Explosiveness is one of the first things to go when you do conventional fat-loss training...you get tired and you get SLOW.

It does NOT have to be like that!

This circuit focuses on training for explosiveness in conjunction with overall fat-loss training.

And I'll be honest...this training is absolutely brutal because of it's nature. There is no rest...and you will suffer....but it's suffering with a purpose (boy, I really need to work on my marketing ;).

We're going to cycle through 5 exercises covering the major movement patterns of your body using explosive/power-oriented exercises for low reps all the way through.

As well, instead of taking rest, you're going to be doing heavy dumbbell Farmers Walks in between exercises to maximize overall workload and the metabolic training effect on your body.

Perform these exercises with NO rest from one to the next. After each exercise, grab a set of heavy dumbbells and do a Farmers Walk for about 15 feet (there and back). That's your "rest."

After you finish a circuit, then take 3 minutes rest and go again. Perform this circuit for 2 to 4 rounds. After 4 rounds, your explosiveness will really start to fade and the training won't be as effective.

The full circuit takes about 4 1/2 minutes to complete.

 

Exercise 1 - One-Arm Dumbbell Power Snatch - each arm x 3 reps

This one is a great alternative to more technique-intensive Olympic lifting, in that it doesn't require much. It's easy to learn and builds great total-body power and explosiveness, especially through the posterior chain.

You're going to take a single dumbbell and heave it straight off the floor to an overhead locked out position in one powerful movement.

Squat down and grab the dumbbell. I like to set my non-working hand on my leg to help brace the core.

Now "squeeze" the dumbbell off the floor with a powerful drive from your legs and back. Don't "pop" the dumbbell off the floor...it should be done where you develop tension in the body, start to apply it to the dumbbell THEN power it off the floor.

Your arm muscles don't contribute a whole lot to the movement...the arms are there to connect the weight to your body and transfer force.

Power the weight as high as you can get it and lock it out overhead. You may need to use a little press at the top to get full lockout, just fyi.

Now set the dumbbell back down on the floor. To do this, lower it then also grab the handle with your other hand on the way down to set it on the ground.

Now repeat with the other arm. We'll be alternating reps on each arm to keep the muscles relatively fresh.

Set the dumbbell down and go to your heavy dumbbells.

 

** The Exercise Done In Between Every Other Exercise...Heavy Dumbbell Farmers Walks x 30 feet

This one is simple...grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and walk 15 feet in one direction then turn around and walk 15 feet in the other direction (coming back to where you started). These weights should be challenging to walk with and challenging to your grip strength.

Using this exercise in between every other exercise ramps up the loading on your body, increasing metabolic demands while presenting a unique challenge to your entire body. It is grueling but very doable.

 

Exercise 2 - Explosive Medicine Ball Push-Ups - 3 to 5 reps

This is a push-up done with your hands on a small medicine ball. The one I'm using is 12 lbs. As you pop up off the ground, you will pull the ball off the floor towards your chest. You have to exert great power to get enough momentum to get yourself and the ball off the floor like this.

If you don't have a ball that you can use, you can also just do clapping push-ups instead to get the explosive effect we're looking for (pop up then clap your hands on the way up, then set them back on the floor - these can also be done kneeling).

It's hard to see how it's done with still pictures, so definitely watch the video to get the best idea of how to do it.

When you come to the bottom, you'll be starting from scratch in terms of power. When you use the ball like this, there is no elastic tension or rebound.

Do another round of Farmers Walks here.

 

Exercise 3 - Bottom Start Front/Back Squats - 1-3 reps

This is a simple front squat or back squat movement starting with the bar on the safety rails of the rack. You'll have to preset this one, making sure you've got the right height for the start position.

If you don't have a rack handy, you can sub in dumbbell Goblet Squats for these.

Develop tension in the entire body before powering the bar off the rails.

When doing this one, use a very challenging weight. I did just one rep with 225 lbs during this circuit for the first round. On the next 3 rounds, I switched to back squats as the load was a bit too high to continue with front squats.

Do another round of Farmers Walks here.

 

Exercise 4 - Band Chin-Ups x 4-6 reps

To do this one, you'll need a thick training band (click here to see where I get mine). Fold it twice over the chin-up bar then grip on the loops.

Pull yourself up. The bands dissipate almost all the elastic force in your muscles, so you get no help at all out of the bottom...you actually have to pull some stretch into the bands before they get tight enough to allow you to pull yourself up, making it like a pulldown/pull-up.

This will also challenge your grip very strongly.

Do another round of Farmers Walks here.

 

Exercise 5 - Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts - 2-4 reps

Use the same dumbbells that you were doing the Farmers Walks with. Just set them down, take a very brief rest then grab them and go, setting them down fully at the bottom of each rep to reset your body position and redevelop tension in the hamstrings and lower back

Because dumbbells are lower to the ground than a barbell, bend your knees a bit more and make sure you try very hard to keep an arch in your lower back during the movement.

Do not pop off the ground...develop tension, then power the dumbbells up off the ground.

 

Finish With One Last Round of Farmers Walks!

And you're done...you will have hit literally everything in your entire body with heavy weight while loading yourself during the Farmers Walks done instead of rest.

This Metabolic Monster will develop strength, explosive power (while in a fatigued state) and overall work capacity while cranking up your metabolism.

 

Watch the Video Now

I would HIGHLY recommend watching the video for this circuit on my YouTube channel here. The explosive nature of the exercises don't come across well in still pictures and are best demonstrated in video.

Now...if you like this training and you're interested in a SERIOUS fat-loss program that makes use of training like this, I would definitely recommend having a look at my Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss program.

This is my "go to" program for making incredible changes to your body is VERY short periods of time. You'll work it...but the results can be SPECTACULAR.

Nick Nilsson
The Mad Scientist of Muscle

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http://youtu.be/Fzz_qPjI1mo
http://www.metabolicsurgerapidfatloss.com/
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