GE2201

A good physical fitness and conditioning routine will include exercises that work on each of these areas. Any
program that neglects one or more of these types of fitness is NOT going to benefit your body in the long
run. Working on one more than another can cause an imbalance, therefore causing injuries and decreased
performance. Remember, physical fitness is more than just how fast you can run or how many pull-ups you
can do. It is more than just how good you are at running ladders, or how long you can squat. Physical fitness
is holistic. An effective physical fitness and conditioning program encompasses and will attempt to improve
all these five (5) major components of fitness.

What is Body Conditioning?

• It is a whole body workout that can improve your overall fitness.

• It refers to exercises that increase your strength, speed, endurance, or any other physical attribute.
• It involves high energy, high impact workout, and typically involves a combination of aerobics and toning.
• Focusing on strength, muscular endurance, and fitness conditioning, it will help you develop a strong and
toned physique.
• It can help you get in great shape and feel great about your body.
• Conditioning workouts can trim fat, increase muscle tone, and prepare your body for the rigors of sports.
Every exercise you do at home or in the gym is a form of body conditioning, but you should design
balanced workouts to get the most out of your routine.

Types of Conditioning

• Aerobic Conditioning
When you go for a morning swim, walk in the afternoon sun, or do your 30-minute jogging routine, you're
putting your body through aerobic conditioning. The main purpose of aerobic conditioning is to use large
muscles for extended periods of time, increasing your cardiovascular endurance in the process. Aerobic
exercise can trim weight, increase stamina, strengthen your heart, and keep your arteries clear.

• Anaerobic Conditioning
Anaerobic exercise, which is sometimes called metabolic conditioning, involves short, intense workouts that
use fast-twitch muscles such as burpees, jump rope, jumping jacks, and squat thrusts. According to a 2012
study conducted by Canadian researchers at Queen's University (as cited by Kelliher, 2018), four (4) minutes
of interval training increases your cardio endurance as much as 30 minutes on a treadmill, and it has the
added benefit of increasing muscular endurance.

• Building Muscle and Strength

In addition to aerobic and metabolic conditioning, you can also condition your muscles for strength by doing
weighted or body-weight resistance exercises. Lifting weights or performing push-ups, crunches, and other
bodyweight exercises result in minor trauma to your muscles, which causes them to rebuild stronger than
they were before. Strength training is a form of anaerobic conditioning, but typical strength workouts don't
involve fast, intense intervals like those done in metabolic training.

Points to Consider:
No matter what type of conditioning you're getting into, evaluate your personal fitness goals, your current
conditioning level, and any physical limitations or injuries that could hinder you during these routines. One
approach to training is to vary the type of conditioning you do day by day, alternating between aerobic and
anaerobic workouts to round out your routine and get the best of both worlds.

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Phases of Fitness Conditioning

The physical fitness training program is divided into three (3) phases: preparatory, conditioning, and
maintenance. The starting phases for different individuals vary depending on their age, fitness levels, and
previous physical activity.

Young, healthy persons may be able to start with the conditioning phase, while those who have been
exercising regularly may already be in the maintenance phase. Factors such as extended field training, leave
time, and illness can cause others to drop from a maintenance to a conditioning phase. Persons who have
not been active, especially if they are age 40 or older, should start with the preparatory phase.
1. Preparatory Phase
The preparatory phase helps both the cardiorespiratory and muscular systems get used to exercise,
preparing the body to handle the conditioning phase. The workload in the beginning must be moderate.
Progression from a lower to a higher level of fitness should be achieved by gradual, planned increases in
frequency, intensity, and time. Initially, poorly conditioned individuals should run or walk, if need be, 3x a
week at a comfortable pace that elevates their heart rate to about 60% HRR [Heart Rate Reserve: This is the
difference between resting heart rate (HRrest) and maximum heart rate (HRmax)] for 10-15 minutes.
Recovery days should be evenly distributed throughout the week, and training should progress slowly. A
person should continue at this or an appropriate level until s/he has no undue fatigue or muscle soreness the
day following the exercise. S/he should then lengthen his/her exercise session to 16-20 minutes and/or
elevate his/her heart rate to about 70% HRR by increasing his/her pace. To be sure his/her pace is faster,
s/he should run a known distance and try to cover it in less time. Those who feel breathless or whose heart
rate rises beyond their training heart rate (THR) while running should resume walking until the heart rate
returns to the correct training level. When they can handle an intensity of 70% HRR for 20-25 minutes, they
should be ready for the next phase.

