We often get asked what our Adult Metabolic Strength Classes at RPP all are about. Today I’m going to give you the “Cliff Notes” version. There are 4 main categories that we address during the one-hour class:

1. Soft Tissue Quality
2. Movement (Mobility and Stability)
3. Full body Strength Training
4. Aerobic/Anaerobic Conditioning

Let’s look at them one by one with a brief overview of each part.

Part 1 – Soft Tissue Quality: There are various ways to improve tissue quality. In our group settings we use foam rolling. Foam rolling stimulates a contraction in the muscle and will help break up the soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue that we acquire from years of moving incorrectly and the stresses of daily life. It’s much like a massage but without the cost! Basically, you can get many of the benefits of stretching without the lengthening of the muscle which may not always be the best thing for most clients. Because of the amount of volume in our programs, we encourage our clients to arrive 5-10 minutes early and do this portion on their own.

Part 2 – Movement (Mobility and Stability): A big part of creating good movement is improving our “mobility” and “stability” as well as promote blood flow and get the body ready for the rest of the workout. As life happens (sitting at work, stress, injuries, weight gain, etc.), mobility is something that slowly “leaks” out of us. It’s not just tight muscles either. Sometimes, being too loose or having insufficient stiffness in the core will prevent you from reaching those desired positions as well. This is where stability comes in to play. So the second part of the workout should incorporate good mobility exercises for the areas that require it (i.e. shoulder, t-spine, hips, and ankles) as well as stability work for the core, shoulders, lower lumbar and knees.

Part 3 – Full Body Strength Training: The ability to react quickly (power) and have good balance (agility) is the first thing we begin to lose as we hit our 30’s. It becomes more noticeable in our mid-40’s and so on. This is where the bulk of the hour is spent, thus the word “strength” in the title.

The key to functional training is to train movements and body parts to work with each other at the same time. Lean muscle is one of our main goals but it means nothing if we don’t move well. We break it down to:

- Hip Dom (back of the lower body)
- Knee Dom (front of the lower body)
- Upper Body Push
- Upper Body Pull
- Three Different Areas of the Core

Part 4 – Aerobic/Anaerobic Conditioning: This is the “Metabolic” portion in the title of our adult program. We keep heart rates as close to “aerobic” levels (50-70% of max. heart rate on certain days which is optimal for improving heart health and utilizing stored body fat for energy and weight loss). during certain days of the week. However, every day includes strength exercises and sprinting to help build muscle strength as well as bone density. We program our strength training in circuits so that we are working within these percentages while strength training. This eliminates the need to do any post-workout conditioning; however, we love it when members stick around afterwards to get a little extra in.