To all the Greyskull Gladiators, past and present.
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Table of Contents Introduction
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Part One: Why Conditioning
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Part Two: Training for conditioning vs. Training for Strength
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Part Three: Performance Based Training for the Outcome Based Thinker
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Part Four: Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Building Your Conditioning Plan
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Conclusion
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Introduction The very first book that I wrote was “50 Greyskull Approved Conditioning Workouts for the Modern Viking”. I authored that one in response to a common question that I often received from those who I would advise on implementing a training methodology that came to be known as “The Greyskull LP”. Invariably, when the subject of conditioning work would arise, I would be asked what types of workouts would be best to plug into a basic GSLP template. Since most of those who were inquiring had a background in CrossFit (I’m speaking primarily about phone consulting clients form the 2010 era), I would tell them something along the lines of:
“You know, just hit something that is hard and intense, and doesn’t really go much over ten minutes in duration on the long end. Make sure that you don’t jump around too much, and repeat your workouts frequently so that you can track your progress.” While I thought this to be fairly straightforward advice, I received numerous requests for a handful of example workouts that I felt fit that bill. It took me longer than it should have for the light bulb to go off, but eventually it did, and eventually I decided to compose the first book, detailing 50 workouts that met what I considered to be the most important criteria for an intelligently implemented conditioning companion to something like the GSLP. The book was a huge success, and loads of people from all around the world snagged it from the store. After about a year later, I was receiving numerous requests each week for another installment, with more workouts for the Greyskull minions around the globe to take on.
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I responded by releasing the first book’s sequel “50 More Greyskull Approved Conditioning Workouts for the Modern Viking”. Like it’s predecessor, the second book was a hit as well. Since then I have received yet more requests for more content on conditioning, and frequently am asked questions pertaining to the subject on my forum as well. These factors led to my decision to release this product; a more thorough presentation of my thoughts on good conditioning work, and how to implement it, as well as a separate volume choked with even more workouts to sweat and increase in awesomeness by. This handbook is not intended to be a complete and total presentation of all of the intricate mechanisms by which the workouts in the other volumes affect the human body and cause adaptation, nor is it intended to be a fluffy, philosophical text on how and why conditioning work elevates a person into some “elite” cult of personality centered around tight shorts and gym chalk. What it is intended to provide you with is a concise reference on the subject of conditioning work, an aspect of the overall training picture that I believe to be one of the least understood, and most neglected components, at least for those with whom I routinely converse, and therefore, who are most likely to be reading this. I want you to understand what I know to be true about the subject of conditioning, and to be crystal clear on how I believe it should be implemented by you in order to get the most out of your efforts. I hope you enjoy this relatively quick read, and that you get to work kicking your own ass with the workouts presented in the companion volume ASAP.
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Part One Why Conditioning? In my opinion, conditioning is one of the most interesting aspects of training for one simple reason: Some focus on it almost exclusively; to the exclusion of strength training, many others do not train for it at all, and a large percentage of those who do truly train for both strength and conditioning fail to succeed in developing either to any appreciable degree. I am of the belief that conditioning work belongs in everyone’s training regimen, with the caveat that it must make sense for the goals of the individual (more on this later). The benefits of effective, and intelligent conditioning training are many. I’ve highlighted a few below, with a bit of explanation as to why each is something that may, or should be desired.
