Anyone who has read the title of this blog will know that I tend to focus on strength training. I’ve spoken previously about how this training can be hugely beneficial for a number of reasons that extend beyond the desire to make your body look different. That being said, there is another aspect of training that can play a huge role in how we move, perform and feel: conditioning.
What is Conditioning?
Conditioning is training that prepares you to perform under a specific set of circumstances. Because these circumstances can vary from person to person, the definition of conditioning will vary from person to person. For example, the conditioning that a 100m sprinter needs is different from that of a footballer.
In many circles, the term has become synonymous with “fitness,” but fitness is another one of those terms that has a pretty broad definition. To understand if you are fit or not, you need to ask yourself: “fit for what?”
However, it is possible to take a very broad approach to conditioning and fitness. I’m going to avoid delving into energy systems and sports specificity in this blog. Instead, the conditioning examples I provide will be geared towards general preparedness for everyday life.
All of the finishers you see here will work on one or more of these principles:
- Tolerating the discomfort of being tired/sore;
- Not wanting to die as soon as you get out of breath (we’ve all been there);
- Building up muscular fatigue;
- Completing whole-body tasks such as pushing, pulling, carrying, etc.;
- Improving your ability to do repeated bouts of work with reduced recovery;
- Avoiding overly sadistic and risky forms of conditioning.
The most important part of conditioning is that you do not need to wreck yourself by the end of the workout. Training should be about making you better, not just making you tired. I’ve previously referred to this desire to beat yourself up in the gym as “The Rocky Mentality.”
What is a Finisher?
A finisher is part of your workout that is performed at the end of the session. As the name suggests, it’s meant to be a conclusive end to the session. It should provide some additional stimulus to your target area, whether that is a muscle group or cardiovascular fitness.
Finishers emphasis short, effective workout formats so that you can spend the majority of your session getting as strong as possible. If you’re looking for short workouts that focus more on strength, click here.
My Favourite Conditioning Finishers
I designed these conditioning sessions based on the fairly small range of cardio machinery I had available at the time; I’ve always found cardio machines a bit boring, and have always preferred using other methods to get the heart rate up or improve work capacity.
That being said, the format of the finisher is often more important than the specific exercises involved, so you can customise the exercises to your needs. In each finisher, I’ll explain a little about what makes it work, so you can preserve the important principles as you customise it.
1. Sled/Row/Sled EMOM
Format: Start a stopwatch and put it somewhere you can see it. Push the sled for one length of the track. Leave it there and perform 6-8 inverted rows (these can be done with a barbell in a squat rack or on a suspension trainer like a TRX. Push the sled back to where you started. Whatever time you have left before the next minute starts is the amount of time you rest (hence, “Every Minute On the Minute”). Repeat for 8-15 minutes.
Reasoning: I like performing a lot of horizontal pulling work. I believe a strong upper back is very useful in everyday life, and can give the shoulder blades some much needed movement after extended periods of being stuck in one position at work.
I also really like sled work. It’s a big enough movement to get the heart going, but it really taxes the quads too. Also, it’s pretty low impact and can be customised for different abilities. This combination provides a good mixture of local fatigue and systemic fatigue. Many of our gym movements are performed fairly vertically, so exercises where we’re pushing forwards and backwards can be a great addition to a programme.
Important bits: This finisher works in my gym because of the proximity of the sled track to the squat racks and TRX’s. If your gym has a different layout, I recommend avoiding bent-over rows as they are more demanding on the whole body compared to a more isolated pulling exercise. If you can’t make a back exercise work, then a pushup or core exercise could make a good substitute. Make sure it is not another lower body exercise.
Try to time it so you can finish each round with 15-25 seconds to spare. I find anything less than this can beat you down very quickly.
2. Deadlift/Row/Core Circuit
Format: Choose a weight you can lift for approximately 8-10 reps in a bent-over row position. Perform 4-6 deadlifts with this weight, then go straight into 4-6 bent-over rows. Once you’ve put the bar down, lay down in a safe area and perform 30 seconds of a relatively light core exercise that requires you to lay on your back (I like deadbugs for this). As soon as you have done this, go back to deadlifts again. Repeat 3-6 times.
Reasoning: This finisher was inspired by the ease of transitioning between the deadlift and bent over row. This allows you to do a tough finisher with very little space and equipment needed. It combines my enthusiasm for upper back work with a desire to increase the amount of work done in compound lifts. Because the weight is based on your bent-over row weight, the deadlift component should be relatively easy, but should get the heart rate up. You can do this with either a trap bar or a straight bar.
Important bits: This workout involves the back muscles to be “on” for a long period of time, so I wouldn’t recommend it for people who get sore backs easily or are less familiar with hip hinging. It’s important that the core exercise allows your back to rest (hence laying down) and doesn’t absolutely fatigue the abs; the core exercise is intended for active recovery only.
Need to brush up on your deadlift technique? This guide for deadlift technique could give you some pointers!
3. Swing/Slam/Bridge AMRAP
Format: Grab a medicine ball, kettlebell, and either a mat or a bench. Perform 6 medicine ball slams, 10 kettlebell swings, and 10 bridges on the floor or with your back on a bench. Repeat as many possible rounds in a given timeframe (5-15 minutes recommended).
Reasoning: There’s lots of hip-loaded exercise here, making for a great glute and hamstring finisher. There are two big, explosive movements involved, meaning you’ll get into high heart-rates; perfect for high-intensity conditioning. Slamming the med ball is also a great form of stress-relief!
Important bits: Make sure your medicine ball is appropriate for slamming. As with the previous finisher, the high frequency of hinging work can lead to some back fatigue if you are prone to that. The bridges are an active recovery exercise, so you can swap them out for a light core exercise or something else that’s isolated.
Make sure you’re getting the most from your kettlebell work with this kettlebell workout guide.
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