Keep in shape and get toned with the Max Capacity Training app

It's a brand new year, we've been indulgent during the holidays. I have to admit I started becoming a little food hungry when the cold weather started to kick in. But even when I do, I try to keep in shape regardless. I'm not a fitness fanatic but I do like to keep in shape, even if I know I won't be as fit as I was before I was 21. I try to do different kinds of workouts and because there's too much to too in the day I want to do workouts that don't require me to go to the gym. I came across the Maximum Capacity Training app. Follow me after the break for a quick workout breakdown.

The Maximum Capacity Training app is a 12 week program, split into four sections. What I mean by that is that every three weeks the exercises change but every week you'll be doing the exercises differently. And all it requires is three days out of seven.

The first week you do them in what's called the "Fifty-Ten Protocol". Basically, you'll do an exercise for 50 seconds, then rest for 10 and then repeat until you have completed all the exercises. There's four exercises each day and in week one you'll repeat each one four times. You'll also need to record the results to the exercises but only the first round. There's a section at the end where you can enter this. So this means you'll need to note them down during the workout.

The second week you'll do the same exercise but this time in a Tabata Protocol where you'll do the the exercises for 20 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds with a total of 8 repetitions. For the Tabata Protocol you will need to note down the amount you do for all reps as this time you need to record the lowest amount of reps you do within the given time.

Week 3 is the TIme Attack Protocol and it is important that you recorded previous exercise results as what you do here is a calculation of those results. There's no time limit this time around, you just have to get through the exercises in the fastest time you can. So, using the above math, if you did 33 squats, 29 push-ups, 26 lunges and 50 seconds plank on Day 1 and 17, 3, 10, 20 on Day 4, you will need to do 150 squats, 96 push-ups, 108 lunges and 210 of plank.

Those numbers certainly look scary but you can the exercises in any order, jump from one to the another at any time and you can take rests when you to. Just remember, the point of the exercise is to get through them in the fastest time you can.

After that, you'll do it all over again but with a new set of exercises. The exercises themselves are quite varied day-to-day. They include the usual squats, push-ups, planks, to other things I had never heard of until I used the app like Bird Dog and Side Tri Rise, with other exercises having totally different names to what I knew them to be.

Each exercise has a description and sketch so if you don't know what to do be sure to check those out before starting the workout. And each workout is clearly explained too but once you do the first three weeks, all you're doing is repeating the workout, just with different exercises.

MCT Workout DiagramsMCT Workout Diagrams

I like that a timer is included within the app, complete with the resting time. And if you're not paying attention to the PlayBook screen, the app pretty neatly tells you when to start and stop anyway. Sometimes it's those small features that make the difference.

MCT Workout TimerMCT Workout Timer

So far I've done the first three weeks though that was a little before the new year, I may have to start again so I feel like I've done all 12 weeks in one go. I've been enjoying it very much and like it for the fact that it doesn't require you have use equipment and I can do it in my house.

It is definitely an app I would recommend if you want to start out getting into shape. You don't break a sweat that much but is certainly a good starting place to getting some exercises into your routine. And may be it's just me but I would probably want to have a few more days' exercise. But that's just me.

The Maximum Capacity Training app is available for free for the BlackBerry PlayBook now. Nothing better than free.

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