MAY 2023 - Conditioning: More than just Cardio

Written by : Pete Lopez

When it comes to the term "conditioning", many people immediately associate it with cardiovascular exercise. While it's true that cardio can contribute to improved conditioning, the concept of conditioning goes beyond just one type of exercise. 

At its core, conditioning refers to the body's ability to effectively and efficiently utilize its energy stores. Think of it like a currency - the more "conditioned" you are, the more energy you have to spend. This energy is divided into three broad categories: biological functions, training and stress, and recovery and adaptations.

Biological functions are the body's most vital processes, such as organ function and tissue repair. This category takes priority when it comes to energy expenditure. Similarly, in our daily lives, our basic needs like food and water are typically prioritized.

Training and stress refer to the energy we expend during exercise or other physically and mentally demanding tasks. In order to perform at a high level, we need to expend energy to fuel our brainpower and physical movements. However, if our energy is being used up by uncontrollable stress, we may have less to spend on training and other activities.

Lastly, recovery and adaptations refer to the body's ability to recover from stress and adapt to new stimuli. This category is important for building strength, endurance, and overall fitness. However, the body can only expend so much energy in a day, so it must prioritize other categories first.

Improving our conditioning means improving our ability to efficiently fill all three of these buckets. Conditioning can teach us balance, consistency, flexibility, endurance, technical skill, strategy, resiliency against aging, and enhanced coordination.

At its core, conditioning is about preparing our bodies and brains for the stress of daily life. That's why it's important to incorporate conditioning into our fitness routines. However, many people fear that too much conditioning will make them lose muscle and strength. In reality, an inclusion of conditioning can actually improve strength training when done properly. The aerobic system plays a critical role in parasympathetic function, which in turn improves recovery time, endurance, and decreases inflammation.

Utilizing a periodized conditioning program that rotates every four weeks, we want to help you develop your body and brain to be better prepared for the stress of daily life. By understanding the four stages of conditioning improvements, the addition of conditioning days will improve your strength workouts throughout the week.  We can help you achieve your goals.

1. Disruption of Homeostasis: The first stage occurs when you start exercising, and your body recognizes that it's being pushed beyond its current limits. This causes a disruption of homeostasis, which is the body's natural tendency to maintain a stable internal environment. The disruption of homeostasis triggers a response from your body to adapt and become more efficient.
2. Metabolic Sensors are Triggered: During the second stage, metabolic sensors in your body are triggered, which detect changes in the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other metabolites in your bloodstream. This triggers the release of hormones and other signaling molecules that help to optimize the body's energy production and utilization processes.
3. Genetic Pathways Activate: In the third stage, genetic pathways are activated, which lead to changes in the expression of certain genes in your body. This leads to the production of new proteins and enzymes that help to improve your body's energy metabolism, cardiovascular function, and muscular endurance.
4. Specific Neuromuscular Adaptations Occur: The fourth and final stage of conditioning improvements is when specific neuromuscular adaptations occur. This means that the nerve pathways and muscles in your body become more efficient at working together to produce movement. This can be increased capillary and mitochondrial density, oxygen utilization, motor unit recruitment, and much more.​

MYZONES ARE BACK!

In order to improve your conditioning experiences moving forward, we will be using MyZones to track your progress in real-time. This will allow us to better understand how you're using your energy and how we can help you improve. Remember, conditioning is about more than just cardio - it's about improving your overall ability to efficiently use your energy stores.

ALL MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR CONSISTENCY CHALLENGE AND TURF WARS WILL RECEIVE A MYZONE MZ-1 HEART RATE MONITOR.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY CHALLENGE AND TURF WARS