Vital with Paul Weber
071 How to Improve your Conditioning
1. Pick your test.
10 Minute Assault Bike
2k Row
10 Rounds for Time
Quarterfinal Workout 2
If it’s a mixed test, make sure the limiter is in fact conditioning and not something else.
Make sure the limiter was not pacing. If you need to change your strategy and retest, do that first.
2. Choose your training frequency.
1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5-10x/week.
Most athletes are going to land close to a 2x/week frequency for their high intensity.
3. Choose your training pieces.
a. Long slow distance
This is about limiting your exposures to high intensity and accumulating a bigger training dose.
b. Intervals
This is about accumulating successful exposures to your race pace.
Pace will either be race pace or slightly above race pace.
Race length / 4 for interval length.
Race length x1.5-3 for total work duration.
Aerobic work:rest ratios (1:1 or 2:1).
Progress first by adding intervals (increasing the total work duration).
Once at 2-3x race length, then progress by increasing pace or decreasing rest.
I change the training piece no more than 5-10%/week.
c. Threshold
This is about successful exposures to the discomfort of racing.
Usually at your goal pace (what you intend to hold for the retest).
Start at half the length of the test, extend the length until you get to race length.
Stick to 5-10% changes per week.
Sample 2k Row Program
Test: 7:00 (1:45/500m)
Goal: 6:40 (1:40/500m | 5% improvement)
Long Slow Distance:
45 Minute Row @ Zone 2
Interval Session:
8 Sets
500m Row @1:40/500m
Rest 1:40
Progress – 10 Sets, 12 Sets, 1:39, 1:38
Threshold Session:
1 Set
1,000m Row @1:40/500m
Progress – 1,100m, 1,200m, etc.
Sample Quarterfinal Workout 2 Program
Test: 20:00 (15 reps/minute)
Goal: 19:00 (16 reps/minute | 5% improvement)
Long Slow Distance
20 Minutes @60%
1:00 Air Squats
1:00 Bike Erg
1:00 Alternating Step Ups
1:00 Bear Pushups
-Rest 5 Minutes-
20 Minutes @60%
1:00 Bike Erg
1:00 Ski
1:00 Stairmaster
1:00 Row
Interval Session:
3 Sets @85-90%
AMRAP 5
10 AB Cals
10 WB
10 BBJO
Rest 5:00
AMRAP 5
Row Cals
Rest 5:00
Progress – 4 Sets, 16-18 reps/minute, 4/3/2 minute rest
Threshold Session:
1 Set @16-18 reps/minute
50 WB
1:3 Work Rest
50 BBJO
1:3 Work Rest
Progress – combine WB and BBJO, 1.5-2.5 sets, reduce rest
1. Pick your test.
10 Minute Assault Bike
2k Row
10 Rounds for Time
Quarterfinal Workout 2
If it’s a mixed test, make sure the limiter is in fact conditioning and not something else.
Make sure the limiter was not pacing. If you need to change your strategy and retest, do that first.
2. Choose your training frequency.
1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5-10x/week.
Most athletes are going to land close to a 2x/week frequency for their high intensity.
3. Choose your training pieces.
a. Long slow distance
This is about limiting your exposures to high intensity and accumulating a bigger training dose.
b. Intervals
This is about accumulating successful exposures to your race pace.
Pace will either be race pace or slightly above race pace.
Race length / 4 for interval length.
Race length x1.5-3 for total work duration.
Aerobic work:rest ratios (1:1 or 2:1).
Progress first by adding intervals (increasing the total work duration).
Once at 2-3x race length, then progress by increasing pace or decreasing rest.
I change the training piece no more than 5-10%/week.
c. Threshold
This is about successful exposures to the discomfort of racing.
Usually at your goal pace (what you intend to hold for the retest).
Start at half the length of the test, extend the length until you get to race length.
Stick to 5-10% changes per week.
Sample 2k Row Program
Test: 7:00 (1:45/500m)
Goal: 6:40 (1:40/500m | 5% improvement)
Long Slow Distance:
45 Minute Row @ Zone 2
Interval Session:
8 Sets
500m Row @1:40/500m
Rest 1:40
Progress – 10 Sets, 12 Sets, 1:39, 1:38
Threshold Session:
1 Set
1,000m Row @1:40/500m
Progress – 1,100m, 1,200m, etc.
Sample Quarterfinal Workout 2 Program
Test: 20:00 (15 reps/minute)
Goal: 19:00 (16 reps/minute | 5% improvement)
Long Slow Distance
20 Minutes @60%
1:00 Air Squats
1:00 Bike Erg
1:00 Alternating Step Ups
1:00 Bear Pushups
-Rest 5 Minutes-
20 Minutes @60%
1:00 Bike Erg
1:00 Ski
1:00 Stairmaster
1:00 Row
Interval Session:
3 Sets @85-90%
AMRAP 5
10 AB Cals
10 WB
10 BBJO
Rest 5:00
AMRAP 5
Row Cals
Rest 5:00
Progress – 4 Sets, 16-18 reps/minute, 4/3/2 minute rest
Threshold Session:
1 Set @16-18 reps/minute
50 WB
1:3 Work Rest
50 BBJO
1:3 Work Rest
Progress – combine WB and BBJO, 1.5-2.5 sets, reduce rest