04
Conditioning
People who want capacity, not just strength
Structured aerobic and interval work that makes hills, stairs and long days feel shorter. Hard when it should be, easy far more often than you would expect.
Who it is for
People who want capacity, not just strength
Most conditioning classes are a random collection of hard things done fast until someone is sick. That builds tolerance for discomfort and not much else.
This is a proper aerobic programme. The majority of the work is done at a conversational pace, because that is what actually builds an engine. The hard intervals are genuinely hard, and there are fewer of them than you are expecting.
We use rowers, bikes, sleds, carries and your own feet. There is no choreography and nothing is done for time unless timing it serves a purpose.
What a week looks like
| Day | Session | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Easy aerobic · 45 min | Steady bike, row or walk at a pace you could hold a conversation through |
| Wednesday | Intervals · 45 min | Repeated hard efforts with full recovery between them |
| Friday | Mixed work · 50 min | Sled pushes, carries and circuits at a controlled, repeatable effort |
| Weekend | One long easy piece | 60 to 90 minutes of walking, cycling or rowing, outdoors if possible |
Three coached sessions plus one longer easy piece in your own time.
What you will be coached on
- Pacing — how to find and hold an effort rather than sprinting and fading
- Nasal and paced breathing as a practical gauge of intensity
- Using heart rate or perceived effort honestly instead of aspirationally
- Rowing and bike technique that stops you wasting energy
- Why most sessions should feel easier than you want them to
- Fitting conditioning around strength training without wrecking both
Honest expectations
The first month often feels underwhelming because the easy work is genuinely easy. Stay with it.
Noticeable changes in how you handle stairs, hills and long days on your feet usually show up somewhere between weeks six and ten.
Progress here is measured by doing the same work at a lower effort, not by finishing the session more destroyed than last time.
This programme pairs well with Strength. Plenty of members run both.
Try it before you commit.
The free intro session includes a short taste of the programme you are considering, so you are not deciding on the basis of a web page.