If there’s one thing we all know about fitness, it’s that there is no shortage of training styles out there that promise to get you fit. In fact, there’s probably too many. How do we know which ones are worth giving a go? And which ones are a waste of our time and energy?

You might have heard of Metafit. You might not. If you’re scoping out new workout options to help you fit fitness into your hectic lifestyle, then it might be for you. Burn energy but not time.

Designed by a former Royal Marine Commando and national gymnast, it takes just 30 minutes and needs no kit. Giving you the freedom to fit in a workout and then carry on with your day knowing that it’s done.

Are you an employer? Hussle now offer flexible, discounted access to our fitness venues as an employee benefit. Elevate employee wellbeing.

What is Metafit training?

Any workout that gets the attention of personal trainers and athletes has got to have something special to it. Metafit is no exception. It was created about 10 years ago in the UK and took the core principles of HIIT but aimed to make it even more efficient. Forget about using apps and looking at stopwatches to structure your workout. Instead, Metafit focuses on exercise techniques and old-school functional bodyweight movements.

Metafit classes are traditionally run by a trained coach for 30 mins, including a 5 min warm-up. It’s a tough session that involves intense bursts of exercise punctuated with short rest periods. So expect to sweat—a lot.

What are the benefits of Metafit training?

The appeal of Metafit is that there is a whole range of benefits that lots of people look for in their exercise routines:

Short but effective.

The half-hour session is enough to reach an anaerobic zone, train your heart, and burn some serious energy.

Effective and efficient.

Great for those that are time poor but committed to getting fit. Three intense Metafit workouts each week will bring impressive changes in a short space of time.

Supports weight loss.

High-intensity exercise that includes intervals of cardio and strength work maximises calorie burn whilst training your muscles simultaneously, meaning it can ramp up your metabolism in the long term. There are lots of studies showing that HIIT style workouts burn energy better than traditional cardio training. There’s evidence that the burn can then continue for up 24 hours after as well. Effort well spent.

Whole body workout.

Metafit sessions aim to work multiple muscle groups across the body in under half an hour. No need to figure out whether it’s arm or leg day. Because it’s always both.

No equipment needed.

Zero reliance on equipment means you can perform a Metafit workout anywhere. In the gym, at home, in the park, on your own, or in a group. All you need is floor space to get it done. And a convenient way to exercise.

Improved stamina, endurance, and health.

Metafit is an excellent way to build fitness fast. Developing your stamina and endurance will improve your ability to keep going in the gym and outside of it. It’ll give you a noticeable increase in your everyday energy levels.

Great for all abilities.

The great thing about Metafit is that you can also work at your own level by modifying some of the more challenging exercises to suit you. So everybody can get involved with it and progress from their own point.

What kinds of exercise are involved in Metafit training?

Forget about trying to coordinate complicated movement or losing balance from impossible exercises. Metafit is centred around functional exercises that our bodies were genetically designed to do but that our modern lifestyles can inhibit.

A typical Metafit class combines old-school bodyweight exercises with high-intensity interval training. Think push-ups, squats, planks, burpees, plyometric lunges, and squat jumps. Metafit workouts also use variations on standard bodyweight movements. For example, introducing a lateral movement or jump to add intensity. But the core movements remain the same.

You perform each exercise for 20 seconds or so before resting for 10 seconds. Reps and rests vary throughout the routine to keep you on your toes.

What is the difference between Metafit and HIIT?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a style of workout. Metafit is a specific type of HIIT. It aims to increase the efficiency of the workout style, and its key characteristics are:

1. Metafit focuses on core and bodyweight exercises, with no complex moves involved. HIIT, on the other hand, can include any type of exercise.

2. Metafit is taught by qualified coaches and instructors who teach you live and give you progressions and modifications. It does not stream workouts. HIIT is a more general type of class that can be streamed or downloaded and done anywhere.

3. Metafit requires no equipment. HIIT workouts, while they can be done without equipment, often use exercise bikes, treadmills, medicine balls, ropes etc.

4. Metafit is always a total body workout. A HIIT workout might focus on the lower body or the upper body and abs.

5. A Metafit class lasts a structured 30 minutes. A HIIT workout can be any length of time.

Attend a class, or find a Metafit routine you like online. Once you have a workout you want, you can do it whenever and wherever suits you. At home. In the park. Or better yet. Use Hussle to get access to any gym in our network and put your new routine into practice. One flexible pass, with multigym access.