Endurance or conditioning workouts are known for requiring immense effort which, besides leaving you on the floor exhausted, have multiple benefits like a boost in performance, an increase in fatigue resistance, and improved oxygen blood flow. If your fitness goal is to enhance conditioning, these five workouts will leave you breathless and on the border of insanity.
5 Conditioning Workouts for a *Major* Lung Burn
1. Karen
150 wall balls for time
Sounds simple, but some of us may run after hearing “wall balls.” With a recommended weight of 14 pounds for women and 20 pounds for men, if done right, it includes a full combo of weighted squats and overhead movement. As it is for time, try to finish as fast as possible.
Tip: Try to exhale when you are in full extension and inhale when you squat. This will help you stay upright and stable at the bottom, and will make it easier to get out of the position. Also, ensure a good depth while doing the squat —we don’t want any no-reps.
2. Filthy 50
For time:
50 box jumps (24in/20in)
50 jumping pull-ups
50 kettlebell swings
50 walking lunges
50 knees-to-elbows
50 push press (45lb/35lb)
50 back extensions
50 wall balls (20lb/14lb)
50 burpees
50 double-unders
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Our second choice is an intense workout with a little bit of everything. This full-body workout will help you increase the lactic acid production in your body, which means you will get fatigued but will also train your muscles to be able to perform more over time.
This WOD is an excellent idea if you want to boost your resistance; and in case you don’t have enough equipment, you can always substitute the box jumps for broad jumps, the kettlebell for dumbbells, etc.
Needless to say, mental toughness is one of the strongest tests in this workout. It may seem endless, but keep your eyes on the prize.
Tip: Focus on one task at a time and remember to pace yourself.
3. Evil Row
For time:
Row 750m
Rest the same amount of time you rowed 750m
Row 500m
Rest the same amount of time you rowed 500m
Row 250m
Some people love rowing; others despise it. Either way, this workout promises to bring your aerobic conditioning skills to their maximum capacity. You may be punished with your rest time if you row too quickly as it gives you less rest; but with practice, you can get your time under five minutes.
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Tip: Remember proper rowing technique. This will help you row more efficiently and not needlessly expend energy.
4. Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters
Pull-ups
You can vary the weight you use for the thrusters. However, lighter weights do not mean it will not be tough. Fran can be a great workout to improve and test conditioning. It includes a set of thrusters and pull-ups done as fast as possible, and it involves activating legs, lungs and especially forearms.
Tip: Breathe at the top of the thrusters and never stop moving!
5. Hero WOD — Whitten
5 rounds for time
22 kettlebell swings
22 box jumps (24in/20in)
400-meter run
22 burpees
22 wall balls (20lb/14lb)
Of course, anything that includes burpees is sure to leave you drained; and to that, add four more movements.
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This Hero WOD in honor of Dan Whitten engages your whole body, benefitting your stamina levels since it is a long workout. It has a lot of repetitions, and you are expected to finish this workout in less than 40 minutes.
You may scale this workout to four rounds or 11 reps for each movement.
Tip: Slow and steady wins the race. This is not a sprint, but you should also take care not to do your reps as singles. Break them up appropriately and you’ll finish faster.
You may want to try these workouts again in a few months and see how you have improved your conditioning. It’s always beneficial to include conditioning in your daily training as it is the base of CrossFit and boosts your work capacity to help achieve your objectives.
