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Traditional Cardio vs. Metabolic Conditioning: 8-29-17 (Tue)

Alrighty… Time to kick-off this blog with one of the MOST controversial topics in fitness today… CARDIO vs. METCONS

Which is MORE effective?

Which do you need to attain YOUR specific goal(s)?

Well… What we do know is that there is a difference!

First, I spare you all of the studies and articles that reveal drawbacks of long steady-state cardio and running. On top of that, we could find more than a few studies that outline how there are greater and more effective results from short, high intensity sessions of conditioning… But again I digress… So let me quickly breakdown the differences between traditional cardio vs. metabolic conditioning.

Steady state cardio is simply a cardio workout that is a continuous, steady effort, as opposed to an interval cardio workout where you vary your energy output. Any cardiovascular/aerobic activity that is sustained for an extended time (usually starting at about 10 to 15 minutes for beginners and 20 to 90 minutes for more fit athletes) at a fixed intensity qualifies as steady state training (GIAIM). Now, for endurance athletes (i.e. Tri-athletes, Marathon Runners, Rowers, Trail Runners, etc…) this method of “cardio” is effective and necessary in your program. However, outside of increasing endurance, the benefits of steady state cardio are very limited.

NOW… What is conditioning??? Metabolic conditioning, simply put, refers to structured patterns of work and rest periods to elicit a desired response from the body. This desired response is usually to maximize efficiency of a particular energy system. The body has several different methods of getting energy (Men’s Fitness). In breaking down further, there are two main principles: Avoidance of Adaptation and Selective Workout Timing.

The avoidance of adaptation is simply your body adapting to the loads of weight you lift by building muscle, getting stronger, and seeing an increase of work capacity. The idea of conditioning workouts is to NEVER adapt to training… If you adapt to conditioning work, yes, you’ve gotten better in performance – however, at that point, it has more than likely stopped working. When you become stagnant in progress of conditioning, you actually regress in your level of fitness. It takes a whole lot of work to maintain that level of conditioning, but the good thing about conditioning is that variety is KING when planning it… and as we know, in the gym especially, people have an innate desire for variety.

The other principle behind conditioning work is selective workout timing. The BEST times to implement metabolic conditioning are the post-absorptive state and, my personal favorite ;-)… the post-workout stage or the FINISHER! . In short, body fat stores are more easily tapped for energy after you've already had a full weight training workout. It doesn't take much to target excess fat when you've already been going hard for an hour or so (TNation). The ‘finisher’, as it is affectionately called by most, should be done by carefully by choosing exercises and work to rest ratios, in the matter of timed sets. For example: Deadlift workout finisher:

Rowing Machine Intervals: 250m as fast as possible (Level 8)
20 sec. rest

***Repeat for 6 rounds***

As a general rule, 10-minute sessions are perfect for post-weight training. Longer sessions, up to about 20 minutes, are best for separate conditioning sessions in the post-absorptive state.

What’d Ya Learn:

To boost the benefits of metabolic conditioning, perform in the post-absorptive state or as a ‘finisher’ after your strength training workout
Steady State Cardio primarily benefits those that consider themselves endurance athletes
NEVER allow your body to adapt to conditioning. Use the variety of time, rest ratios and exercises to challenge your level of conditioning and recovery.
BONUS: Conditioning relieves anxiety, boosts all-day energy and fires up brain function. Cardio increases anxiety and cortisol…. NOT GOODL

… UNTIL NEXT TIME