Summer is officially here!
Work, family, and all of the responsibilities you had pre-summer don’t go away because it’s summer. For some of us, schedules get trickier with kids out of school.
This means our self-care needs to be efficient and effective.
You have an hour or less to do your soft tissue prep, warm up, strength work, and conditioning.
It’s the conditioning component that most people want to skip.
It’s getting hotter.
There is something about being a little fatigued from your strength work that makes the conditioning at the end more daunting.
It would be so easy to skip that part and do it next time.
But you won’t. You won’t make it up and you’ll likely consider skipping it next time too.
What if you could build more strength, power and endurance without the wear and tear that most people feel doing boot camps, spending all their energy in the “orange zone” or any other high intensity workout?
What you’re getting worked up over could be done in as little as 6-12 minutes.
At ELEVATE Strength & Performance we use conditioning protocols that give people what they need so they can develop their athleticism, endurance and recover properly to perform outside of the gym – where it really matters.
In our small group TEAM training program, we cycle five different conditioning options over a 3-day program so that in the course of a 1-month block of training, you don’t repeat the same strength training and conditioning session. It’s a way we incorporate variety in training without being careless.
This rotating schedule also helps our members mentally so they aren’t dreading what’s coming as the “finisher.”
One of the protocols we use is Alactic–Aerobic conditioning, commonly abbreviated as “A+A” training.
It’s a perfect dose of conditioning to help you – the busy parent and professional – stay fit without trashing your joints, build power and athleticism, improve heart health and endurance, and avoids burnout and injuries allowing you to perform and recover between sessions.
What is Alactic–Aerobic training?
It’s a blend or crossover of two energy systems:
- Alactic (anaerobic-alactic) energy system training is very short bursts of high intensity effort for 6-15 seconds, where the body uses stored energy without producing lactic acid.
- Aerobic energy system training is low intensity work that uses oxygen to produce energy over longer periods of time, minutes to hour(s).
- During A+A training, rest is prescribed for 50-ish seconds or more between rounds or sets.
This type of training pairs brief, explosive efforts with a longer rest period that keeps the heart rate in the aerobic zone. For most people that’s around 120-140 beats per minute.
What does this look like? Here are some of our members’ favorite Alactic–Aerobic conditioning programs, which we like to dose 1-2 times a week and/or 2-3 times every two weeks.
Option 1:
Fan Bike (aka Assault Bike)
- Fan Bike sprint x10 seconds, then 50 seconds rest. Complete 8-12 rounds
Option 2:
Fan Bike + Battle Ropes
- Fan Bike sprint x10 seconds, then rest 50 seconds
- Battle Rope Bilateral Waves x10 seconds, then rest 50 seconds
- Continue alternating between bike and ropes for 8-12 rounds (4-6 each)
Option 3:
Sled Sprints (keep the weight light, start with an empty sled)
- Sled sprint x6-8 seconds or 15 yards, then rest 60-90 seconds. Complete 6-12 rounds
Option 4:
Kettlebells
- Kettlebell 2-Arm Swing x5-8 every minute on the minute with a heavier bell
- Double Kettlebell Cleans x5-6 every minute on the minute
- Kettlebell 1-Arm Snatch x5-6 every minute on the minute, switching arms each round
As stated above, Alactic–Aerobic training improves heart and metabolic health, helps you produce power without fatigue, is joint friendly, and time efficient.
If you’re stuck on what to do for your training, and want something effective and efficient in your conditioning training program, Alactic–Aerobic conditioning is worth your time and effort.
A+A training is potent, helps you stay fast, lean, and healthy without overtraining.