What exactly is Metabolic Resistance Training? How effective is it?

Question

So I randomly came across this book by 50 Cent called, Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life. Reading the table of contents I saw a chapter talking about MRT (Metabolic Resistance Training). I am not familiar nor heard of this style of workout before as I am not a physical trainer nor an expert in the various styles of workouts/training regiments one can do. Is MRT a form of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)? What exactly is its purpose? Is this a good workout for if someone wanted to just focus on calisthenics? Is it just a fancy, highly marketed glorified form of calisthenics?

Answer 1

Both MRT and HIIT are forms of anaerobic endurance training, the difference is that MRT fatigues one muscle group and then changes exercises to work a different muscle group while the first one recovers, whereas HIIT only uses a single exercise, and alternates periods of work with periods of complete rest. MRT aims to fatigue the muscles, whereas HIIT aims to fatigue the anaerobic energy system, so while there's a major anaerobic endurance component to both, MRT would likely result in more muscle growth than HIIT, while HIIT would likely result in better endurance gains than MRT.

What exactly is its purpose?

• Selling classes that allow an instructor to fatigue people within a short class time, allowing gyms to push through large numbers of customers and make more money than if they used more effective training techniques.
• Apparently selling fitness books when you're a rapper with no fitness expertise who is facing impending bankruptcy.
• Getting in a mediocre to okay full body hypertrophy and endurance workout for people who have very little time to spend in the gym, especially if they don't have the time to separately do resistance and cardio training.

Is this a good workout for if someone wanted to just focus on calisthenics?

If you're only interested in calisthenics, then the best workout for you would be whatever form of calisthenics you're specifically interested in.

Is it just a fancy, highly marketed glorified form of calisthenics?

Calisthenics is just an umbrella term for resistance training that uses your bodyweight as the resistance. MRT usually involves weights instead, so I'd call it a fancy, highly marketed, glorified form of circuit training.