Longevity This should be the biggest “no brainer” reason to train conditioning, but for many who might be reading this, it’s not as large of an immediate concern as say, body composition (aesthetics). While the argument has certainly been made that the loss of strength and muscle as part of the aging process is what ultimately causes one to lose his or her independence (read: not be able to get off of the toilet unassisted, etc.) many who espouse this logic do so to the
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exclusion of the importance of the other factors that make up overall fitness. Mass media for the most part has long drawn a correlation between heart health, often gained through activities like jogging or elipticalling (if that’s an actual thing) and longevity. This is obvious if you’ve ever seen any TV commercial remotely related to the subject of health, like ever. It is this bias in the media that causes the other camp, the strength is all that matters folks, to get their expensive, supportive undergarments in an uproar and tout the existence of strength as the “one true prophet”. Unfortunately, these folks are as wrong as the ones who believe that stepping out for a few minutes a week with jogging suit on, with a pair of soup cans in your hands is the end all be all fountain of youth. The truth is, neither camp is correct across the board. Both strength, and overall fitness, which strength is a component of, are necessary for a person to live a long, healthy, and independent life (barring any crazy circumstance you might dream up to “disprove” me here… I know you were thinking about it… seriously, stop, you don’t always have to win). The strength side is able to see that a marathoner who looks like the partially decomposed corpse of an anorexic has a higher likelihood of losing independence later in life than his burly counterpart, but should also not be so delusional as to believe that a 350lb superheavyweight powerlifter who can pull 800lbs but cannot walk up a flight of stairs without being winded is the picture of health. Bottom line is that one should train for both strength, and overall conditioning if the intention is to stack the deck as favorable as possible for the prospect of living a long, healthy, independent life.
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Endurance/Stamina Face it, you don’t want to be the guy huffing and puffing at the top of a moderately sized flight of stairs. Training conditioning will build your lungs and cardiovascular system, and will keep you from gassing while performing tasks that you encounter in every day life. Whether you just want to offset your powerhouse, beast mode, mass monster weight training efforts and be able to walk the mall or boardwalk with your girlfriend, chase the kids around the yard or park, or run a 5k with some friends, or knock he bottom out of a few cheerleader (or girls that work at a place called cheerleaders) in a weekend marathon session in Atlantic City, this type of work is something of a necessary evil. Like our superheavy powerlifter that we mentioned before, you can’t claim to have an interest in fitness if you’re grossly out of shape, you just can’t. Even if competitive powerlifting, and being as strong as your genetics will allow is your absolute goal, conditioning work dramatically aids you by building vital work capacity and allowing you train harder, and more intensely. Think about squatting a heavy weight for a rep max. Your legs and body might have 20+ reps in them, but if your lungs are giving way at 9, how many do you think you’re going to crank out? Conditioning work, when balanced out with, and intelligently integrated into a proper strength training program is quite simply “the balls”.
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Enhanced Performance This one goes hand in hand with the previous entry on improving endurance and stamina. You will undoubtedly see an increase in your performance in virtually any recreational physical activity that you choose to undertake should you opt to adopt a consistent conditioning program. I specify “recreational” activity because training conditioning for a specific sport at a competitive level often differs from training for general conditioning. I’m writing this with the assumption that, like many of my readers, you are probably not actively competing at the college or professional level in a particular sport. In my work with MMA fighters for example, much of what I do early on involves eradicating unnecessary, and often excessive general conditioning work form their programming in order to free up time for more skill training. I concern myself with getting them strong primarily, and allowing the bulk of their conditioning work to come from their multiple sparring or grappling sessions throughout the week. Again, for the guy just looking to rock the house at his flag football game on Saturday, win the Dragon boat race Kenny Powers style, or just slay some serious ass without overheating and passing out, this program delivers more than enough of the proverbial goods.
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Body Composition Here’s one of the big ones for a lot of you. If you’re like many who’ve purchased this product, this is the reason for you doing so. The overwhelming majority of the questions that I get from people about conditioning are related to body composition; specifically the pursuit of a lean, desirable composition that allows that person to show off their hard earned muscle and turn heads. While there are certainly multiple ways to skin the composition cat, with diet in the foreground in terms of importance, intense conditioning like the workouts presented in this system are certainly one of the big guns in the arsenal. Face it, you want to look good. You want to be attractive. You want to be able to wear little clothing at the beach and not cause those around you to vomit their fudgy wudgies and Twisted Teas concealed in Taco Bell cups. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, I think you’d be a fool if you didn’t feel that way. For those who seek a lean, muscular body, who aren’t into long, slow walks every morning, or having a super tight diet, this kind of work provides a possible alternative (and an additional benefit even for those who do enjoy the aforementioned methods). Put simply, if you bust your ass with workouts like these, and progress in an intelligent manner, your body composition will certainly improve. I think everyone can understand that, so I won’t flog this horse anymore… he’s starting to stink anyway, and the flies are becoming a nuisance.
