Conditioning Makes Me Feel Great

That's about all the reason I need to do conditioning, yet somehow I forget this simple fact, and when I start doing it again (like I have 2-3 times a week since my last competition), I wonder why the hell I stopped in the first place.

I get bored easily. I don't like setting up conditioning medleys, because it takes me 10 minutes to get the tire through the gym and outside and to get the prowler set up, 15-20 minutes to do my conditioning, and then another 10 minutes, if not more, to pack it all up. I also hate hate hate anything long and slow, like jogging on a treadmill. As someone who generally spends around an hour in the gym, knowing that I'll either spend half of that for conditioning, or blow out my gym time by an extra half hour, is an easy way to guarantee that I won't do it.

So what are my options? When thinking of conditioning, I want to keep as specific to strongman (and the energy systems used in strongman) as possible, and I wanted to spend the least amount of time possible to get some effective work done, but I also wanted a really quick and simple way to get some hard conditioning in that only takes a few minutes. I came up with a shortlist:

• Kettlebells. Pick one up, carry it to a platform, do 5 continuous minutes of snatches, put it away and go home. This is my go-to option when I'm really running thin on time.
• Prowler. All I have to do is carry it outside, load up a few plates, and start pushing. 10-12 minutes on the prowler and I'm sucking wind.
• Every Minute on the Minute. If I'm training the axle, log or stones that day, I'll do 1-2 reps every minute on the minute for 10-12 minutes after the work sets. The equipment is usually already setup. I've only recently started doing this.
• Complexes. String a few big movements together, do a few sets, keep the rest periods short, and in 10 minutes I can be on the floor ready to die. I don't like pushing weight on these too much because I feel really beat up the next day.

The thing I like about these options is it's really easy to account for good and bad days; use a different weight kettlebell, modify the distance and/or weight on the prowler, adjust reps with EMOM work, adjust the exercises/reps/weight on the complexes. Rest periods can also be adjusted. Lots of ways to either turn it up or dial it back.

The result of doing this 2-3 times a week for the past couple of months? I feel awesome. When I play basketball on Sunday nights, I can run the full game at full speed. My training capacity in the gym is a lot better, whereas before I'd be ready to go home mid-way through my assistance work. I have better energy throughout the day. I sleep better. And I look a little better.