conditioning... I do not think it means what you think it means

By Ryan Humphries
Founder & Head Coach

CONDITIONING…

The word itself can elevate one’s heart rate, and the list of negative connotations associated is anything but short. However, it doesn’t have to be.

Typically the word “CONDITIONING” is used as an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of “cardio” exercises. This could be long runs, interval training, or anything in between. The better conditioned an athlete is, the faster they should be able to recover. That recovery could mean in between sets, or even in between workouts.

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The Axistence program has always been a mix of both STRENGTH & CONDITIONING (with a slight bias toward strength). Our STRENGTH is often focused on one major lift (think Deadlift, Squat, Clean, or Press). The intention has always been to make our students STRONG, and over the last twelve years we’ve created some very strong humans. If you’d like to see specific examples, please read the StrongFirst article “Strength in Numbers” (https://www.strongfirst.com/strength-in-numbers-can-you-really-get-strong-in-a-group-fitness-class/) 

Our CONDITIONING portion is focused around building cardiorespiratory endurance. We often use lighter weights, less technical movements, and take less rest. And while our Strength protocols have changed a little over the years, our conditioning protocols have changed dramatically. The reason? Research + experience + results.

As entertaining as it might be to do AMRAPs (As Many Rounds As Possible) every week, there isn’t a lot of data to support that they actually build better conditioning. They can, however, redline your heart rate, increase the chance of your form breaking down, and make you so sore that you can’t move for several days.

As one of our core values is EDUCATION, when we learn something new, we like to share that with our community. Based on years of experience + a growing body of research, we've moved more towards interval training for our in-class conditioning.

Why? The majority of our students have similar goals. They want to be strong, they want to be physically prepared for that next adventure, and they wouldn’t mind looking better naked. Following the 4 day per week Axistence program (while keeping your diet in check) is a great way to reach these goals.

Also, we have some students who have more lofty goals of climbing mountains like Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Island Peak in Nepal. To be successful in an endeavor like that, you need more than 12 minutes of intervals at the end of class.

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If we’re really being honest (which we are), EVERYONE could use more conditioning. Because of this we’ve decided to add not one but TWO conditioning specific classes to the Axistence schedule.
Rooted in science and experience, and optimized for our students and their goals we HIGHLY encourage ALL of our students to incorporate at least one of these sessions into their current program.

If you do follow the program, here’s what you should expect within the next 8 weeks:

• Decreased resting heart rate
• Decrease in resting blood pressure
• Increase in mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell!)
• Increase in feel-good chemicals (endorphins)
• Increase in recovery (between sets and workouts)
• Increase in calories burned (for those of you looking for such things)

Here’s an example of our first conditioning session:

5 Rounds of the following:

:20 Seconds of work
:40 Seconds of rest

Followed by a 3 minute active rest. After the 3 minutes, repeat the 5 rounds 4 more times. Not including the warm-up and cool-down the bulk of the session should last 29 minutes.

The “work” to be done is up to the student. Personally I stayed with the kettlebell swing but you could use the rower, step-ups, or even burpees (If you’re into that sort of thing).

Example -
0:00 - 0:20 Kettlebell swings
0:20 -1:00 Rest
1:00- 1:20 Kettlebell swings
1:20 - 2:00 Rest
2:00 - 2:20 Kettlebell swings
2:20 - 3:00 Rest
4:00 - 4:20 Kettlebell swings
4:20 - 8:00 Active Rest (walking, light rowing, fast & loose, etc.)

Not including the warmup or cool-down, this session will take 29 minutes total.

If you’ve been thinking about bumping up your conditioning, or you’d just curious about what we’re cooking up, we HIGHLY encourage you to check out one of these new sessions!
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