At What Point Does Easy Conditioning Become Hard Conditioning?

Training 5/3/1
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As the title says, when does easy conditioning become hard conditioning? If I were trying to sum it up from the books I’m getting the feeling that easy conditioning is anything that can’t possibly impact your main lifts and hard conditioning is work that has the possibility of effecting them from working too hard.

I haven’t seen much mentioned of doing complexes, circuits anywhere (probably for a good reason) but they just happen to be what I prefer over things mentioned explicitly in the books like Prowler pushing, weighted walks, airdyne, ect.

I see that Wendler suggests super setting your assistance work in between working sets or warm ups but what about just supersetting/giantsetting all assistance work together for conditioning?

Is a complex without any weight still considered easy conditioning and adding weight makes it hard conditioning?

Also, wondering if anyone can chime in here about possibly just replacing traditional assistance work entirely with something like a barbell complex or curl bar complex.

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My understanding of Hard conditioning is when the activity is Anerobic as opposed to Aerobic. So the main ones I can think of are Hill Sprints and Explosively pushing the Prowler. But saying that, any form of conditioning can become “Hard” depending on how intensely you perform it. You are correct that Hard conditioning can affect the main lifts, which is why it’s recommended to perform them on the lower body days.

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For me, it´s when I´m no longer able to do the condition, and lead a coversation at the same time.

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When it begins to affect recovery. Easy conditioning should enhance recovery, get the blood flowing. Examples being walking, light jogging, light airdyne or light prowler or sled work. Hard is conditioning that you’ll have to plan for. Examples being sprints, heavy prowler or sled work, barbell/kettlebell complexes or sport specific work.

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When you can no longer breathe with your mouth closed.

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