conditioning

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Conditioning - What You Need To Know

 

Conditioning

Let me start by giving you my definition of conditioning. It is when your heart rate is jacked, your lungs are on fire, your legs are burning and you are wishing to be any other place but here.  These types of workouts can go from as little as 5 minutes up to 15-20 minutes, easy is never part of the equation when it comes to conditioning work.

Conditioning work is often thought of as the main priority in fitness plans, it shouldn’t be.  Strength should always be your main focus. Besides, the stronger you are the better you will become when you add in your conditioning work to your routine.

Tools Of The Trade

You have some choices when it comes to conditioning tools.  If you have accumulated some injuries I would suggest sticking to a stationary bike or sled.  You don’t need more than 2 sessions a week to see progress.  Keep your approach straightforward, 20-60 seconds on a hard effort and take a break.  

  • Stationary bike
  • Sled
  • Track
  • Hills
  • Bleachers
  • Kettlebells

Spring is right around the corner. This is the time when most people start thinking they need to take off a few pounds to get ready for summer.  Besides eating right, conditioning work offers you a great way to ready yourself for summer.  

Image Credit: John Towner via Unsplash

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You Can't Always Do The Things That Come Easy To You | Ask Erik

You want to be a balanced athlete and not always work on the things that come easy to you.

Erik recommends:

1. Be strong
2. Have a good conditioning level
3. Have mobility and flexibility
4. Challenge your body and mind by doing things that don't come easy to you

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Playing Favorites

 

A Passion of Mine

I know you are not supposed to pick favorites…but too bad, I did! I would venture to guess that you are going to be surprised at my answer. My favorite population to work with is not athletes or weekend warriors.  The Baby Boomer generation is where it’s at for me.  These silver foxes don’t deadlift 500 lbs. nor do they run a sub four-minute mile.  But they do deadlift 65 lbs. and push the sled. Now that gets me excited!

This generation is much different than mine and younger generations.  They understand hard work better than anyone I have ever met.  There is no self-entitlement or woe is me in their vocabulary.  They have a wisdom that comes with age, they know how to deal with adversity, and most importantly they understand that there is a process, and that process does not happen overnight.  There is a lot that can be learned from the Baby Boomers. 

Why I Love Baby Boomers

The reason I love to work with this population is because I get to see their lives change more than anyone else I work with.  We are able to hold back Father Time! They get stronger, better balance, better posture, denser bones, and more confidence in their physical ability.  Instead of living life on a very narrow street, so to speak, they’re trucking down the 405 freeway doing 75 mph.

If you have kids you understand the significance of milestones and how awesome it is to see someone do something for the very first time.  The problem is, those milestones that we once took for granted start disappearing because the body is starting to break down as we age.  At least a few times a month I get to witness breakthroughs.  Skills that they thought were lost just so happen to show up again -  strength, balance, conditioning, and confidence.  This is the best part of my job! 

My Challenge To You

I am challenging you to encourage your grandparents, parents, and friends that it is never too late to pick up a weight, walk around the block, go to a yoga class, and eat healthier.  

Image credit: Erik Taylor

 

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