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The M.E.T. - Maximum Efficiency Training
System
Blueprints for success
Lesson 2
Intensity in the gym is one of the major keys for dynamic continued
growth.
With the MET Weight Training Program we seek maximum muscle stimulation
in each workout. We don’t want to under-train nor to over-pulverize
the muscles with too many sets. Both scenarios will only slow progress.
MET involves short but intense workouts – 30 minutes maximum!
We give each rep our maximum effort and go to positive failure.
It’s quality we are shooting for here, not quantity. We are
going after the adaptation response. The fact is, real stimulation
for muscle growth happens fast, or not at all.
To put it another way, you can train hard or long, but you can’t
do both. For optimal gains, short but intense workouts done precisely
as you’ll be told in these lessons will deliver the best results.
We all have limitations when it comes to recuperation. Let’s
observe that and stay on fertile soils, not compromise our growth
potential.
If we hit our peak muscle stimulation for muscle growth at, say,
eight MET sets but then throw in 6-8 more on top of that, we’ve
done ourselves a big disservice. Even if the next 6-8 sets are done
with less intensity, we will still be hindering progress because
we’re overdoing what is needed and over-taxing our recuperative
ability.
How so? When we go too far beyond our training and recuperation
zone, the body increases it’s cortisol output. This increased
hormone release directly and negatively effects our development
rate. Over time, it can cause us to regress and get smaller, while
also slowing down fat burning.
To stay strong and keep moving forward, you have to know how to
balance training volume with recuperation while managing cortisol
levels with targeted supplementation. This is one of the primary
keys to ongoing gains.
Minimizing cortisol
To help keeps cortisol levels in check and the scales tilted towards
growth, I supplement daily with a product called ADL3. This also
brings about greater amino acid uptake for enhanced nitrogen retention,
increased protein synthesis and accelerated glucose utilization
and glycogen synthesis. In other words, it keeps the body in a positive
growth cycle. Here’s what the MET Manual has to say on the
subject:
Our bodies respond to physical stress, such
as weight-lifting, by secreting cortisol.
The longer we train after reaching our point of maximum muscle
stimulation, the more cortisol released.
The key is to find the right balance based on our individual
recuperative abilities and to supplement wisely with absorption
enhanced ergogenic aids so we stack the odds (and gains) in
our favour.
The problem with excess cortisol is it breaks down hard-earned
muscle tissue (catabolism), which we want to avoid at all cost
if we are trying to increase lean muscle mass.
The good news is that the other important hormone, testosterone,
gets a boost when weight-training. As we know, testosterone
builds muscle (anabolism).
Now, if we go overboard and train too long, an equal amount
of both hormones get released. In general terms, they end up
cancelling out each other, leaving the body relatively unchanged.
In other words, you train like crazy but end up with little
to show for it.
On the other hand, if we set it up right from the beginning,
so that the scale is set on the side of anabolism, the body
will naturally grow more rapidly. How do we do that?
Here’s the formula Venice Beach clients follow:
1. Accelerate the level of testosterone being secreted in the
body by following the MET Training philosophy of shorter but
more intense workouts with short rest periods (1 minute or less)
between sets. By doing the exercises in the MET program in the
prescribed time frame, you naturally create greater surges in
your bodies production of growth hormone. Also, the lactic acid
build-up which occurs naturally due to the shorter rest periods
triggers an added stimulus for GH production. Training in this
way also helps to keep cortisol levels more in check compared
to what occurs in people who do marathon workouts.
2. Decrease cortisol release by supplementing with Venice Beach’s
ADL3. ADL3 blunts the release of cortisol secreted in response
to physical stress, allowing athletes to stay strong. It also
reduces muscle breakdown while increasing nitrogen retention
and protein synthesis - especially important for beginners and
competitive athletes dieting for a show. Furthermore, it boosts
the immune system and substantially magnifies the effect of
any other anabolic/HGH-boosting product one might be taking
with it.
