Strength vs. Conditioning

For some time, people have referred to these concepts as though they were two sides of the same coin. You could not find one without the other, it seemed. Personal Trainers would refer to "strength and conditioning." Others would brand themselves as "Strength and Conditioning Coaches." Some would have a "Strength and Conditioning" package you could buy from their web sites.

Is that really the best thing to focus on, though? If you want to increase your strength, do you really have to also work on conditioning? I would say that the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no." Like with most things, it is important to ask the question, "What do you mean by that?"

Strength is pretty simple. We all know what it means to be strong in some sense. Personally, I prefer Mark Rippetoe's often-offered definition. He says that strength is "the ability to produce force against an external resistance." From what I can tell, this definition has been carefully crafted over time to ensure that it hits all the necessary parts, yet it's short enough to be easy to remember.

Conditioning is another matter. When most people think about conditioning, they picture doing things like burpees, tire-flipping, battle-ropes, treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines and all those sorts of things. Since that's what most people mean when they think about "conditioning," we will go forward with that in mind.

On some level, barbell training does provide a certain level of "conditioning." However, it is somewhat distinct from what you would get from burpees and mountain climbers. You probably will not get your heart rate up to 160+ BPM for an extended period of time and you will not likely be gasping for breath and sweating profusely. It will, however, give you some cardiovascular benefits.

If you plan to run a marathon or compete in a Tough Mudder or some such thing, conditioning is very important. You certainly do not want to find yourself out of gas halfway through a Spartan course and you wouldn't want to embarrass yourself on American Ninja Warrior!

So, why do I separate strength and conditioning? It is because they are two very different things. Again, credit to Rippetoe, an athlete will need two things to be effective....strength and skill. As he often points out, professional athletes often get in trouble for using PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs). What do those drugs do? They make you stronger. They do not improve your batting technique. They do not change the mechanics of throwing a ball. They do not help you to "bend it like Beckham." They merely make you stronger so that, when you perform any of those athletic movements, you can do so with greater force.

If that is the case, it is important to understand the difference strength and conditioning make to an athlete's performance. As a Personal Trainer, I am interested in (and qualified to) help make people stronger. That stronger athlete then goes to their coach to practice the skills necessary to play their particular sport. That is the separation.

What if you are not an athlete? Well, stronger is still better. There are a number of studies that show a direct correlation between strength and quality of life as one ages. If you want to avoid using a walker or a wheelchair when you get older, get stronger. Getting stronger can help with a variety of other issues people might deal with, such as:

• Anxiety and/or depression

• Headaches

• Insomnia

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Tendinitis

• Heart disease

• Obesity

• Osteoporosis

• And on and on...

That is why my main focus as a Personal Trainer is strength. Every client I work with gets a foundation of strength-building exercises. Once that minimum base is established, we can add other things depending on individual goals.

Want to lose fat? Get stronger.

Want more energy? Get stronger.

Want to look better? Get stronger.

Want to live longer? Get stronger.

It doesn't matter how old, young or out of shape you are. You can always get better. If you're ready to start... get ahold of me and we can get you there.

Let's go!