Jul 15, 2022
Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss the value of conditioning in a strength program, and three ways to implement it based on your goals. While the idea that you can "condition" or exercise off excess calories persists (unfortuantely), though we know fat and weight loss are primarily driven by your diet, there is a role for conditioning in the life of a lifter and general purpose athlete.
Regular exercise, such as walking, hiking, or riding a bike, increases metabolic rate and improves tissue quality, keeping your joints lubricated and your connective tissue pliable. Luckily, for the lifter, the type of exericse chosen doesn't have to be too specific -- just something that increases the heart rate for a period of time, whether it's a short, intense HIIT workout or a 45min walk at a brisk pace. Any of these conditioning modalities will fulfill the need for basic cardiovascular endurance and increased metabolic rate.
For the sport athlete, or a powerlifter training for a meet, the conditioning should be chosen carefully based on the needs of the sport. A powerlifter can benefit from HIIT conditioning that will improve his ability to recover between sets of, say, 5x5 squats during an accumulation phase. On the other hand, that conditoning should be reduced and eventually phased out as he peaks for a meet, since the meet does not have any cardiovascular demands to speak of.
Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss three ways to add conditioning to your program. Two to four session each week, after your lifting, you can do:
- Low intensity steady-state cardio (LISS) for 30-45min, such as walking, hiking, or cycling, on natural trails or on the treadmill.
- High intensity interval training (HITT), such as prowler pushes, tabatas on the aerodyne bike, or EMOM sprints on a rower
- Circuit training, selecting 2-4 movements done for 4-6 rounds, with short rest between rounds or done consecutively, pausing only to rest as needed. These can be bodyweight movements, like air squats, lunges, pushups, chin-ups, or burpees, or they can be light loaded movemnts such as kettlebell swings, weighted pushups, dumbbell curls, etc.
Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com
Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana
Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream