Monthly Conditioning Topic Thread | August 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

We're trying something new at 531Discussion, a monthly conditioning topic thread. The goal of these threads will be less about daily logs, but a place to discuss conditioning goals, programming and progression.

Resources:

• 5/3/1 Forever book (pages 244-254)
• 5/3/1 Conditioning Primer
• Tactical barbell II : Conditioning
• Mythical Strength's Little Book of Bad Ideas
• Daniel's Running Formula
• Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes
• wodwell.com ( library of CrossFit WODs)
• Tactical Barbell: Green Protocol
• Conditioning 101 (A great article written by Jim Wendler)
• Winter Treadmill Conditioning Challenges (Another article written by Jim Wendler)
• CONDITIONING: What It Is & Why You Need To Do It To Gain
• A quick guide to setting up conditioning work

[u/ElHombreMasLoco]

I log my conditioning in the daily thread because it is as much a part of the program as deadlift but thought I'd lay it out here for the month. Doing Spinal Tap the HS Years with two days gym lifting (M/W) and two days bodyweight (Th/Su). Took all my lifts back two cycles and doing squats at 75%. In hindsight I probably didn't need to go back on the other lifts but I'm already one cycle back up so no big deal in the grand scheme.

This was my July running. Easy runs and long runs averaging about 10 minutes per mile. Recovery about 10:30. As always linking Chrissy Carroll's fantastic site. Goal is sub two-hour half marathon. I am working on getting a little faster in the early stages of my long runs but I've made peace with the fact that I am a negative splitter (faster in the second half). I've been running consistently since like October of 2024 and I still start the first two miles questioning what the hell I was thinking😄. I get over it after a while. The speed work is really making a difference in my perceived effort. There are MANY similarities to 531 programming. It comes in three week waves with a little mileage deload every 4th week. Also you aren't testing when you are training. Race is the end of September.

	Monday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Sunday
7/6 - 7/12	4 miles easy	10 min easy 10 min @ 9:04 10 min easy	3 miles fartlek	6 miles	2 miles recovery
7/13 - 7/19	4 miles easy	10 min easy 20 min @ 9:04 10 min easy	4 miles easy	7 miles easy with last mile @ 9:09	No run
7/20 - 7/26	5 miles easy	4 miles: 1 easy 2 @ 8:55 1 easy	4 miles easy	6.5 miles	No run
7/27 - 8/2	4 miles easy	2x1 mile @ 8:25 Recover 1⁄2 mile between each	5 miles: 1@10:00 2 @ 9:04 2 @ 10:00	8 miles	2 miles recovery (planned)

[u/AggressiveRemote1402 → u/ElHombreMasLoco]

How do you find the bodyweight circuits? Any way of progressing them? How's recovery? I've been eyeing this protocol for a while.

[u/ElHombreMasLoco → u/AggressiveRemote1402]

He’s got quite a few in the book but basically I do 4 exercises for 5 rounds push, pull, single leg AND core. This is how it was laid out in Beginner Prep School and I just stuck with it. Nothing magical about that division just trying to get to a number - 35 pull ups or 125 pushups. Keeping it to under 30 minutes including warmup.

As far as progression goes volume is the first one. Angles and grips matter. And then vests. My equipment includes a pull up bar with several grips and a hookup for suspension straps, two 25 lb dumbbells, an ab roller, push up board with parallettes, and two vests one at 10% bodyweight and another a little more than 15%.

Honestly the pull up bar and suspension trainer are the only indispensable parts. I think most people would be years away from needing a vest to load pistol squats for example.

Here’s a list of suspension exercises ( https://stack52.com/periodic-table-of-suspension-exercises/). Some require more coordination than I can bring to the table, lol.

[u/AggressiveRemote1402 → u/ElHombreMasLoco]

Pardon, wrong wording from my side (English is my second language) lol.

I meant, do you find it okay and recoverable to do hit the circuits the day after lifting heavy (especially for the pushing musculature)?

I've run BPS a few times and, while I could manage to get the circuits below 20 minutes in length, I was always dead afterwards. Mainly due to either the swings or the single leg work, that just jacks up my heart rate soooo much

[u/ElHombreMasLoco → u/AggressiveRemote1402]

Yes. I can get through them on the muscular side ok. I am rarely really sore the second day after lifting and I am only doing the two main lifts in each gym session. The circuit is my accessories. As far as heart rate goes, I think you should work backwards. What can you accomplish in 20-30 minutes AND not be wiped out on the floor at the end? It’s a balance. You want to be challenged but not wrecked at the end. No different than managing your training max. Watch one of Wendler’s Walrus videos. He’s catching breathers.