Conditioning – buzz word or real thing?
In the fitness world, you’ll often see strength training and conditioning go hand in hand. The strength part sounds pretty self explanatory, but what about conditioning? In this Trainer Tips interview, Luke Sharp sets me straight. In 2014, Luke backed himself and used his passion for fitness to start Sharp Performance. With tertiary qualifications, fitness certificates and experience as a strength and conditioning coach under his belt, Luke’s clients have included athletes from boxing, golf, martial arts, AFL, rugby and refereeing – making him a man definitely in the know!
Ask That Fit Girl: What exactly is conditioning?
Luke: Conditioning is simply the ability to get work done. The work can be aerobic (lower intensity – therefore more use of oxygen) or anaerobic (higher intensity – less use of oxygen and therefore potentially more build up of waste product such as lactate in the blood). Conditioning can be done using many different methods including different equipment and different work to rest ratios and intensities. The way you do it should depend on your goals, training age and any injuries or other limitations.
Ask That Fit Girl: Who is it good for and why?
Luke: Conditioning is paramount to every single person, just to varying degrees. An athlete wanting to make it into the National Rugby team will need a much higher level of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning than a mum who wants to be able to keep up with her young children. The higher the level of one’s conditioning (condition) the greater efficiency of completing the task or work. This is due to the greater ability to get oxygen to working muscles.
Ask That Fit Girl: What results can the average Joe/Jane expect?
Luke: How quickly you positively respond to conditioning work is going to rely on a number of factors including (but not limited to):
– training history
– frequency and intensity of conditioning session
– programming of conditioning sessions (is the programming of the sessions done in the smartest, most effective way for the client)
– how you treat your body outside of training time (sleep, diet, thinking)
– training environment (maximise intensity each session).
In general the less training you have done before the bigger change you can expect initially with your conditioning. As you have been training for longer you will be more conditioned but it will be harder to make big improvements.
Ask That Fit Girl: What advice do you have for those wanting to get back into exercise and leading a healthier lifestyle?
Luke: The reason most people fall off the wagon is simply because their ‘why’ is not big or clear enough. The more you can attach emotion to the feeling of moving towards the pleasure you are looking for the bigger chance you have of completing your sessions. Remember consistency is king.
Once you are super clear as to why you want it (why do you want to lose that weight?) then commit to a sensible program for your needs. In general people and many coaches are too gung ho at first and go too hard, too early. You can’t undo years of inactivity in a month so be gentle on yourself, start with small attainable habits and build slowly. Consistency is king.
Luke is a qualified strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer with more than 7 years experience in the fitness industry. Luke believes movement is a gateway for success in all areas of life and that his purpose is to learn about health and pass this knowledge onto others. Follow Luke and Sharp Performance on Facebook or visit his website to learn more. For more insight on operating at your best, check out his blog.
