How to Improve Conditioning (Part Three)

Our in last blog post here we went over how the different energy systems respond to stimulus.

In this post we will go over a sample conditioning program I have run with my athletes before, and it doesn't involve running!

While running is a satisfactory way to improve your cardio, it isn't necessary and there are other ways to do it that don't put a pounding on your joints, especially the ones those dirty leg lockers go after.

As I stated before, in my experience, setting up the workout so that is constantly challenging your Anaerobic system is the most efficient way to get your strength and conditioning stimulus done together, while still getting major benefits from both.

Aerobic training is catabolic, which means it eats muscle, a main reason to stay away from focusing on it when you're trying to build muscle. This type of training is usually long, steady state running or a similar activity.

So to stay anabolic, I will usually set up a conditioning day like this:

A. 5 rounds

1. Landmine Rotations

2. Bar Bell Suitcase Carry

3. Medicine Ball Slams

4. B-Stance Broad Jumps

5. Rest

B. Rowing Machine

20 seconds on/40 seconds off

5 minutes in total

As you can see the first circuit moves the body in different planes of motion, and the exercises switch to opposing parts of the body so that even when the local muscles are fatigued, we can continue to train our overall cardiovascular system to improve conditioning.

I have found that this promotes muscle growth while simultaneously improving overall cardiac output.

Then we really push deep by going hard on the Rowing machine. Notice I have the athlete going from all out effort, to a recovery level in 1 minute increments, which you will remember is where our anaerobic system is dominant.

So they will completely deplete their Creatine Phosphate stores, and still need to move fast, which puts the pressure on the Anaerobic system. We then cut the intensity, while still moving to recover a bit before the next effort.

With a total length of 5 minutes, this can be a great way to simulate a competition level sparring session, without any technical requirements or risk of injury to the athlete.

This whole workout can be completed in well under an hour, while the athlete will make great progress.

A perfect fit for the busy Jiu Jitsu athlete looking to improve under time constraints!