Why is it that people like to continually complicate shit? Maybe it's because I am a management consultant I have a predisposition for finding the simplest solution to get the job done. It's just that I find people's obsession with conditioning work exhausts me!
Why do conditioning, for health and to ensure sufficient endurance for our primary goal which is to lift heavy shit off the ground! So why is it so many people have to create these 'funniest home video' like obstacle courses with 8 different exercises just to get in 20 mins of conditioning.
I'm not a huge fan of conditioning perhaps its because as a lad my sport was running and cycling so the idea of conditioning work brings back lots of oxygen debt training memories. However these days I keep it simple, I find a hill I run up the hill many times in 20 mins and then I fall down! People it shouldn't be any harder than that. Now if you want to do your lovely rope work because MMA stars do rope work then so be it but do you really need 8 different exercises.
In fact in the spirit of keeping it simple read up on Dan John's Tabata protocol. This 4 min hell protocol involves:
Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
and repeat 5 more times
After much experimenting the venerable Dan John suggests the front squat is the best exercise for this followed closely by the goblet squat. Note the weight you will need to use will be minuscule but that will be a godsend by the time you collapse after the near 4 mins of agony.
The old favourites of prowler or farmers walks also works well but at the end of the day why are you doing these things? If it is for conditioning then you don't need to go to failure with a ridiculously heavy weight.
As with all things remember the conditioning work is an adjunct to your lifting not the other way around so programme it with this in mind!
Keep the variety for the Chinese buffet post training!
Stay Strong
Thomo
When do you recommend you do conditioning? Rest days? Post main workout?
ReplyDeleteElijah I think it is an individual thing that must reflect your own preferences and lifestyle constraints.
ReplyDeleteFor me I like to separate it from my training session. I want my time in the gym to be about lifting heavy stuff, whereas my conditioning time is a different mindset for me therefore I like it to be away from the gym short and simple.
I know some guys at PTC do it post main workout but I prefer to move into recovery mode post workout and schedule on a separate day which also ensures I am doing something very day for overall health.