold
Coaches Notes: Report the time of each round
Intermediate
25 min Clock
10 Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift L
50 Foot Suitcase Carry L
15 Rower Knee Tucks
10 Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift R
50 Foot Suitcase Carry R
30 Second GHD Sorenson Hold
Coaches Notes: Report the time of each round
Advanced
25 min Clock
10 Single Arm Farmer Handle Deadlift L
50 Foot Suitcase Carry L
10 Strict Toes to Bar
10 Single Arm Farmer Handle Deadlift R
50 Foot Suitcase Carry R
30 Weighted GHD Sorenson Hold
Coaches Notes: Report the time of each round
When programming for health and longevity it is important to prescribe training that is aligned with your client’s goals. Their goals may not require them to push the boundaries with advanced skills or require a progression of aerobic power training. Educate your clients on how sustainable training will support their goals of feeling great for life.
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If you want to learn more about building great metabolic conditioning programs, create a free account on our streaming platform, LearnRx and take our course, Metabolic Conditioning: Principles and Progressions!