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The “Better than You” Factor This final “benefit” of conditioning training that I’m listing here is one that I am extremely adamant about. Much of what we do as human beings is motivated by a desire to feel significant, either to those in our environment, or simply to ourselves. Everyone has their own heroes, and each hero earns their place in that person’s ranks for one reason or another. Truly successful and fulfilled individuals share the practice of discovering ways in which to become their own hero in some capacity, as well as having excellent role models for other things. This idea is one that I feel strongly about, and that I encourage those that I work with to think about and pursue. There are few more rewarding sensations in this world that one can experience than a feeling of accomplishment. When a person slays their dragons, overcomes a fear, or produces a change in their life that they previously thought unattainable for any reason, there is a blissful state that is achieved that little can compare to. I’m not saying that your training efforts or fitness level should define you, nor am I saying that you should identify yourself by your body image; what I am saying is that your accomplishments in training can provide you with loads of the rewarding experiences and realizations of which I’ve spoken. What I refer to as “the better than you factor” is not all about comparing yourself or your abilities to others, and it is not about a literal feeling of superiority over any other human being. What it’s about is possessing the knowledge that you are accomplishing things that others don’t take the initiative or the requisite actions to accomplish, though they may very well be capable of doing so.
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Busting your ass on a regular basis to best your previous records in workouts like the ones presented in this program offer you regular opportunities to experience this sensation. In order to drive progress, and produce new record-breaking results, you must demonstrate a high degree of intestinal fortitude, mental toughness, and display an ability to block out discomfort in the pursuit of an objective. These are skills that can serve you well in any endeavor in life. My military experience forced me to do al of the above, and I credit those experiences with much of the success that I’ve achieved in my time since assimilating (however poorly) back into the civilian world. I would not trade the attributes that I developed during that period of my life for any monetary amount. Those aspects of my personality are critical elements of my identity, and I would not be the same person without them. I highly encourage you to push yourself well beyond what you currently think is possible when taking on the workouts that I’ve laid out for you here. The rewards that come packaged with the knowledge that you are routinely doing things that others do not, and regularly besting your own personal records are incredible.
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Regardless of the reason(s) for which you desire to train conditioning, this book and it’s companion volume will provide you with a host of information and options that you can apply in the pursuit of your goal. When trained regularly, and with intensity, the workouts in this program will turn you into a strong, capable beast who looks good and lives good, so give ‘em hell.
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Part Two Training for Conditioning vs. Training for Strength Alright, so training for conditioning and training for strength have some similarities and some differences. In order to progress in either, you have to show up and do the work. Nobody’s gotten stronger by having a window open displaying some strength training forum, intermittently scouring it for pearls of wisdom between internet porn beat off sessions anymore than anyone’s gotten strong by reading the muscle magazines back in the day. Likewise, it’s impossible to build a granite hard body, dripping with sex appeal, and capable of outrunning a gazelle by watching YouTube videos of Rich Froning, or purchasing eBooks on conditioning (even this one… though if any author’s content were to be most likely to magically cause an adaptation like that it would have to be mine, but I digress). In order to become a strong, conditioned monster, you have to train for both strength, and conditioning, period. So that’s pretty much where the similarities end, now let’s talk about the differences between the two.
