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Conditioning Program

Conditioning block

Prerequisites

  • • Energy Systems (concept)
  • • Conditioning Methods (concept)
  • • Conditioning for Strength Athletes (concept)
  • • Recovery Between Sessions (concept)
  • • A base of strength training (6+ months)

Conditioning Program

An 8-week conditioning block that develops all three without killing your strength. Built for team-sport athletes and general fitness athletes who need an engine, not just a chassis.

Overview

Two phases, four weeks each. Phase 1 builds the base with mostly easy work. Phase 2 adds , sharpening the -PC and systems.

Block structure:

  • Weeks 1-4: Aerobic base + threshold work
  • Week 5:
  • Weeks 6-7: HIIT + sprint sharpening
  • Week 8: Test week + taper

Who It Is For

  • Team sport athletes (football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, hockey)
  • General fitness athletes who want an engine
  • Strength athletes adding conditioning during an off-season block
  • Anyone returning from a break who wants to rebuild

Not for:

  • Pure powerlifters or Olympic lifters in a strength peak
  • Anyone in-season with high game
  • Beginners (build a strength base first)

Weekly Structure

Depends on goal:

Option A — Team sport athlete (3 conditioning sessions/week):

DaySession
MonStrength + 20 min LISS
TueIntervals (glycolytic)
WedLISS (30 min Zone 2)
ThuStrength + 15 min LISS
FriSprint intervals (ATP-PC)
SatSport practice or off
SunOff

Option B — Strength athlete adding conditioning (2 sessions/week):

DaySession
MonHeavy lower + 15 min LISS
TueUpper
WedLISS (40 min Zone 2)
ThuHeavy lower
FriUpper + 15 min intervals
SatOff
SunOff

Phase 1 — Aerobic Base (Weeks 1-4)

Goal: build the aerobic engine. 80% easy, 20% moderate.

Week 1:

  • 3x LISS: 30 min Zone 2
  • 1x : 3x8 min at Zone 3, 2 min rest

Week 2:

  • 3x LISS: 35 min Zone 2
  • 1x Tempo: 4x8 min at Zone 3, 2 min rest

Week 3:

  • 3x LISS: 40 min Zone 2
  • 1x Tempo: 3x10 min at Zone 3-4, 2 min rest

Week 4:

  • 2x LISS: 40 min Zone 2
  • 1x Tempo: 2x10 min Zone 3

Week 5 — Deload:

  • 2x LISS: 30 min Zone 2, easy

Phase 2 — Sharpening (Weeks 6-7)

Goal: develop , glycolytic capacity, and short-burst power.

Week 6:

  • 2x LISS: 30 min Zone 2 (recovery)
  • 1x HIIT: 4x4 min at 90-95% max HR, 3 min active rest
  • 1x Sprints: 6x10 sec max effort, 3-5 min rest

Week 7:

  • 2x LISS: 30 min Zone 2
  • 1x HIIT: 6x2 min at 90% max HR, 2 min rest
  • 1x Sprints: 8x10 sec max effort, 3-5 min rest

Week 8 — Taper + Test:

  • 1x LISS: 20 min easy
  • Test day: see Testing Battery below

The 80/20 Rule

80% of your conditioning volume should be easy (Zone 1-2, conversational). 20% should be hard (Zone 4-5).

Most athletes do the opposite — they train moderately hard all the time. That’s the worst of both worlds: not hard enough to drive adaptation, not easy enough to recover.

Follow the 80/20. It works.

Testing Battery

Test at week 1 and week 8.

  • 2-mile run (aerobic)
  • 500m row or 1-min bike for distance ()
  • 5-min bike for max distance (VO2max proxy)
  • Resting heart rate (morning, fasted)
  • HRV (via app if available)

Track all five. Improvements across the board = the block worked.

Recovery & Nutrition

  • Sleep: 7-9 hours. Non-negotiable.
  • Protein: 1.6-2.2 g/kg per day.
  • Carbs: higher on hard days, lower on easy days.
  • Water: 3+ liters on training days. Add electrolytes on hot days.

Deload Protocol

Week 5:

  • Cut conditioning volume 40-50%
  • Keep intensity low (Zone 2 only)
  • No intervals or sprints
  • One light tempo session max

Week 8:

  • Taper before test day
  • No hard sessions within 48 hours of testing

Common Pitfalls

  • Too much moderate-intensity work. Zone 3 all the time is the worst zone to live in.
  • Skipping the aerobic base. You can’t sharpen what doesn’t exist.
  • Stacking hard conditioning on hard lifting. Separate by 6+ hours or different days.
  • Sprinting when tired. Hamstring tears happen here.
  • Ignoring heart rate. Zone 2 should feel easy. If you can’t hold a conversation, you’re going too hard.

When to Switch

  • After 8 weeks: retest, reassess goals. Repeat or shift to strength focus.
  • In-season: cut to 2x/week maintenance (1 LISS + 1 interval).
  • Peak strength phase: minimum 1x/week LISS only.

Journal

Uses the Training Log — Conditioning template. Track session type, duration, HR zone, , and how you felt.

  • Energy Systems (concept)
  • Conditioning Methods (concept)
  • Conditioning for Strength Athletes (concept)
  • Recovery Between Sessions (concept)