Quick question: Do you even condition, bro? No, we’re not asking if you spend your mornings lathering, rinsing, and repeating (which is really none of our business). What we’re actually talking about is conditioning training — a specific type of fitness regimen that focuses on improving performance above all else.

While most gym rats and bro-scientists are busy obsessing over making gains, cutting inches, and seeing 1/1000 of an inch of an oblique muscle, there are trainers, athletic coaches, and other fitness fanatics who focus on improving athletic performance through conditioning training, because they know that’s really where it’s at. Because instead of bumping up one aspect of your physical health, conditioning basically helps to elevate all of them. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at some of its many benefits…

The Benefits of Conditioning Training

• Prevents Injury: Strengthening your tendons and ligaments is key to help with muscle imbalances, which can lead to injury.
• Better Posture: An effective conditioning program will have you walking tall in no time.
• Increase Metabolism: The higher intensity workouts you’ll find in conditioning exercises produce more effective calorie burning and faster metabolic rates.
• Healthier Bones: Studies show that conditioning training actually helps to prevent the premature onset of osteoporosis in affecting athletes later on in life.
• Faster Rehabilitation: If you do find yourself with an injury, conditioning leads to a quicker recovery process.
• Higher Endurance: Conditioning training helps to increase practically any aerobic activity longer, including running, cycling, jumping rope, swimming – anything really.
• Enhanced Mood: Training for performance leads to more endorphins being released, which means a happier you!

By the way, did you get a chance to tune in with the most recent Olympic Games? We did, and you know what every one of those athletes has in common? You guessed it, conditioning! So with that said, let’s talk about some of our favorite conditioning exercises. 

Squat Jumps

Part of the genius of this move lies in its finesse — you’ve got to make as little sound as possible, with as little impact as possible. Starting from your squat position, explode into a jump, and then land softly back into your squatting position. If you really want to pump these up, add in a high-knee tuck jump. 

Box Jumps

For this one, find any sturdy and stable surface like a box, bench, or even a step. With both feet shoulder-width apart, hop on up and land in a squatting position, step back down carefully, and repeat. 

Mountain Climbers

These are excellent exercises to boost your conditioning as well as your core. Starting in a high plank position, draw each knee up to your chest, or as close as you can, while firming up your lower abs, and repeat with the other knee, alternating each knee. You can modify the intensity by adding or removing a hop in between. To add some flair to this one, combine a side-walking plank after each set of climbers. 

Burpees

Ah, the bold, beautiful, bodacious, body and booty crushing workout known as the Burpee. It’s definitely one of our all-time faves and basically every fitness expert’s desert-island exercise, because it works so many muscles in so little time. Starting with your feet shoulder-width apart, leap up in the air with your hands above your head. Land, and immediately plant your hands down and kick your legs behind you into a plank position. Do a full push up, and reverse the process by jumping both feet forward until you are back in the starting position. 

Split Jacks

Another great all-around-heart-beater is the Split Jack. These explosive conditioning exercises work the upper and lower body in one brutal concoction. Standing with staggered feet, lift the hand opposite to your front-most foot, and in one fluid motion, jump up, swing your front leg back, and your back leg front, switching your raised arm at the same time. Congrats, you’ve just done one! 

Well, we hope this mini conditioning class has helped you understand why you should get into these exercises pronto. Once you get the hang of these, you’re bound to see improvement in various aspects of your athletic performance.

And if you’re looking for a little more guidance, why not sign up for a 7-Day Free Trial with Studio SWEAT onDemand? We’ve got a huge library of streaming fitness classes that you can do from the comfort of anywhere, featuring workouts like indoor cycling, HIIT, TRX, Bootcamp, Tabata, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, and a whole lot more. (It’s no wonder we were named ‘Best Fitness App for Variety’!) We add new releases every week, and with the endless motivation from our worldwide-yet-tight-knit community of members, you’ll have everything you need to crush those fitness goals. Ready? Let’s Goooooooooo!