123 Conditioning Modalities - Gymnastics

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Depending on the movements, gymnastics may demand:

• strength (as in legless rope climbs or strict deficit handstand pushups)
• movement efficiency (as in ring muscle ups and handstand walking)
• muscle endurance (as in high rep pullups or toes to bar)
• and/or cardiorespiratory conditioning (as in burpees and box jump overs)

The burpee and box jump over are unique in that:

1. Most athletes have the requisite strength to perform the movements
2. Differences in movement efficiency between athletes are still present but less pronounced
3. The movements are full body, they involve large groups of muscles
4. This induces a bigger cardiorespiratory response than movements that primarily involve the upper body

These all make the physiological demand of burpees and box jump overs unique, and worth treating as its own topic.

The Physiology of Gymnastic Conditioning Workouts

We learned last week that the size of the working muscle groups predicts the cardiorespiratory response.

For example, you'll get a bigger cardiorespiratory response from kipping pullups than you will from strict pullups.

This is one reason the burpee and box jump over produce a pronounced cardiorespiratory response. 

The other is that they allow you to work continuously. 

Part of the reason the cardiorespiratory response diminishes in high strength or high skill gymnastics workouts is because of rest. 

The burpee and the box jump over allow athletes to work large muscle groups more continuously - thus inducing a bigger cardiorespiratory response. 

I've not seen a published study that quantifies the oxygen consumption of burpees, but I know coaches who have measured it. 

Unsurprisingly, the movements that use the most muscle (deadlifts, burpees, rowing) induce the highest oxygen consumption.

How to Train for Gymnastic Conditioning Workouts

Often athletes practice burpees and box jump overs in workouts that make their pace drop off. 

This reinforces poor movement efficiency, moving slow, and the belief that these movements are painful and slow them down. 

Instead, practice burpees and box jump overs in workouts that allow you to move efficiently, quickly and aggressively.

1. Efficiently - are you sprawling or stepping your burpees every rep?
2. Quickly - 8+ reps per minute (for burpee box jump overs) or 15+ reps per minute (for burpees and box jump overs)
3. Aggressively - are you working continuously?

My three step framework for developing gymnastic conditioning:

1. Strength and Raw Capacity

Perform Weighted Pushups with eccentric control, exercises for hip flexion like Tempo GHD Situps and Strict Toes to Bar, and plenty of weightlifting to practice complete hip extension. 

45 Minute Assault Bike @65%
At minutes 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 complete:
8 Burpee Box Jump Overs to 20/24" - light and quick

2. Practice Race-Relevant Paces

10 Sets

:30 Burpee Box Jump Overs to 20/24"

Rest :90

Over 6-12 weeks, you can progress this to:

5 Sets 

2:00 Burpee Box Jump Overs to 20/24"

Rest 6:00

3. Increase Cardiorespiratory Demand

5 Sets 

2:00 Burpee Box Jump Overs to 20/24" 

Rest 4:00 --> 2:00 --> 1:00

This leads nicely into a test like AMRAP 7: Burpees or AMRAP 10: Burpee Box Jump Overs.