Conditioning: why, how and when?
Why is Conditioning Important?
Conditioning is the cornerstone of fitness. The aerobic system forms your base for pretty much everything you do: that’s why conditioning is about more than just looking good. It's the foundation upon which your overall fitness is built. It's about enhancing your body's ability to perform daily tasks with ease, reducing the risk of injuries, and improving your overall quality of life. Whether you're an athlete, a parent, or simply someone who wants to feel better, conditioning is essential.
How to Incorporate Conditioning into Your Routine
There are countless ways to improve your conditioning. Simply put, it involves spending time elevating your heart rate. Here are some effective methods:
Running: Spend time in different heart rate zones by running. This can be long, slow runs, harder, sustained efforts or all out burts of high intensity work with longer periods of rest.
Machines and Erg Work: Use the ski, row, bike, elliptical or stairmaster to elevate your heart rate and spend time in varying heart rate zones.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods can significantly improve your fitness levels.
Hybrid Training: A mixture of lifting weights and running & using machines to elevate your heart rate and work on your strength endurance. This may also include elements of GPP (general physical preparation) like pushing and pulling sleds to widen your aerobic base.
Mixed Modality: It’s not all about gyms - walk, swim, dance and hike your way to working up a sweat.
When to Condition
The best time to condition depends on your individual goals and schedule. If you want to improve your aerobic capacity, a 20 rep set of squats is not enough (despite what some studies might tell you). The NHS guidelines state that all adults should aim to get
150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise across the week or…
75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise across the week.
These are the minimum, and if you’re training for a fitness event or race you would of course benefit from building up these numbers over a longer period of time. Consistency is key when it comes to seeing results.
For your average lifter, conditioning can be done either before or after your workouts, or incorporated into the body of it using EMOMs (Every Minute on the Minute), AMRAPs (As Many Reps/Rounds As Possible) or Circuits.
If you want to prioritise something, put it first in the workout: there is no hard and fast rule that you must do cardio after your workouts. Combining the two is incredibly beneficial and effective, as long as you sensibly manage volume and intensity.
Example 1
I lift 2-3x per week and I like getting stronger in the compound lifts. I don’t want cardio to affect my lifts, so I half my strength volume, and then do a 5k row or run at a steady pace at the end of each of my workouts. After 4-6 weeks, I start to add the volume back for my strength work. This way I can devote all my energy to increasing my strength, whilst adding some cardio too.
Example 2
I lift 4x per week but I’m bored of powerbuidling and I want to work on my fitness as a priority. 2 sessions per week, I start my workouts on the Ski or Row, doing either
1:1 W:R aerobic intervals
or 1:2 W:R anaerobic intervals
and 1 session per week I dedicate to a run or cycle. For the remainder of my gym sessions, I include strength and hypertrophy work at an appropriate volume to continue building strength, muscle mass and resilience against injury.
Tips for Effective Conditioning
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body's signals and avoid overtraining.
Vary Your Zones: Use a HR tracker to work in a variety of zones, using the higher zones 4 or 5 sparingly.
Proper Nutrition: Fuel your body with a balanced diet to support your fitness goals.
Rest and Recovery: Adequate sleep, protein and micrpnutrient intake is essential for optimal recovery and performance.
Remember, conditioning is a journey, not a destination. With consistent effort and the right approach, you can achieve your fitness goals and enjoy a healthier, happier life.
