conditioning and cumulative lower-back fatigue: an observation

[tompaynter]

My own experience is this: I ran recreationally in my 30s. Probably 25-30 miles a week. Never was very fast but I could do a 10k in about 50 minutes. For various reasons I quit running around 40. Started strength training at 42. Didn't do any conditioning beyond walking for a couple years. Two years ago, when I was 44, one of my daughters wanted to do a father-daughter 5k. I was doing a M/W/F intermediate program at the time. So about 10 weeks ahead of the event, I started jogging on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and then did hill sprints on Saturdays. After about a month or maybe 5 weeks of that, my cardio conditioning was basically back to what it was when I was running regularly, and I replaced the Saturday interval training with more LSD. Because with running, at least for me, the hard part is not the cardio aspect but it's adapting to the shock and pounding (running on pavement sucks). I was back to 8.5 minute miles after about two months with just that half-assed training. And I was 40 pounds heavier than I was when I was running 5 days a week in my 30s. I also play tennis with my son in the summers, he plays year round and is quite competitive, and I am terrible-- and usually after a 3 or 4 sessions of getting my ass handed to me, I'm doing a lot better. I still get my ass handed to me but I'm not sucking wind while I do it.


Probably true, and that's a highly specialized adaptation. But that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about general fitness to the level that you can play pickup ball, or old man's league soccer, or run a few miles without stopping, or tennis with your teenager.

Very similar plan to mine: a mix of LSD and interval training. I've been using the stair machine for both--not the kind with pedals, the kind with actual stairs. Hopefully it's a reasonable substitute for a prowler, in that there's no negative (although it lacks the trunk and upper-body aspect of having to push the thing, transmit force from the ground up through the body and arms). I threw in the crossfit-type stuff just for variety. Better off sticking with the stairs I guess.

[Johnsonville]

Maybe run hills instead if you can’t get to a prowler. I have used walking immediately after my lifting at a decent pace to get some cardio in. Honestly walking at a higher pace after my deadlifts for around 30 minutes is harder than I always imagined

[atx_bjj]

Dude, chill. I didn't do conditioning while I was running the NLP. I'm not in my NLP anymore. I also don't have multiple hours of basketball practice each week for conditioning. I play basketball once a week right now because that's what my situation allows. I want to play without sucking wind so bad.

I don't "slam my joints" when I do box jumps because I know how to do them.

I know it is fun for guys like you to imitate Rip and lay into people. All I can say is I hope he sees this bro.

I think lifting to maintain strength and then sprint work is going to be the best for basketball.

[Eric Larousse]

It is true that endurance sports require a higher level of adaptation than you can get by just doing conditioning for a few weeks however in your case OP you get in shape for basketball by playing basketball. If you want to get in shape before you start playing do the basketball mile once a week. Run half court and back for 14 sprints each "quarter" take a couple of minutes in between each quarter. On a full length court that equated to one mile of running only you won't be doing LSP you will be doing sprints specific to the sport. Dribble a ball while you do it if you want.

Easier would be the prowler of course and more efficient.

[dalan]

Do you have a bicycle? You can do both LSD and high intensity and it's about a million times more fun then slamming med balls and using a stair master. It also is very easy on the joints. For inspiration, don't look at the roadies, look at track cyclists. The sprinters especially can generate so much power you wouldn't believe it and they love their squats.

[Daniel Babbitt]

Buy a prowler.

Listen to the man!

You will be amazed with the results.

Prowler “sprints” with weight make running up and down a basketball court seem like sitting and playing checkers.