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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, and “Getting in Shape” Conditioning is a much more transient adaptation than it’s burlier cousin strength. By this I mean that it will head out of town, smelling of Old Granddad and raw onions much quicker than it’s iron-bread kinfolk. Consider these examples: Let’s imagine that a group of jiggly, soft office types decide to band together and run a charity 5k. Now imagine that each of these folks hasn’t seen the inside of a gym, or done anything that resembled physical activity since at least before Obama started tea bagging the U.S. with impunity. Despite their utter lack of any semblance of conditioning, each has committed to running this 5k in six weeks. Let’s say that one of these doughy do-gooders, let’s call him “Chubs” for now, decides to begin his training for said event by running one lap around the block after work on Wednesday night. Predictably, this effort is taxing for Chubs and he finds himself considerably more winded than he had expected. But Chubs is a determined man, and therefore makes his mind up to run progressively longer distances each night after work leading up to the event. By the end of the first week, Chubs is able to run several blocks. He is still winded, but is pleased with his progress. Inside of three weeks, he’s completing a mile or more at a shot, and feels that he will certainly be able to complete the run come race day. On that fateful morning, Chubs laces up his running shoes and heads out to meet his coworkers at the starting line. While he does not expect to win, or even place highly in the event, he is confident that
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he will make it through the day, and he does exactly that, finishing the race without a single break. Give Chubs a hand everybody. It’s fair to assume that everyone on Chubs’ team, at least the ones that followed a similar training approach, would be able to produce predictably similar results in that they would all be able to complete the 5k event. These folks are all basically able to go from completely “out of shape”, to “in shape” enough to complete a three plus mile run within a relatively short period of time (six weeks). Contrast this to the idea of the same group of untrained individuals attempting to do a charity Powerlifting meet instead. Same time frame, six weeks to prepare. Now before you start jabbering about “newbie gains” or “the novice effect” and how much progress they’d make in the six weeks, do you think that the group would be able to make an increase in strength that represents something proportional to a progression from being winded from one trip around the block to completing a 5k? Of course not. These guys (and/or gals) won’t take a 95lb max squat to a 250lb squat in the same six week period, it simply won’t happen. Why you ask? I’ll tell you grasshopper... Building strength takes longer than “getting shape” in the cardiovascular endurance sense of the phrase. When it comes down to it, getting in shape, particularly when you are training conditioning using intelligently designed workouts like the ones presented in this system, is a pretty simple, pretty linear endeavor that can happen in a matter of weeks if trained consistently.
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Consider our second example; a young guy who spends the “off season” from football occasionally lifting some weights, drinking, and banging cheerleaders. While all of those things are obviously awesome, and very fun, none of them represent conditioning work (with the possible exception of cheerleader banging, but in order for that to count you have to be doing it JP style, read: like a screen door in a hurricane for hours on end). What do you suppose will happen to this guy when he shows up to the first day of football camp in the preseason? Two-a-days of gassers, timed runs, sprints, and tackling drills in the hot sun? If you’re thinking he’ll be wrecked, and probably puking a good deal, you’re probably right. Now fast-forward two weeks to the conclusion of the camp. Our football hero is now completing the practices with relative ease, and is a far sight more “in shape” for football than he was two weeks prior. You see? It doesn’t take long at all to “get in shape” if that is your goal. It has much more to do with consistency of effort, and the intensity that you’re putting forth into the work than it does the overall duration of your training in terms of weeks or months. This is in stark contrast to strength training. While it is of no doubt equal importance to train consistently, and with intensity to build strength, it is utterly impossible to force adaptation in strength in a manner that is any way proportional to the adaptations in conditioning that are possible in a given period of time. This means that if you want to get in shape, you can do it with a relative quickness because...
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All of that said, it is important to discuss the other element of the “transient: nature of conditioning, namely that…
While conditioning comes faster than strength, conditioning also deteriorates faster than strength. Let’s revisit our guy Chubs for a minute to examine this idea. We’ll say that after the 5k, Chubs decides to go back to his normal Cheetos and Xbox routine instead of keep up with his new habit. Flash ahead three months, and where do you think Chubs is at in terms of his conditioning? Do you think he’d crush it on a 5k now? For that matter, think of our footballer as well. We said that he was showing up to camp “out of shape” after the summer break, but how much strength do you suppose he would have lost had he not been consistently lifting weights, or even lifting weights at all during that time? Would he have dropped from a 315lb bench down to a 135lb bench? Of course not. He will no doubt lose a bit of strength, maybe having difficulty getting the same number of reps at 225lbs as he was able to before, but he won’t be a frail weakling either. To take that even farther, what do you suppose would happen to his 315lb bench if he were to take a full year off of training with weights (ooh ooh I know this one, pick me, I do this a lot)? Would he have to start back, struggling with 135 after a year? Nope. Why?
