There has been tons of chatter over the past year about conditioning and all the different ways to do it best.

We go into more of the science in this post, but here’s the basics (TLDR if you will!)

  • Shoot for 10,000 steps a day. 8,000 on days with other workouts. Some of those steps should be outside if at all possible for added benefit.
  • Once or twice a week get your heart rate up pretty high. Short intervals with long rest work best for most of us. Airdyne Bike for :10 sprint followed by :20-:50 recovery is perfect for nearly every person reading this. Simple set up and really easy and safe way to get your HR up!

There’s not much need to worry about anything else until you’re getting those two things done. If you want to advance past that:

  • Zone 2 or Easy/Moderate Cardio. This is your 30-90 minutes low to mid intensity work. Cycling, jogging, weighted hiking, rowing, etc. 2-4 sessions per week. Great for mitochondrial density and general heart health. Conversational effort, but higher HR than walking alone.
  • Zone 3 or 4. This lives between your sprints and the Zone 2 work. Most of the people who train in these zones are racing triathlons or running races. It’s ok to pop into Zone 3 or 4 for the rest of us, but it’s not as effective generally as the zones mentioned already. Go long or go hard – don’t split the difference.
  • VO2 Max. You may have heard of the Norwegian 4 x 4, or 4 minutes of very hard work followed by 4 minutes of rest. These longer sets of near max efforts work on building VO2 Max, one of the best markers for longevity we have currently.

Have questions about how you can get the most out of our precision fitness offerings? Email Jeremy at Go@HyattGym.com or book your Portland fitness consultation + office hours spot .

At Hyatt Strength + Wellness, your optimal health and wellness is our #1 goal. We blend art and science to create programs that are applicable to life and sport. We bring together strength and conditioning, cardiovascular health, mobility and nutrition to deliver a comprehensive lifetime health and wellness strategy made just for you. To learn more about our personal trainers or to set up a free consultation to see how they could help you, email us at Go@HyattGym.com.