3. Take an anabolic/HGH and testosterone-boosting product called
Primestrin+, by Venice Beach. Primestrin+ is more potent and
absorption enhanced. Unlike the original Primestrin formula,
it now also affects testosterone levels by causing cells in
the hypothalamus to release more gonadotropin releasing hormones
(GNRH), further boosting testosterone levels naturally for even
greater muscle growth. |
The MET Training Levels in the program are
ideal, because they break down exercise stress into measurable levels
or dosages. Also, with the program, you are given the sign posts
(see below) of what to look out for so we can recognize if we are
staying in the growth zone or over extending ourselves. I’ll
get more into the MET Levels next lesson, but what is constant is
that "each set" in the MET Program after the warm-up must
at least be pushed to positive failure.
Positive failure
What do I mean by positive failure? Simply, if after doing a set
you know you’ve given it your all and you couldn’t possibly
have done one more rep on your own in good style, then you’ve
gone to positive failure. On the other hand, if you know you could
have done maybe 2-3 more reps before you put the weight down, you
came up short.
The ideal is to keep lifting or pushing with a specific weight in
good form until you can’t possibly do one more – no
matter what! This is called going to positive failure or momentary
muscular failure. Intensity just refers to the level of work that
you put into a set of an exercise. Remember – with MET each
of the sets needs to be a masterpiece! After warming up the muscles
always strive to go to positive failure.
However, if you are an absolute novice, learning the exercises is
challenging enough during your first two weeks. Reaching positive
failure is not as important as getting your form perfected during
the initial first two weeks. This is the ONLY time this rule applies.
Experienced lifters with a lot of training under their belt will
be introduced to the more advanced techniques where key sets are
taken well beyond positive failure. Other exceptions are if you
are training a body part that is recovering from an injury, or if
you have any other kind of condition that will not allow you to
push yourself to positive failure.
Always challenge yourself in the gym and
strive to bring each set to its optimal conclusion.
Every set in the MET program has a specific required number
of reps to go with it. If, for example, the required number
of reps for the third set of the program is 10, you should choose
a weight that will barely allow you to reach the 10th rep after
squeezing out as many as you possibly can. The goal is to land
at the designated number of reps outlined on the MET Tracker,
or if you must, to be under or over by 1 rep. In other words,
if the goal is 10 reps, then for the weight you use, you should
only have been able to complete 9 to 11 reps before reaching
total positive or momentary muscular failure. With the MET rep
scheme, you have a target to shoot for on each set and a measuring
stick that can tell you when to level up in weight. When you
are consistently going beyond the desired rep scheme with a
given weight by say 3 or 4 reps, then marginally bump up the
weight and see what happens. You’ll want to jump up the
weight just enough to bring you back into the desired rep scheme.
You don’t want to just blindly keep increasing the reps
as you get stronger, but rather turn up the intensity and adjust
the weight as needed and watch the body’s adaptation response.
Adaptation plays an important role in terms of your overall
gains. As the body adapts to a certain level and the muscles
grow stronger, it will be time to push them harder and with
more weight so that you come back into alignment with the number
of reps outlined in the MET tracker sheets. Later, as you advance
in the levels, you will be learning specific ways in which you
can dramatically increase the intensity of a set within the
4 levels. I know I am jumping ahead with information when I
talk about levels, but just stay with me as the lessons unfold
and all will become perfectly clear when we get to the section
on "LEVELS" and the MET Weight Training Program. |
With MET, intensity is important but the volume
must be measured and calculated.
Increasing weight and intensity within the four level frame
work of the M.E.T. program is far more valuable then just increasing
volume. Some people fail to up the intensity when it’s
time. They simply aren’t willing to challenge themselves
by pushing harder. Invariably, the time and energy they spend
in the gym produces far less results.
The best way to know when to level up is by tracking your reps
and reviewing your workouts in your MET Tracker Journal. You
can download MET Tracker Sheets at www. Bodyfitness-uk.com.
