"Upgrading your software without damaging your hardware."

The title of this post comes courtesy of UFC champion fighter, Conor McGregor (above).

Scientific study confirms that aerobic exercise yields the following positive adaptations in athletes – reduced body fat levels, improved capillary function – the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the heart and skeletal muscle, enhanced fat vs. carbohydrate metabolism and reduced mental health disorders, e.g., attention deficit disorder, depression, stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation.  Thus, all athletes stand to benefit from incorporating some form of conditioning in their training program.

“Conditioning” has taken many forms.  According to the Roman historian Vegetius, the legions were required to complete an eighteen-plus-mile march in less than five hours (mid-summer, in full battle gear).  He also writes of the recruiters proving their swimming abilities in nearby lakes or rivers.  In the more recent 20^th century, boxing trainers used “roadwork” – jogs at a slow, steady pace for 3-5 miles, 3-5 times per week – to condition fighters.  Now, with the explosion of Crossfit, and its philosophy of “increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains,” strength coaches are experimenting with all sorts of new approaches to conditioning.  Irrespective of philosophical differences, the common denominator behind all these approaches should be keeping the athlete healthy.  After all, an injured soldier cannot fight at full capacity, nor can an injured athlete compete at their highest level.

Running is indeed the most potent tool for conditioning the athlete – much like the back squat is for strength training – but faulty mechanisms can wreak havoc on the body, e.g., hamstrings, Achilles and shin splints, among others.  Concerns over how excessive volume might impair strength gains are also valid.  For these reasons, I prefer the C2 rower, airdyne and ski erg for monostructural metabolic conditioning.  All three implements allow for integral programming, which research has shown to be superior to “steady state” efforts.  In practice, the goal of conditioning is to drive the athlete’s heart rate north of 180 beats per minute for an extended period of time through shorter, intense bursts of effort.  The “secret ingredient” to maximizing effectiveness is – drum roll, please – hard work.  If the athlete does not reach beyond their comfort zone, the full benefits will not materialize.

For those unfamiliar with the airdyne, it is a truly brutal piece of conditioning equipment.  Completing 300 calories in less than ten minutes is widely considered an impressive level of conditioning for any athlete, though I would argue anything more than 225-250 is very good and likely more than sufficient.

To gain a better understanding of the intervals I program, I have included several examples below:

(1) One-minute sprint, one-minute rest, two-minute sprint, two-minute rest, three-minute sprint.  Done.

(2) Ten Rounds – one-minute sprint, one-minute rest.  (To survive, only perform the first 5-7 rounds at 90%).

(3) Two-minute sprint, four-minute rest, two-minute sprint.  Done.

(4) Three-minute effort at 90% negative split (perform the second half faster than the first), six-minute rest, three-minute sprint.

Additionally, here a few other workouts I program on the airdyne: (1) ten-minute effort for maximum calories, (2) 100 calories all out for time – goal is completing three minutes or less and (3) 3 Rounds: 50 calories as fast as possible, three-minute rest.

While not comprehensive, I hope this piece provides helpful information as to how an athlete might improve aerobic fitness, and potentially anaerobic fitness, without subjecting their body to unnecessary risks of injury.