conditioning Adapting Fitness

There are different types of conditioning, you may have heard of some of them already. The one that seems to be most commonly referred to is "Strength and conditioning".

As a PT I find this phrase doesn't help many people for two reasons.

i) It implies conditioning is only for strength training - the guys using the heavy weights.

ii) A lot of people, having not heard of other types of conditioning assume that Strength and Conditioning must be the only type.

Not all conditioning is the same, if you are an athlete or training for a specific event then you would need specific training to improve your conditioning in relation to that event. If you aren't training for anything in particular, then you can still benefit from improving your general conditioning.

Conditioning is 'not'.... ?

Conditioning in relation to health and fitness is several things all tied together. Lets start with common misconceptions.

Conditioning is not 'just doing cardio'.
It is not just about always lifting heavier or running faster or jumping higher
It will not make you lose muscle mass (if done correctly), unless that is one of your goals
It is definitely not about just working to maximum effort all the time!

You might hear people say, or you may even have said it yourself "I'm in good condition" Most people take this to mean they think they are quite fit. ('Fit' is also a bit of an abstract term, one persons 'fit' could be another person 'couch-potato'.)

Conditioning is.... ?

Conditioning is complex, but in fairly simple to understand terms, it is the result of several factors:

Energy systems in the body
Movement capacity
Neuromuscular endurance
Skill and technique
Mental performance/attitude
Breathing and mobility patterns
Fatigued movement patterns
Recovery

Is all conditioning the same?

Defintely not.

People that use gyms or Personal Trainers may be familiar with the term 'strength and conditioning' as mentioned previously, but there are other type to consider:

Conditioning for endurance / stamina

Conditioning for speed

MMA conditioning

General conditioning (conditioning for a healthier life)

Who can benefit from improving their conditioning?

Everyone can benefit from condtioning training. You don't have to be an elite level athlete, or a weekend warrior. If you want to not only live longer, but live healthier, then improving your conditioning will greatly increase your chances.

How do I improve my conditioning?

You need to not just concentrate on only one or two of the things that are involved in conditioning,

You need to be aware of all of them and how they need to work in conjunction. Or you need to have a coach that does that for you.

Whilst resting heart rate (RHR) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) are two good measures towards calculating your conditioning, there is still more to it than this.

The short version is you need to improve your heart rate variability (HRV), you can do this by improving your, fitness, your health, your stress levels and your importantly your recovery (from exercise and/or stress).

As a BioForce certified conditioning coach, I can develop a conditioning program for you, several of the techniques are also included in my PT and Online coaching depending on the client's goals

If you are happy to work-out on your own, then you can sign up to a 4 week 'no-gym'* conditioning programme and save yourself several hundreds of pounds over the cost of 1:1 time with me. The training is typically never more than 60 minutes and you can do it when it suits you.

It can be done using a mix of your own bodyweight and cardio type exercise such as running - so you don't need a gym. However if you want to use one, and it's safe to do so, then feel free.