6 Moves To Supercharge Your

Metabolism
22 APRIL 2016

No matter what exercise you choose, there’s only so much fat you can
burn during a 30-minute workout – or long run. In contrast, the jiggly
stuff on your tummy has opportunities aplenty to double in size, no
thanks to the long hours you spend on your office seat – and those
hawker centre lunches.

To send fat packing – for good – you’ve got to take your cue from pro
rugby players. Despite eating a whopping 5,000kcal a day, every last
calorie is accounted for in their bodies. How? Hypertrophy training –
which increases the size of your muscle cells. “Your resting metabolic
rate is raised for up to six hours after advanced hypertrophy training,”
says Ed Gannon, a coach with the Leicester Tigers rugby club.
Instructions
“The key to efficient fat-burning is tempo,” says strength and
conditioning specialist Jamie Sawyer, who designed the following
circuit. Take three seconds to lower in each move and explode in the
return. “This increase in tempo creates more intra-muscular tension
and micro-damage, which allow for a surge in the anabolic hormones
needed for growth,” says Jamie. Send your metabolism skywards with
this hypertrophy session 3 times a week. Don’t forget to rest a day
between workouts.
 
1. Top-half squat

A) Rest a barbell on your shoulders. Hold it at a

comfortable width. Sink into a squat. Remember:
Go slowly.
B) Rather than going all the way down, stop at
about 45 degrees and explode back up. You’ll be
able to lift a heavy weight, so go hard. 
Do 4 sets of 3 reps. Don’t rest between reps.
Recover for 10 seconds after each set.
 
2. Dumbbell jump squat 
  

A) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart,

holding dumbbells. Squat as deep as you can go.
B) Extend your legs as fast as you can to power up
and off the ground. Point your toes at the top and
absorb your landing. Your thighs should burn. 
Do 4 sets of 6 reps. Don’t rest between reps.
Recover for 45 seconds after each set.
 
3. Pistol squat 

A) Balance on one leg with the other leg extended,

as high as possible. Hold your arms out for balance.
B) Squat as low as possible, keeping the front leg
elevated, your back straight and your bent knee
pointing forward. Push back up to the start.
Do 6 reps on each leg. Do 4 sets in total, with 45
seconds rest between sets.
 
4. Rack pull 

A) Set up a barbell on boxes or rack pins just above

knee-height. Tense your glutes for extra “oomph”
and keep an arch in your lower back.
B) Power up through your hips and knees until your
legs are straight. Draw your shoulders back at the
top. This is hitting big muscle groups, firing up your
metabolism.
Do 4 sets of 3 reps. Don’t rest between reps.
Recover for 10 seconds after each set.
 
5. Romanian deadlift 

A) Grab hold of a barbell on the floor with a

shoulder-width, overhand grip. Keeping your feet
flat, lift the bar by extending at the knees and hips.
B) Power up until your legs are straight, with the bar
at waist height, keeping your arms locked out
throughout. Keep your back parallel to the floor at
the lowest point of the move. Aim for 6 reps but
don’t sacrifice form.
Do 4 sets with 45 seconds rest in between.
 
6. Hip raise 

A) Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the

floor. Hold a light barbell across your lower
abdomen with both hands. Don’t let go of it.
B) Raise your lower back off the ground as far as
you can go, then return to the start. Your upper
back and feet should remain on the floor. Feel that?
That’s your fat burning.
Do 4 sets of 12 reps. Don’t rest between reps.
Recover for 45 seconds after each set.