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Adaptations in strength are much more resilient than adaptations in conditioning. Again, conditioning adaptation takes place more rapidly than strength, but will leave you much sooner if you let it go by the wayside. This is why incorporating a conditioning plan into your current training setup is a great thing to do. It takes little in the way of exposure to conditioning stimuli each week to keep you in decent “shape” year round, and makes it significantly easier to get more fine tuned in a hurry should the need or the desire arise.
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Part Three Performance Based Training for the Outcome Based Thinker If you’re at all familiar with some of my other writing, on my website and in books like “Blueprint to Beast” you’ve no doubt heard me discuss the importance of something called “Outcome based thinking” (OBT). OBT is the first “pillar” of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), a discipline of applied psychology that I have studied for most of my life. NLP has provided me with many tools that I have been able to effectively use to produce successful results in a vast array of endeavors, and is one of the essential backbone elements of all of my teaching methods regardless of subject. OBT refers to the practice of beginning any pursuit with a clearly defined outcome in mind that you are intent on producing. One could liken the idea to plugging a destination into a GPS before embarking on a trip. One of the most common manners in which I reference OBT is in conjunction with the third “pillar” of NLP, which is “Behavioral flexibility”. The basic premise of this one-two punch being that, in order to produce a desired outcome, one must first begin with a clear idea of where he or she needs to go, and then be flexible in the approach that is used to arrive there. To revisit our GPS example, you can think of behavioral flexibility as the machine recalculating to generate an alternate route to the destination in the event of an impassable road or detour. This manner of thinking and planning is crucial to your success in just about anything you should choose to do, but in this section I’d like to discuss the importance of “Performance based training” (PBT) as it JohnnyPainLive.com
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pertains to, and works synergistically with OBT in, maximizing the results from training for conditioning. To best illustrate the concept of PBT I will use analogy to another topic that I instruct others in with regularity, namely, shooting. It is common in this YouTube age for many to practice a specific shooting drill, usually on steel, and usually from a close distance, until they can complete the course of fire in an “impressive” time. These times are recorded via the almighty shot timer, an invaluable piece of equipment when used correctly, and are displayed for the viewer of the video to admire. This trend has led to the belief in many that obtaining proficiency in the dynamic discipline of pistol or rifle shooting has much to do with replicating the performance of these internet gunslingers and turning in comparable times on similar drills. While drills like these can certainly be a valuable component of a proper shooting program, an overemphasis on “mastering” one or more drills to the exclusion of training other, often times more applicable or otherwise important skills, is largely detrimental to the development of true combat shooting prowess. I liken this practice to memorizing information prior to an exam, you know, basically how all of us got through school. There is not a genuine skill developed, outside of the ability to perform that one single action with lightning speed. Performance based training in the shooting world focuses on your ability to perform to the highest level that you are able given the circumstances and conditions of the exercise, as measured by all appropriate metrics, and not on racing to beat an arbitrary time established by someone else who has spent more time that you have “studying for the test”. Many of the workouts outlined in the companion volume to this handbook are designed to be completed on the clock, with your time to completion being one of the principle metrics used to track your JohnnyPainLive.com
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progress. When proper, safe technique is demonstrated on the movements, and zero corners are cut, recording time in this manner is an excellent strategy. When the opposite is true however, when technique is let fall by the wayside, corners are cut in the execution of movements (range of motion for example), and the focus is purely on “completing” the work in the shortest possible period of time, the trainee is doing himself an injustice just as the shooter who seeks to be YouTube famous for ringing steel on close targets that can be hit by any competent shooter blindfolded by using one of the fundamentals of marksmanship which is body index or natural point of aim. I want you to emphasize proper technique and range of motion in each of the movements you complete as part of these workouts. Remember that the movements are designed to create some sort of adaptation in your body, and you are only cheating yourself if you become obsessed with the clock. In other words, don’t be a dirty CrossFitter and make the clock your God. Think of the “GOMAD” driven buffoon who becomes scale obsessed, seeking to see his bodyweight increase weekly or even daily by taking in a gross surplus of calories. What does this end up looking like in a few months? If you guessed “a fat fuck”, give yourself a pat on the back. I cover this “fast track to fat fuck” idea in greater detail in my book “SWOLE: The Greyskull Growth Principles”, but the gist is that a focus on “scale PR’s” and a fuck you to all of the other, more relevant metrics one should track when seeking to pack on mass will always lead to a sloppy, jiggly, perhaps marginally stronger individual while a global approach that intelligently addresses all of the relevant components of a proper mass gain effort will yield much more favorable results. In shooting we say, “Speed is fine, accuracy is final”. Think about the applications of that idea in your conditioning training. I want to see you get the most out of your efforts always. JohnnyPainLive.com
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In conclusion, performance based training means the desire to turn in the best performance that YOU’RE capable of on the workout for that given day, taking into consideration all of the ways in which your performance can be measured. When you combine that approach to training with the Outcome based approach at identifying your goals and what you desire to produce as the result of your training, you are on to something and have a winning combination that will serve you well.
