Is running the best cardio for gymnasts? Or is it doing more harm than good?

Dave Tilley and Diwesh Poudyal challenge traditional gymnastics conditioning methods, offering evidence-based alternatives for building aerobic capacity and sport-specific metabolic fitness without excessive impact.

• Exercise physiology basics: aerobic system (recovery), anaerobic lactic (1-2 minute efforts), and anaerobic alactic (brief max efforts)
• Mile runs are "junk conditioning" - they don't build true aerobic capacity while adding unnecessary impact stress
• Better aerobic base through 25+ minutes at 120-150 heart rate on bikes or through properly designed circuits
• Preseason training should use shuttle runs, med ball circuits, and intervals to build specific metabolic capacity
• Use safe, low-impact tools first before transitioning to routine-specific conditioning
• Periodize across three phases: off-season (aerobic base), early preseason (metabolic prep), late preseason (routine integration)
• The quality of conditioning matters more than how "hard" it feels - focus on physiological adaptation rather than exhaustion

Email [email protected] to discuss conditioning strategies for your gymnastics program.

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