
Simple Conditioning Methods That Can Be Used By Anyone
I believe conditioning to be very important for every demographic when we are keeping longevity in mind, but I also believe it to be underutilized by many, so I want to highlight and provide some easy and simple conditioning methods that can be utilized by any and everyone.
Sled dragging
I worked with a 64 year old for a good period of time; one of the staples of our training was dragging the sled forward, backward and sideways. Amongst other things, this was done every time that we met which was typically twice a week, sometimes a third. Not only did she enjoy it and look forward to it each time that she came, she noted that walking around and getting up and down became easier and that it wasn’t a struggle for her to move like it was prior. I also utilize this with myself as well as all of my athletes, and have seen nothing but positive net results. It’s extremely simple, and you can keep one in your car. Drag it in an empty parking lot, drag it up and down your street, drag it on the sidewalk; it doesn’t matter if you have access to a gym or dedicated space to get this done as it can be done anywhere. Dragging the sled does wonders for our aerobic capacity and will yield benefits to everyone.
Farmer Carries
You may be thinking, “farmer carries?” Carries of all sorts are great for our conditioning. These are great because they tax a lot of muscle groups in our bodies, and also forces us to learn to breathe with a braced core. This in and of itself is extremely important. Carries are wonderful because of the simplicity; pick something up and walk. It can be a heavy object, or a lighter object. Heavy objects are great because we don’t need to walk very far and they give us a great stimulus in a short amount of time. But where we can get great benefit from is carrying lighter objects as far as we can, really stressing our cardiovascular system and our muscular endurance. The object can also be very diversified, anywhere from a rock or cement block, a tree stump or log, sandbag, kettlebells or dumbbells, farmer carry handles, kegs, med balls, 5 gallon jugs/gas cans; honestly just pick something that has some weight to it and move with it, the body doesn’t know what the object is, just that it’s heavy. So there’s no excuse that you can’t find some way to incorporate these in your training. Farmer carries are also great to pair with sled drags which makes for a nice little conditioning piece.
“10k Steps”
There is no significance in specifically 10,000 steps, nothing magical happens when we hit that magic number. But what it does is it gives us a goal to strive for each day that encourages more than just general movement. 10,000 steps takes a lot of intention to achieve unless you have a job that allows you to be on your feet most of the day. While it may seem miniscule, getting in a quality amount of steps reaps huge rewards especially when done consistently over time. There are many benefits of achieving a high step count such as improved recovery, cardiovascular health, improved digestion, vitamin D exposure (if we can get outside, which is highly encouraged), mental clarity, and improved blood circulation. I highly encourage everyone to find ways to get outside for a quick walk 2-3 times a day or one lengthier walk per day.
Rucking
All the benefits of walking except with added resistance. This one doesn’t need a ton of explanation as you either need a backpack with some added weight to it or a weighted vest and go for a walk. Rucking provides an added conditioning benefit because of the additional weight, and provides enhanced benefits of running. I recommend a 15-20 pound vest for females and a 20-45 pound vest for males. Start by finding a good distance or time duration to walk for and look to improve upon each over time. This can be done daily, or as often as you see fit for what works for you and your goals.
Work:Rest Ratio
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Rest Breaks - A very easy way to amplify the intensity of your workouts is by decreasing your rest time between working sets, as well as exercises. Shortening the duration of your workout while still getting in the same amount of work provides a tremendous conditioning aspect without having to do an entire conditioning session per se. Having a timer to use or simply counting to 30 in your head can help ensure that you are keeping your rest breaks shorter, but consistent.
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Intervals - I really like to utilize intervals on a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, for example, performing kettlebell swings for :30 and resting for :30 and repeating that 5-10 or more times. This can be done with almost any exercise, and any time duration within reason. I’m also a big fan of doing extremely explosive movements such as Medball slams or throws, trap bar jumps, different kettlebell swing variations etc. for a short amount of time (5-15 seconds) putting my maximum effort into the movement and taking a very short rest break (25-35 seconds). I have found this to do wonders for my conditioning and it doesn’t take but 10 minutes to be sucking absolute wind.
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Classic Crossfit methodology - Something that I don’t think is recognized or utilized enough by people is classic Crossfit methodology. Things like AMRAPs (as many reps or rounds as possible), EMOMs (every minute on the minute), For time (complete as fast as possible), TABATA (work:rest); provide a wonderful structure to follow because of the simplicity in all of them. All you have to do is take 3-6 exercises depending upon which type of circuit you are looking to perform and follow the guidelines of each. These are great because they help keep training simple for those that are just looking to make it a part of their routine, it provides a great conditioning aspect to training, it can be a grueling workout in under 30 minutes, and on top of that it takes minimal equipment to perform if needed.
Supersets
Another extremely easy way to add easy conditioning into your training is by combining accessory movements to create supersets or even giant sets. Limiting rest between two movements is a guarantee to get your heart rate up and breathing a little harder, especially putting in equal effort to each movement. Instead of doing 4 accessories by themselves, pair two together and perform supersets for each. If you have 3 accessories you can combine all three to form a mini circuit/giant set as well. Similar to what was described in the rest break section, this is an easy way to shorten the duration of your workout while still getting in the same amount of work still, which is going to help aid in your conditioning.
These are just a few simple ways that I believe everyone can incorporate into their current routine that will yield results in their conditioning levels. Conditioning is extremely important for our cardiovascular health, recovery and ensuring longevity. Find ways to get started with it and look to slowly improve over time.