How to incorporate unconventional conditioning into your training

How to incorporate unconventional conditioning into your training

Traditional cardiovascular training has its place in all strength and conditioning programs. Whether it's stationary training or high-intensity interval training on the treadmill, bike, road running or elliptical trainer, it has excellent benefits for heart health and performance.

However, some lifters avoid cardiovascular conditioning like the plague because “traditional” cardio methods bore them to tears. They know they “have to” do it but can’t handle another lap on the treadmill (count me in as someone who despises typical cardio).

I'd rather go to the dentist and talk about my feelings than glide on the elliptical. If this sounds like you, then this unique and effective form of conditioning is for you. We'll dive into other tools for your cardio if you want a change or are bored. We'll look at how you can incorporate these tools into your current program to reap the cardio benefits without the boredom.

WHAT IS CARDIO?

Cardio, short for cardiovascular, is an exercise that involves the heart, lungs and blood vessels. Cardiovascular training isany rhythmic activitywith your arms, legs, or both, increasing your heart rate. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart and picks up oxygen from the lungs to send it back to your working muscles.

How efficiently this happens and your exercise intensity determines how high your heart rate goes. Note the words “any rhythmic activity,” as road or treadmill running, cycling, stair climbing, and elliptical trainers are not the only ways to increase your heart rate.

TOOLS FOR UNCONVENTIONAL CONDITIONING

You may be new to these tools or have used them for strength training, but when used for conditioning, these unconventional tools will increase your heart rate, improve your conditioning and burn unwanted fat. The following list is a partial list that you should most likely have access to in your gym or at home if you are lucky.

• Kettlebells
• Med-Bälle
• Schlitten
• Körpergewicht/Gewichtsweste
• Kampfseile

The beauty of almost all of the tools mentioned above is that your joints will be spared a lot of the unwanted pounding that you would normally suffer on a treadmill or similar machine. When used correctly, there is little eccentric stress on your muscles and joints, so you are unlikely to experience muscle soreness afterwards.

Why is this important?

Because this will not affect your strength training recovery and your ability to get stronger. Eccentric muscle contractions are the reason for your gains and muscle soreness. And if you can minimize it during your cardio workouts, you'll get the conditioning benefits without the boredom and muscle soreness.

INCORPORATING UNCONVENTIONAL CONDITIONING

If your goal is strength or muscle building, it's best to do your conditioning after your strength training or dedicate a separate day to it. Doing this type of cardio conditioning before your workout will reduce your strength training energy and may decrease the weight you lift.

In my opinion, doing separate conditioning sessions after strength training or doing a cardio finisher works best to achieve strength and muscle goals while reaping the benefits of cardio. Here are a few examples.

Standalone sessions

Due to the higher intensity of this workout, the duration is between 15 and 30 minutes, because as the intensity increases the time decreases. Use this in place of your typical cardio session between your strength days.

30/30 training

Here you alternate between 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest, and the rounds last 10 minutes. You will do two to three 10 minute rounds for 20-30 minutes. The beauty of this template is that you can substitute any unconventional tool above to increase variety, eliminate boredom, and work more muscles than just the heart.

• 30 Sekunden Kettlebell Swings
• 30 Sekunden Ruhe
• 30 Sekunden Med Ball Slams
• 30 Sekunden Ruhe

Repeat five times for a total of 10 minutes.

Or another example is using a weighted sled and body weight.

• 30 Sekunden Schlittenschub
• 30 Sekunden Ruhe
• 30 Sekunden Kniebeugen mit dem eigenen Körpergewicht
• 30 Sekunden Ruhe

Repeat five times for a total of 10 minutes.

For other exercise combinations, you can use a battle rope wave variation/kettlebell swings, battle rope/alternating reverse lunge or med ball slams, and a bodyweight squat variation. With this type of template, you are only limited by your imagination and access to equipment.

CIRCLE TRAINING

Here you choose two unconventional tools (with the exception of the sled) and integrate them into a circuit with five exercises. You have the choice of doing each exercise for reps (8-15 work well) or time (20, 30, or 40 second sets), or a specific number of reps with a time (8 reps per minute).