The preparatory phase for improving muscular endurance and strength through weight training should start
easily and progress gradually. Beginning weight trainers should select about 8-12 exercises that work for all
the body’s major muscle groups. They should use only very light weights the first week (that is, the first two
to three workouts). This is very important, as they must first learn the proper form for each exercise. Light
weights will also help minimize muscle soreness and decrease the likelihood of injury to the muscles, joints,
and ligaments. During the second week, they should use progressively heavier weights on each resistance
exercise. By the end of the second week (four to six workouts), they should know how much weight will let
them do 8-12 repetitions to muscle failure for each exercise. At this point, the conditioning phase begins.

2. Conditioning Phase
To reach the desired level of fitness, one must increase the amount of exercise and/or the workout intensity
as their strength and/or endurance increases.

To improve cardiorespiratory endurance, for example, they must increase the length of time they run. They
should start with the preparatory phase and gradually increase the running time by one (1) or two (2)
minutes each week until they can run continuously for 20-30 minutes. At this point, they can increase the
intensity until they reach the desired level of fitness. They should train at least 3x a week and take no more
than 2 days between workouts.

For weight trainers, the conditioning phase normally begins during the third week. They should do one (1)
set of 8-12 repetitions for each of the selected resistance exercises. When they can do more than 12
repetitions of any exercise, they should increase the weight used on that exercise by about 5% so they can
again do only 8-12 repetitions. This process continues throughout the conditioning phase. As long as they

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continue to progress and get stronger while doing only one set of each exercise, it is not necessary for them
to do more than one set per exercise. When they stop making progress with one set, they should add
another set on those exercises in which progress has slowed. As training progresses, they may want to
increase the sets to three to help promote further increases in strength and/ or muscle mass.

For maximum benefit, some should do strength training 3x a week with 48 hours of rest between workouts
for any given muscle group. It helps to periodically do a different type of exercise for a given muscle or
muscle group. This adds variety and ensures better strength development.

The conditioning phase ends when a person can meet his/her personal, strength-related goals and unit-
fitness goals.

3. Maintenance Phase
The maintenance phase sustains the high level of fitness achieved in the conditioning phase. The emphasis
here is no longer on progression. A well-designed, 45- to 60-minute workout (including warm-up and cool-
down) at the right intensity 3x a week is enough to maintain almost any appropriate level of physical fitness.
These workouts give individuals time to stabilize their flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance, and muscular
endurance and strength. However, more frequent training may be needed to reach and maintain peak
fitness levels.
Individuals should always be encouraged to progress beyond minimum requirements. Maintaining an
optimal level of fitness should become part of everyone’s lifestyle and should be continued throughout
his/her life.

An effective physical fitness and conditioning program uses a variety of activities to develop muscular
endurance and strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility, and to achieve good body composition.
It should also promote the development of coordination as well as basic physical skills.

References:
Ohio University. (2016, February 22). The basics of physical conditioning. Retrieved from
https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/the-basics-of-physical-conditioning/
Scott, J. (2018, February 26). Body composition and body fat percent how to measure and interpret your
body fat percentage. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-body-composition-3495614
US Army Manuals Library. (2018). 1-6 phases of fitness conditioning. Retrieved from
http://www.physicallytrained.com/1-6-phases-of-fitness-conditioning/

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