Just click on “Training Booklet” at the end of the
Mike Lackner link. |
The MET Target Aerobics training program
In the MET Target Aerobics System, which is the aerobic part of the
program, the first thing that one must choose is his or her own starting
aerobic level, which coincides directly with ones goal and starting
fitness condition.
Unlike many rigid exercise systems which prescribe a very inflexible,
“one-size-fits-all” program such as 30 minutes of aerobics
at 65%-75% maximum heart rate or 20 minutes of aerobics at 70%-80%
maximum heart rate 3 days a week, or interval aerobics every other
day, etc., MET Target Aerobics works on the understanding that no
two people are exactly alike. Each person must begin (and will progress)
at their own pace and in accordance to their own physical ability,
level of experience, recuperation, etc.
Obviously, someone who has been exercising regularly for years and
has built up quite an efficient level of fitness will be able to start
out at a higher level then someone who hasn’t exercised in years.
Of course, the goal is to get to the top Fat Burning Level, which
is called “MET Aerobic Max”, but for someone who has been
rather sedentary for a long time, just walking around the block will
be enough of a challenge.
For those of you who have been training for some time, you may be
in a position to go directly to the level 9 - "MET Aerobic Max".
This Program, when performed as described, can provide over a 300%
greater fat loss potential compared to conventional cardio sessions.
However, not everyone will be in a position to start out at this level,
so let’s take it from the top and look at each part so you can
best choose where you should plug in.
| With MET Target Aerobics –as
you become more aerobically fit, you can simply level up, step
by step. |
The nine-tier MET Aerobic System
Within the MET Aerobic System, there are nine possible levels ,
each offering it’s own degree of challenge.
The goal when on the MET Program, is to always strive to improve
on a regular basis. If we stick with a particular aerobic level
too long our body invariably adapts to it. If we don’t level
up, we simply won’t continue to improve. You will find that
you no longer even break into a sweat. At such a point it is time
to move up to the next level with MET Aerobics.
From there, just continue to move forward with the program as your
body gets stronger and more aerobically fit. Before you know it,
you’ll be surprised at just how far you’ve climbed.
If you’re an absolute beginner and you’ve long led a
sedentary life, you’ll want to ease into things. Twelve minutes
of aerobics at 50%-60% MHR with the 3-minute warm-up and cool-down
might be a comfortable place for you to start.
For others, maintaining a 70%-80% MHR on a recumbent bike for 18
minutes will be a stretch. Again, finding your starting point and-not-overdoing-it
at the beginning are very important.
For anyone who hasn’t exercised in years, my advice is, after
a good check up from your doctor just start out slow and keep looking
forward. The key is to begin or as NIKE says, Just Do It!
Cardio advancement
The idea in the beginning with MET is to use your best judgment
to pick a MET Level to start at. Follow the program for a time,
watch for physiological and physical cues listed below and be willing
to adjust up or down in levels until you find the right point for
you.
Learn to listen to your body. With time, you’ll instinctively
know when it’s time to hold to where you are at, or to crank
things up a notch. The cues outlined below will help. Familiarize
yourself with the chart and use the information wisely.
Signs of over-training
- Abnormal or excessive pains in the muscles and joints
- Slower recovery rate
- Increased heart rate while at rest
- Reduced training capability or performance
- Difficulty relaxing or sleeping
- Greater susceptibility to coughs and colds
- Reduced energy levels
- Decreased blood pressure and red blood cell count
- Decreased motivation to train
- Feeling of fatigue
- More effort required to get through a workout
- Less patience and self-control
- Difficulty focusing or completing activities
- General listlessness |
If you’ve missed any of the previous
lessons, or the important diet strategies that go with this, you
can retrieve them at www.bodyfitness-uk.com. Don’t forget,
you can also download MET Tracker Sheets at same site.
As Laurence J. Peter said, if you don’t know where you are
going, you will probably end up somewhere else!
Dream big, think big, map out your strategy and move in that direction.
See you next issue for lesson three.
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