I really dig the “Croatian Sensation” Rick Kaselj’s stuff here at Exercises for Injuries. He’s the number one guy I point my readers to when it comes to injury prevention and how to get people addicted to coffee (long story – but Rick was the one who got me addicted to coffee).
His Shoulder Pain Product changed the way people approached shoulder health forever.
And I hope to do the same for you…
Once you read this, you will change the way you approach your training forever (and no, you won’t be stopping your favorite workouts).
You see, back in the fall of 2011, I released a program called “Workout Finishers” which was based exactly on what I did with my own clients to get faster results, but more importantly, made them more consistent because they looked forward to their workouts.
What Are You Doing on an Injury Blog… and What is a Workout Finisher?
I’m here because you’re about to discover a NEW way to demolish long, boring cardio forever. That means you won’t be on the “Overuse Injury” radar because you’re going to work more muscle than just legs (which you will find most of the time when doing “cardio”).
In a nutshell, a finisher is a VERY metabolically demanding superset or circuit (and yes, sometimes even just one exercise) with very short rest periods and they include some of the craziest, yet effective set and rep schemes you have ever seen.
It’s the perfect solution to replace long, boring cardio and even intervals (plus they are much more fun).
The goods news gets even better – they last just a fraction of the time that long cardio and intervals take. Some are as short as three minutes!
Workout Finishers Can Be Used
- At the END of ANY workout for an ultimate workout grand finale for improved conditioning and faster fat loss
- As off day conditioning and the perfect solution for people who are stuck on a plateau
- Some of the fastest workouts you can do when you are tight on time or have a very busy schedule
Because they’re like… awesome.
Seriously – the real “secret” to workout finishers is based on one simple, yet brutally effective factor. That is the volume of work done in a short amount of time.
This is also known as “density”… and there is a lot of it.
In fact, that’s why Workout Finishers 2.0 came about. I stumbled upon this study revealed in 2012:
Canadian researchers at Queen’s University tested a Workout Finisher style workout against long cardio. (Reference: ApplPhysiolNutrMetab. 2012 Sep 20.)
22 college-aged women did 4 workouts per week for 4 weeks in one of three groups.
Group A did 30 minutes of treadmill running at 85% max heart rate
Group B did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of a single bodyweight exercise (burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or squat thrusts) with 10 seconds of rest between rounds.
Group C did nothing (they were the non-training control group).
Results:
Both training groups increased their aerobic fitness levels by the SAME amount (about 7-8%). That’s right, the short finisher style workouts (of 4 minutes) worked just as well as 30 minutes of cardio.
BUT…only Group B, the Workout Finishers style training, also increased muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups.
And finally, the Finishers style of training used by Group B also resulted in greater overall workout enjoyment.
The Canadian Scientists concluded that this style of training will boost cardiovascular fitness just as well as cardio while giving you BETTER improvements in muscle endurance…
… All in just 4 minutes. Enjoy Your Workouts = BETTER Results
So what I did was take something that was already good and getting great results, but made it even better.
That’s what people like Rick and I are challenged to do… make something great GREATER.
So after tweaking and experimenting, the finishers got an improvement. Based on feedback and results, the density style of finisher has become a big favorite.
So, What Does a Sample Density Workout Finisher Look Like?
In a nutshell, you’re given a certain time frame to do as many reps or rounds (or even a combination of both) as you can. The rest periods are up to you, however, you only rest when needed. If your form becomes sloppy, you have to rest.Other than that, it’s like the Soup Nazzi in Seinfield… “NO REST FOR YOU!”.
Now here comes the crazy part – the set and rep schemes are really varied. In fact, that’s part of the challenge. You’ll sometimes go from an exercise on the floor to a stand-up exercise with as little as 1-2 reps of each.
Simply by transitioning from one exercise to the next, you’ll find yourself huffing and puffing. That’s a good thing. That means you’re burning calories and improving your conditioning. Wanna’ rock one? Sure thing…. The Metabolic Quatro Do the following circuit as many times as possible in 5 minutes, resting only when needed.
- Box Jumps (4)
- Decline Close-Grip Pushups (4)
- KB or DB Swings (4)
- Mountain Climbers (4/side)
Mike Whitfield, CTT, has lost 105 pounds propelling his passion into the fitness industry. His unique approach of using workout finishers has helped thousands of people lose fat with his online and offline programs. He is known across the fitness industry for his effective “workout finishers” and humor. His workouts have been seen in Men’s Health, Turbulence Training, AJC and more.
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