Conditioning Simplified

My fitness methods have become pretty simplified in principle, but varied in execution.

Building Strength:

Use the 5-3-1 Method.  It always works



Build Mass:

The Volume Accumulation.  Use timed sets (2 minutes is a good place to start) to take a given weight from 5 sets of 5 reps and grind till you can do to 5 sets of 10 reps.  Add more weight and repeat.  This could as easily be 4x8 to 4x15.  It doesn't matter.  What matters is doing more reps in a given timed set with a given weight.



Conditioning:

It's hard to mess up conditioning.  When it comes to elevating heart rate, burning more fuel, and becoming a leaner more energy efficient athlete, variety of movement is a good thing.  The more static your exercise selection or work/rest ratios, the faster you'll make neural adaptations.

That said, one of the work/rest frameworks I use frequently is the boxer's bout.  Start with 4 rounds of 3min work and 1 min rest.  During the 3 minute work period, you'll probably take quite a few micro-rests.  That's fine.  Just work on being able to build up your work output to 3 minutes of continuous effort.

Here is a sample Boxer's conditioning workout that builds mobility and stamina concurrently.  All rounds are 3 minutes work, with 1 min rest.

  1. Round 1: 3min AMRAP:
    • Hindu pushup x 10
    • Cossack squat x 10
    • Kettlebell swing x 10

  2. Round 2: 3 min AMRAP
    • Russian Twist x 20
    • Turkish getup x 10 (alternating)
    • Kettlebell snatch x 10 (5 each side)

  3. Round 3: 3min rope jump

Once through is plenty for a beginner.  For the Novice who is getting better, do 4 rounds (Round 1, Round 2, Round1, Round 2).  Repeat rounds 1-3 twice for the vast majority of athletes.  Three times (9 rounds total) for the hard core.

One word of caution.  Focus on rep quality.  Don't sacrifice tension, form, or range of motion for speed.  Once you can get through 3 minutes with no micro-rests at a brisk pace, it's time to shuffle the movements or change the work/rest ratios.


Accelerated Fat Loss

These 3-4 rounds do a great job of consuming you short and mid range energy stores: ATP/CP, and Glycolytic energy systems - and that is plenty to make you a better athlete.  But what if your goal is simply to shed bodyfat?  Well, now your body is primed to burn fat as fuel.

After a 15 minutes total (4 rounds), you can now go into 20-40 minutes of slow steady state cardio to burn fat almost exclusively.  Keep in mind you will be running on oxidative energy stores, so keep the intensity and complexity low.  Good fat-torching options in this state are:
  • walking, jogging, treadmills
  • stationary bikes, or recumbent bikes
  • anything you can do mindlessly with little coordination and a fatigued body
  • AVOID sport specific training as you will not be able to use good technique or form.  You don't want to build bad habits.

 

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