16+ Metabolic Finishers: Torch Fat and Increase Conditioning!

There is no better feeling than completing your working knowing that you did your best, feel your best, feel strong, confident, energized and worked just the right amount in all of the right places. For me, there are days that I complete my programmed workout and I am DONE. Enough for one day, time to move on, gimme all the food!

Then there are days where I feel like I could keep going and going. I take inventory of how I feel and I’m ready to push just a little more. I love a good metabolic finisher. I definitely do not do them everyday, nor would I recommend that anyone do them everyday, but about twice a week, I like to throw these in at the end of a workout. Finishers are HIGH intensity and SHORT duration. They force you to push everything you got in a short period of time and really kick the body into high gear. They put a great cap to an amazing workout! 

Not only are metabolic finishers a great way to complete a workout, but they have many other benefits as well, including: 

• Beat Boredom (with so many options to change it up, they can add a little spice to your workout!)
• Bust through a metabolic or fat loss plateau
• Great challenge when done with a workout buddy
• Improve overall conditioning and aerobic capacity
• Can be performed ANYWHERE and customized for time and fitness level! (When I’m traveling, I love adding finishers to my hotel gym workout. EX: For 10 minutes complete AMRAP- 1 min sprint, 10 jump squats, 10 push ups, 10 push ups to downdog)

Finishers will enhance your strength and conditioning and shouldn’t be used in place of your workout. They are an add on and should be used as a compliment to your already existing program. Finishers are meant to boost intensity, blast calories, accelerate fat loss and help with overall conditioning. 

When it comes to fat loss, the whole ‘more is better’ approach is often not true, especially for those of us who have been working out for years, following all sorts of programs, dieting, pushing our bodies to the max. In most cases, we just need to workout smarter, not necessarily more often. 

Finishers are effective because they get you to work very hard in a short period of time which will help to boost metabolic rate, help to produce great fat loss and places a lot of demand for energy at the end of the workout.

SO what are the finishers that I can use? Below I have provided you lots of options divided into:

Bodyweight finishers

Dumbbell Finishers

Kettlebell Finishers

Cardio Machine Finishers

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BODYWEIGHT FINISHERS

Set a timer and try to complete the following  as fast as you can with the desired reps! Time yourself and next time you complete this finisher, try to beat your time!

Full Body Madness:

• Burpees-30
• Alternating reverse lunges-30 each side
• Jump squats-60
• Push ups-60

Do the following two circuits as many rounds as possible in 6-10 minutes:

Lower Body Burn:

• Squats-10
• Pulse squats-10 (stay low on each one and pulse)
• Jump squats-10
• Jump lunges with pulse-10

Upper Body Burn:

• Push ups-10
• Triceps dips-10
• Plank climbers-10 each side
• Walk out to push up to shoulder tap-5

High to Low

Perform the following circuit (moving from upright to a mat or the ground) as many times as possible in 8 minutes

• Vertical jumps (legs together)10
• High plank cross climbers-10 each side
• Jump lunges-10 each side
• Bicycle crunches-15 each side

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DUMBBELL FINISHERS

Upper Body Press Party!

Perform 10 of each exercise, then 9, then 8, all the way down to 1. Rest as needed

• DB Bench Press
• DB standing push press
• DB triceps overhead press

Dumbbell Booty Blast Off

Perform the following exercises with the desired reps for 4 total sets. For the first set you will complete 10 reps of each exercise, then go through it again completing 5 reps, 2 reps, 5 and then last set you will complete 10 reps of each!

• Double Front squat-10,5,2,5,10
• Reverse lunges (hold weights by sides)-10,5,2,5,10
• Jump squats (hold weights by sides)-10,5,2,5,10
• Glute bridges (hold weight on hips)- 10,5,2,5,10

Back and Forth

Complete 8 rounds of the following 2 exercises back to back. Rest as needed

• Renegade Row-5 each side
• Goblet squat-10

Dumbbell Muscle Madness

Perform the following circuit completing 4 rounds, 30 seconds of work to 30 seconds of rest

• Squat Thrusters
• DB bent over rows
• DB deadlift

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KETTLEBELL FINISHERS

Goblet squats and Swing Madness

Perform the following superset, resting as little as possible. In the first superset, you will perform the goblet squats descending , starting at 15 reps. and the swings will be ascending starting at 1 rep. Continue in this fashion until you complete 1 rep goblet squats and 15 reps of kettlebell swings.

• 1A) Goblet squats: 15,14,13,12,11,0,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
• 1B) Kettlebell swings: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15

Never Drop the Bell

Perform the following circuit without dropping the kettlebell. Only rest for 30 seconds after you have completed and then repeat another 3-4 times for a total of 4-5 sets

• Kettlebell swing-10
• Kettlebell goblet squat-10
• Kettlebell deadlift-10
• Kettlebell goblet clean to press-10

Swinging Around

Perform the following circuit 4x through, rest only when needed.

• Hand to hand swing-10 each side
• Push up (one hand on kettlebell)-5 each side
• Double KB swing-10
• Goblet squat-10

Carried Away

Perform the following workout as many rounds as you can in 8 minutes

• Farmers carries-20 total steps
• Deadlift (lighter weight, quicker speed)-10
• Skater hops (hold light kettlebell at chest is optional)-10 each side
• 1 arm suitcase farmers carry-20 total steps each side

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FINISHERS ON CARDIO EQUIPMENT

Use any one of the following:

***Perform 6-10 sets, :20 seconds work, :10 seconds rest. Crank up the resistance if need be for maximum effort:

• Rower
• Airdyne
• Treadmill set on incline from 1-15%
• Manual mode treadmill
• Stationary bike

Treadmill Torture On The 10’s

• Set treadmill to 10% incline. Perform 10 sets of sprints for 10s every minute on the minute for 6-10 minutes

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As you can see, there is no specific ‘rules’ when it comes to a metabolic finisher and in fact, you can get quiet creative depending on what you want to work! There are plenty of interval apps on smartphones that you could download to track work and rest time for those finishers that aren’t on a machine. I used the ‘Tabata Pro’ app which is amazing because it allows you to set reps/sets and time intervals. I use it almost every day with myself or with clients. As always, listen to your body and perform proper technique. If you’re tired? Skip the finisher, but when you’re feeling good? GET IT!

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XOXOXOXO,

NAOMI