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Part Four Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Building Your Conditioning Plan As the title would suggest, this section of this guide is where we will discuss how to best implement the workouts in this system to meet your conditioning goals. Before determining what your approach will be, and what workouts you will choose to tackle first, you need to get clear about what your primary objective is. For our purposes here, we will assume that you are interested in developing overall conditioning to reduce body fat, increase stamina, and just be a nastier individual. I will also assume that you are undertaking this effort with a base layer of strength training already in place, something along the lines of the Greyskull LP. Whether or not the GSLP is in fact your program of choice, the “rules” I will lay out here will be applicable if you want to get the most out of your hard work.
Frequency It should stand to reason that your goals will dictate how frequently you work conditioning sessions into your program. If you think that you’re generally in decent shape, aren’t carrying a ton of body fat that you want to shed, and just want to receive the benefits of added conditioning work, you may choose to add one session per week, perhaps on a weekend day.
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If you’re looking to strip off some fat you may have put on by deviating too much from the dietary guidelines in SWOLE for instance (shame on you, I laid it all out for you!), you may want to up the frequency to two or three times per week. And lastly, if you’re just plain out of shape, or are carrying a whole bunch of fat that you want to shed in a hurry, you may opt to add four or five of these sessions per week, perhaps even cutting your GSLP sessions down to two times per week to offset the additional work. As a sophisticated trainee, and one who is not without knowledge of basic programming, you should have a pretty easy time determining what the optimal frequency is for you. If you do have trouble with this however, feel free to contact me on my forum, and I or one of the others on there will be happy to help you get it straight.
Keeping it Short None of the workouts presented in the companion volume to this book should run longer than about ten minutes. That timeline is pretty much the “sweet spot” for developing the type of conditioning that you’re after, as well as for shedding undesired body fat. Several of the workouts employ a “work to time” approach, with a fixed timeline, “As many sets as possible in seven minutes” is an example of this. For those that feature a fixed amount of work, I encourage you to curtail your effort at the ten minute mark should you not be finished. The exception to this idea would be if you find yourself very close to completing the work at the buzzer, and choose to go on and finish. If you opt to do this, I’d make sure not to exceed 12-15 minutes at a maximum. Be sure to record your time on any workout that has you completing a fixed amount of work. If you cut the workout short due to running out JohnnyPainLive.com
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of time, be sure to indicate how far along in the session you were. You will have plenty of opportunities to revisit the workout and get it done inside of the ideal time window.
