A few years ago, I began the unprecented personal achievement of obtaining 100% motivation and high intensity in my workouts, losing fat and gaining muscle in the process. Although this feat of strength and discipline may not surprise some people, please consider that I lead a fairly normal lifestyle, normal eating habits and a 9-5 job with a long commute. To obtain the discipline and courage to carry on this high intensity routine was something that I couldn't have foreseen myself doing... ever! I had been working out since I was about 16 years old, and I had accomplished a decent fitness level, but had always failed to get in peak shape and over-achieve. Something was missing...
What is The Metal Workout??
Through discipline and hard-work and a wide variety of fitness methods experience I finally found a method that is effective in obtaining true results that last and keep on giving. Many other methods offer ways to get in shape, but only a few can offer a true change in personal culture, which is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle and truly change our physique for the rest of your life! Just as many other people, I have tried many different workout routines, supplements of different kinds, workout partners, schedules, exercises, drills, P90X, Comcast On Demand Workouts, PS3 Move workout games, etc, and it wasn't until I had the right mix of Metal songs on my Ipod, and the high pace Muay Thai training style, that I actually felt the right energy level to go to the gym and achieve 100% motivation throughout my workout. First I started experimenting with a few Metal bands, such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth and the like. But then, I found that there are some specific tempos which actually match the pace of high intensity needed to create the proper energy and motivation for a successful workout. Songs that are too progressive will not work well, due to the constant changes in tempo. Songs that are too aggressive will burn out energy too fast for a consistent 1 hour workout - which is needed for proper muscle, strength and cardiovascular development. Slowly but surely, I was able to hand pick a selection of songs which produced the best results when working out. This song list was not easy to create. As you can imagine, it required going through thousands of Metal albums to actually find the songs that work the best.
How does it work??
First, get the songs into a portable mp3 player, which allows you for fast song skipping and volume control. In my case, I have found that the Ipod Shuffle does this the best. The iPods Nano, Classic or the iPhone have too many controls which can easily distract you from your workout and interrupt your progress. However, the new Nano may actually work well since its very similar to the Shuffle. Second, go to the "Routine" page and print it so you have a plan for your workout. You will notice that all workouts have a 10 minute warm up consisting of High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T. or HIIT) at 8 mph on a treadmill for 2 minutes, and increasing the speed to 9 or 10 mph for 1 minute, then repeating this 3 times during the running session. This is the part of the training which resembles Muay Thai training, where high intensity cardio is done first, and technique and sparring is done second. If you are a new comer to running, the recommended speeds may be too challenging, and you should run at a level which is comfortable for you, while following the recommended HIIT intervals. To achieve the 8-10 mph for 10 minutes, you will fall back on picking the 3 to 4 songs that will push you to the right motivation level. For example, you can start running the first 2 minutes to Diecast's "Hourglass" and then switch to Trivium's "Down From the Sky" for the high intensity 9-10 mph minute. Those two songs can easily get you through the first half-mile. Following it up with a song about honor and faith, such as Hammerfall's "Heading the Call" can lead to very good results. If you are on a dark mood, instead you may pick Manowar's "Ride the Dragon" for that third part of your run. Finally, it is time for that final quarter, where songs such as Hartford's "Resurrection" or Kamelot's "Center of the Universe" can come in handy in finishing strong. For more information on HIIT, and why Metal is essential for your workout, please go to our "Science Behind TMW" Page! Third, the weights section of the workout begin! This is where you get to keep the fat burn going while stimulating some massive muscle growth. Drink some water and start right away!! It is very important to be familiar with all the exercises to avoid injury at this point - since your energy level may be a little off after the HIIT. Nevertheless, it is important to go on to the first exercise right away, to keep the cardio and the fat burn going. Sure, if you are into just building muscle, and bulking up, you may say - "oh, I'll just skip the running and take my time in the workout." However, if you want to bulk up it is because you have a fitness goal of improving your image, however, your image improves the most when you burn a high percentage of fat to show off your muscle mass. Hence, heed my advice, and keep that cardio going throughout your workout, unless you have a high need for gaining weight due to your high metabolic rate.

Hence, heed my advice, and keep that cardio going throughout your workout. It will pay dividends when you do this at least 3 times a week! Onward, you will need to skip some songs in your list to ensure the right type of energy and motivation keeps flowing through you. Monitor your repetitions and sets. Each repetition should take a little over a second to complete, up and down the range of motion. Do not wait more than 15 seconds between sets, and no more than 45 seconds between exercise. If for some reason you can't get to the next exercise within 1 minute, then you should do push-ups, or situps until you can get to the next exercise. The Metal Workout is very efficient, and it's use of Metal music ensures you enjoy your time at the gym, while feeling extremely productive. These are all keys in achieving true motivation, and to keep coming back for more! Note that some exercises in the "Routine" page, may at first seem like you need a spotter. In many cases you will, if you are used to that. However, I currently do not favor spotters, because you pretty much are stealing their time away, when you can just go ahead and use a machine, which will assist you safely and produce the same result. No need to show-off! Just make sure that you adjust the weight to achieve the ideal weight for that exercise - as discussed in the "Routine" page.
How was the Metal Workout Developed?
Among many other things, I am a personal trainer with over fifteen years of experience in bodybuilding and general fitness. I have also been training in Muay Thai Kick-boxing for the last seven years, and have trained in some form of striking art for the last 12 years years. The Metal Workout borrows quite a few concepts from Muay Thai training, where high intensity Cardio conditioning plays a major role at the beginning of the workout, and strength training following right up.
Muay Thai training is recognized worldwide as one of the most effective combat training methods ever developed,hence it pays off to borrow a few elements from it. On the music side, I have been listening to metal music since I was a young teen, just a few years after Iron Maiden released Seventh Son, and I have been to plenty metal concerts, so I understand the fitness requirements of the typical mosh pit! :) Finally, I work full-time in the biotechnology industry, in a quality control role, hence, I know about quality requirements, and scientific principles, and offer no less in all my efforts.
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