At Eastside Athletics, we specialize in Strength and Conditioning. While many people have a clear understanding of what strength training involves, the concept of conditioning is often less clear. Many people assume it just refers to cardiovascular training, but it actually a bit more involved than that. So, what exactly is conditioning, and how can our personal trainers help you improve it?
What is Conditioning?
Conditioning is a multifaceted aspect of fitness that maximizes your physical potential by focusing on three major components:
- Metabolic Systems
- Movement Capacity
- Mental Performance
Component 1: Metabolic Systems
Metabolic systems, or energy systems, are the engines that power your performance. They include two major pathways:
- The aerobic system: Drives your ability to sustain power over long periods.
- The anaerobic systems: Provide bursts of power for shorter durations.
Balancing these systems is crucial because each has its tradeoffs. Focusing on your anaerobic system boosts your power output but limits how long you can sustain it. On the other hand, emphasizing your aerobic system enhances your endurance but reduces your maximum power.
How Our Personal Trainers Improve Your Metabolic Systems:
- Assess Your Needs: Our personal trainers evaluate your goals, current fitness level, and available training time.
- Build a Foundation: We help you develop a solid aerobic base that will support most fitness goals.
- Incorporate Both Systems: Your personal trainer will include both aerobic and anaerobic exercises in your routine, adjusted to your specific needs.
Component 2: Movement Capacity
Many people overlook the importance of movement efficiency in conditioning. Poor technique or limited mobility can lead to unnecessary energy expenditure and quick fatigue.
How Our Personal Trainers Enhance Your Movement Capacity:
- Develop Good General Movement: Our personal trainers focus on improving joint mobility, stability, strength through various ranges of motion, and proper technique.
- Maintain Movement Quality Under Fatigue: We train you to move efficiently even when you’re tired, preventing sloppy technique and enhancing endurance.
Component 3: Mental Performance
This is an often overlooked component, but thee mental aspect of conditioning is equally important. It’s not just about pushing through pain—it’s about smart energy management.
How Our Personal Trainers Develop Your Mental Performance:
- Dynamic Energy Control: We teach you to become aware of your energy expenditure and manage it effectively to avoid premature fatigue.
- Heart Rate Monitoring: By tracking your heart rate, you’ll understand your body’s limits and capabilities, learning what levels of energy expenditure are sustainable.
- Energy Management: You’ll learn when to push and when to conserve energy to maintain peak performance longer.
Why Conditioning is Important
Conditioning is the backbone of athletic performance. It determines how well you can sustain activities, how efficiently you move, and how effectively you manage your energy. Good conditioning leads to:
- Enhanced Performance: Better conditioning translates to improved performance in your sport or physical activity.
- Injury Prevention: Efficient movement and proper energy management reduce the risk of injuries.
- Increased Endurance: Proper conditioning allows you to perform at higher levels for longer periods.
How Eastside Athletics’ Personal Trainers Can Help
At Eastside Athletics, we understand that conditioning isn’t just about training your energy systems—it’s a holistic approach. Our personal trainers are dedicated to improving all aspects of conditioning:
- Energy Systems: Our personal trainers help you determine your potential for generating and sustaining power.
- Movement Quality: Our trainers work on reducing the energy needed for movement.
- Mental Performance: We focus on managing energy expenditure.
To improve your conditioning, we focus on:
- Balancing Aerobic and Anaerobic Development: Our personal trainers train your energy systems according to your needs.
- Training Movement Quality: Our personal trainers enhance your movement capacity across all levels of fatigue and stress.
- Developing Mental Performance: Our personal trainers teach you to control energy expenditure for sustained performance.