Tracking Progress Each workout includes instructions on what should be recorded upon completion. For many, it will include a variable like bar or dumbbell weight, and a time component. For the fixed-time sessions, it will include a weight variable perhaps, and a number of repetitions or sets completed in the allotted time. It is important to keep detailed records of your performance, keeping in mind what we said about Performance based training, so that you can measure your progress from session to session. That brings us to our next point…
Seeing it Through One of my biggest gripes with the CrossFit world is the length of time between efforts on a given workout. For instance, one might do something like “Helen”, one of the original named CrossFit workouts, and then not revisit “her” again for several months. Of course the logic employed there is that the constant variety of work presented creates a sort of “global adaptation”, improving one’s ability to perform in a variety of manners. While there is some truth to this, particularly for the brand new trainee, I’ve always found it simpler, more effective, and more intrinsically rewarding to the
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individual to test performance on a given workout with a much higher frequency. For instance, if one were to pick a given workout form the book and establish a baseline time of say eight minutes today, he or she would have a solid time target to annihilate next week when it is attempted again. Repeat this process for four weeks and you’ll see a dramatic improvement on the eight-minute time. Since we know that such an improvement in time would represent an attendant physical adaptation, it is simple to see that the trainee would be actively reaping the benefits of his or her work. Remember what I frequently say about eighty percent of a person’s success in any endeavor being the mental component. A trainee being able to see, on paper, his or her progress in the course of a week is both rewarding, and provides him or her with a clear challenge for the next effort. Now imagine that this same person is running two or three of these workouts in a similar manner on say Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Like the numbers to beat on the strength training sessions, the trainee now has hard targets to go after three times per week in their conditioning efforts. One might opt to tackle the same workout or workouts each week for a month, or might choose to rotate workouts from week to week, say week “A” doing workouts 15, 21, and 33, and week “B” doing workouts 8, 11, and 50. Doing it the latter way, he or she might want to run that setup for eight weeks before swapping anything out. As long as they’re being repeated in relatively close proximity, there is no “wrong” way of plugging them in. This program provides you with a large amount of freedom in terms of keeping things fresh. There are fifty individual sessions laid out that you can experiment with in an infinite number of combinations.
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What I recommend however is that whatever manner in which you choose to rotate the workouts you select to plug in, be sure to stick with one workout for at least four efforts before swapping it out for another. This allows you to measure and see the progress you’re making, and will do wonders for keeping you motivated. And, like the CrossFit folks, it’s always fun to come back and hit a workout that you haven’t’ seen for a while to test yourself against the version of you that last took on that challenge. This is like the resets in the Greyskull LP where you go back to a weight that you’ve previously handled, and demolish the reps that you were able to make with that weight the last time. Trust me on this one. Don’t let the appeal of variety for varieties sake take away from your conditioning progress.
Do What You Suck At The variety of workouts presented in this manual cover a wide range of movements and activities, some of which you’re probably better at, or enjoy more than others (the two typically go hand in hand). While it is tempting to go after the ones that you feel you’ll do well in, which is not always a bad idea from a mental perspective in the beginning, it would behoove you to tackle a few of the ones that put you off a bit at first glance. Don’t just stick to the ones that you like. Do a few of the ones that are really shitty for you. Those who train with me live have the benefit of having me determine what they’ll be tackling from session to session. This is arguably one of the greatest benefits to working with a competent trainer because
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said trainer forces you to get out of your comfort zone and cut the bullshit on the road to your goals. I will add that I often have a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of “shit that you like” to “shit that you hate” in a client’s program. I find this important because of the mental element at play. If you only have someone do what they hate, they’ll associate the work with pain or negativity, and ultimately not stick with it or try their best. Likewise, if the work is balanced out with work that is less “sucky” for them, and more immediately rewarding, they are much more likely to stick with it, and interestingly enough often grow fond of the “shitty” stuff once they see themselves getting better at it, or notice the changes in their body that they experience as a result. Since I’m not there to walk you through this and ensure that you’re doing at least some of what you suck at regularly, I am going to leave it up to you to make sure that you pepper your training with just the right amount of suck to make it spicy bur not completely unpalatable. .
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Conclusion So there you have it. This has been my take on what a simple handbook for the often overly complexified subject of conditioning training should look like. I hope you’ve enjoyed it, and I hope that you put the information within, and the workouts from the other volume to work in your quest to accomplish your conditioning goals. If you would like more examples of conditioning workouts that I use personally with my clients, and you don’t already own the following, you may want to visit my website JohnnyPainLive.com and pick up my previous conditioning volumes:
50 Greyskull Approved Conditioning Workouts for the Modern Viking 50 More Greyskull Approved Conditioning Workouts for the Modern Viking These three references will provide you with a lifetime of possibilities to keep your training fresh. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on my forum, or email me at the address below:
[email protected] That’s it guys and girls, Here’s to your continued success! Give it hell.
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