Overview
As stated before, most people (even intermediates and advanced) probably don’t need conditioning, as opposed to lifting with doses of locomotion and cardio.
There are probably 3 population groups where conditioning workouts make sense:
- High level athletes
- CrossFitters and such in an off-season
- If you simply find it fun
If you’re a serious athlete in a sport, you’re going to want conditioning workouts tailored to the parameters of said sport.
So the focus here will be on more generalist conditioning workouts for those who just enjoy it, which could also apply to CrossFitters.
The 6 week cycle
Conditioning | Description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 |
Prowler | Moderate-load Squat day | Standard Prowler For weight and time 10 rounds 10m Low Handle Push 10m High Handle Push | High and Low For weight and distance 20m Prowler Push 10kg ascending load | Prowler Pyramid For weight and distance 20m Prowler Push 10kg ascending | Long Walk For weight and time 100m Prowler Push 100m Prowler Pull | Push and Pull For weight and time 10 rounds 10m Prowler Pull 10m Prowler Push | Prowler Double Pyramid For weight and distance 20m Prowler Push 10kg ascending load 20m Prowler Pull 5kg descending load |
Farmers Walk | Moderate-load Hinge day | 5 x 20m | 3x30m | 1x100m | 5 x 20m | 3x30m | 1x100m |
Loaded carry | Moderate-load | KB Waiter Walk | KB Waiter Suitcase Walk | Med Ball Bear Walk | KB Suitcase Walk | KB Long Walk | KB The Eagle |
Loaded carry | Moderate-load v2 | Farmers Handle Suitcase Carry | Zercher Walk | KB Long Walk | Farmers Handle Suitcase Carry | Zercher Walk | KB Long Walk |
Conditioning | Heavy-load | Juarez Valley 10-1-9-2-8-3-7-4-6-5 reps Front Squat + 5 Burpee | Modified Fran 21-15-9 reps Pullup Thruster | Modified Grace 30 reps Ground To Overhead | Complex A 3x6x6 reps Row Clean Front Squat Push Press Back Squat | Modified Diane 21-15-9 reps Deadlift HSPU | Muscle Ups 30 reps Muscle Up |
Conditioning | Light-load | KB ABC 5 mins AMRAP 2 1 3 reps KB Clean KB Press KB Front Squat | BW Circuit 10 mins, 5 rounds 4x30s Burpee Reverse Lunge Hollow Rock rest | KB Humane Burpee 10 + 5-4-3-2-1 reps KB Swing KB Squat Inchworm Pushup | BW EMOM 10 mins 10 rounds 3 5 10 reps Pullup Pushup Squat | KB Upper 10-8-6-4-2 + 10 reps KB Kneeling Press KB Gorilla Row | Tabata 5 mins 20 + 10 secs Pushup Mountain Climber |
Programming
The variables
Let’s explain the above.
We’re going to think of conditioning workouts as having three levels of loading:
- Heavy load
- Medium load
- Light load
For each one we need a ‘reps and sets’ scheme, except on the case of conditioning reps aren’t always the best metrics. We end up with three:
- Rep based
- Distance based
- Time based
The options
So either cycling through:
- rep-based light-load
- distance-based moderate-load
- time-based heavy-load
- rep-based moderate-load
- distance-based heavy-load
- time-based light-load
- rep-based heavy-load
- distance-based light-load
- time-based moderate-load
Now we can have specific conditioning slots attached to the end of a same workout type. My favourite options are:
- rep-based heavy-load
- distance-based moderate-load squat day
- distance-based moderate-load hinge day
- time-based light-load
This is what it looks like:
Distance-based conditioning on a hinge day
- KB Waiter Walk
- KB Waiter Suitcase Walk
- Med Ball Bear Walk
- KB Suitcase Walk
- KB Long Walk
- Zercher Walk
Distance-based conditioning on a squat day
- Standard Prowler
- High and Low
- Prowler Pyramid
- Long Walk
- Push and Pull
- Prowler Double Pyramid
Heavy-loading conditioning
- Modified Grace | 30 reps Ground To Overhead
- Modified Fran | 21-15-9 reps Pullup Thruster
- Juarez Valley | 10-1-9-2-8-3-7-4-6-5 reps Front Squat + 5 Burpee
- Muscle Ups | 30 reps Muscle Up
- Modified Diane | 21-15-9 reps Deadlift HSPU
- Complex A | 3x6x6 reps Barbell Complex (Row, Clean, Front Squat, Push Press, Back Squat)
Light-loading conditioning
- KB Humane Burpee | 10 + 5-4-3-2-1 reps (KB Swing, KB Squat, Inchworm Pushup)
- BW Circuit | 10 mins, 5 rounds 4x30s (Burpee, Reverse Lunge, Hollow Rock, rest)
- KB ABC | 5 mins AMRAP, 2 1 3 reps (KB Clean, KB Press, KB Front Squat)
- Tabata | 5 mins 20 + 10 secs (Pushup, Mountain Climber)
- KB Upper | 5-4-3-2-1 + 10 reps (KB Kneeling Press, KB Gorilla Row)
- BW EMOM | 10 mins, 10 rounds 3 5 10 reps (Pullup, Pushup, Squat)
Conditioning – rep schemes
Rep schemes (mainly for higher loading exercises)
3x6x6
30 reps
21-15-9 reps
Gold standards:
- 3x6x6 Barbell Complex
- 30 reps Muscle Up
- 30 reps Ground To Overhead
- 21-15-9 Deadlift HSPU
- 21-15-9 Pullup Thruster
- 10-1-9-2-8-3-7-4-6-5 Front Squat + 5 Burpee
Some lighter options:
- KB Armor Building Complex
- KB Humane Burpee
- 5×10,15,25 KB Swing
- 5×20,30 KB Swing
- 5×50 KB Swing
Conditioning – distance schemes
Distance schemes (mainly for moderate loading exercises)
Gold standards (and available at commercial gyms):
- KB Waiter Walk
- KB Waiter Suitcase Walk
- Med Ball Walk
- KB Suitcase Walk
- KB Long Walk
- Zercher Walk
Full body
- Farmers Walk (farmer walk handles)
- Suitcase Carry (farm walk handles)
- Sandbag Zercher / Bear / Overhead Walk
- Plates and Stick Contraption Bear Walk
- Barbell Overhead Walk / Lunge
- Barbell Pendlay Row + Row + Deadlift Row + Zercher Walk
- KB The Eagle (Front Squat + Farmers Walk)
- Med ball walk + Bear Walk
- KB Long Walk
- KB Waiter Suitcase Walk
- KB Waiter Walk
- KB Front Rack Walk
- KB Suitcase Walk
Lower body:
- Standard Prowler
- High and Low
- Prowler Pyramid
- Long Walk
- Push and Pull
- Prowler Double Pyramid
Conditioning – time schemes
Time schemes (mainly for lighter loading exercises)
- 5 mins 20/10
- 10 min EMOM
- 5×2 min rounds, 1 min each exercise
- 5×2 min rounds, 30 sec each exercise
Any 1 or 2 compound exercise of:
- SBDO
- Front Squat
- Clean
- Pullup
Any combination of:
- Inverted row / KB gorilla row
- Pushups / KB kneeling press
- Burpees / jumping jacks
- KB swing
- Squats / mountain climbers / lunge / reverse lunge
- V-ups / hollow holds
- Band curl + Band pushdown