What Exactly is a Strength & Conditioning Gym?
Updated: Dec 1, 2022
ABOVE AVERAGE JOES... NOT JUST THE PROS
Strength and conditioning training has, in the past, been uniquely associated with the sports and athletics world. With the boom of the fitness industry, led by the advent of corporations like CrossFit©, the flourishing world of fitness influencers, and the next level knowledge trainers are studying and sharing with the general public (well some of them) Strength & Conditioning is going mainstream.
While the training in a Strength & Conditioning gym, like Jaguar Strength, strives to increase the attributes needed to make an athlete an “athlete”, the pursuit of elevated physical performance is no longer reserved just for those that call themselves a ball player. Strength and conditioning at a functional fitness gym isn’t going to teach you how to press an offensive lineman out of your way, but it will build a well-rounded, capable body.
Athletes train attributes that we can attain and develop to help us as we play though the sport of life. Training like an athlete not only makes an overall healthier person, but it increases your quality of life and the duration that you truly get to live it.
Strong and Conditioned
Strength & Conditioning gyms geared toward us "non-pros" understand that training needs to fit into and elevate our lives, not become what it revolves around. A demanding: one-hour high-intensity workout, following a quality program, with great coaches 3-6 times a week is all you need to see dramatic progress within yourself.
Success in the gym isn’t purely dictated by what you see in the mirror or on the scale, nor should it be. Those metrics are some of the slowest to adapt, especially if permanent change is what you’re after. You know what happens much faster? Your squat becomes stronger, your hips move better, your rowing pace becomes faster. It’s metrics like these that make you addicted to seeing the progress within yourself; developing an intrinsic desire to push through workouts you enjoy while achieving goals you’ll be proud of and sustain.
Your pursuit of strength involves the tried-and-true modalities that force your body to adapt. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and your own body weight are the tools you’ll take through the functional movement patterns our bodies were designed to do. Rep after rep we strive to move the needle in the pillars of fitness that enhance life. Learning to squat, pull, press, and rotate under load is the key to unlocking a strong and durable body you can rely on to carry you through the world. Fact: No one ever complained about feeling too strong.
To condition your body is to pop the hood and get to work on the engine. A strong frame is nothing without the ability to use it over time. What good is being able to shoulder the world just to be brought to your knees after a bout with the stairs? Steady state, interval training, and competitive workouts build, hone, and test the physical and mental boundaries we set for ourselves. Speed kills, but is also the best way to make you feel alive.