To give a better idea of what my friend has asked, I'm extracting the following from his e-mail message:
For instance, in Xingyi (the Hebei branch I have studied), there are numerous foundational conditioning and posture exercises in the curriculum which ostensibly develop strength, endurance, and train the power generation (the specific mechanics behind striking, pulling, throwing, etc.). By way of example, the Fu Hu Gong (Lying Tiger Exercises) drills include ~15 different types of pushups with an emphasis on opening and closing the back when performing the movements (so when you are at the bottom of the pushup, the shoulder blades are pulled together as if you are "grasping" something between them); alternatively, at the top of the pushup the shoulder blades are pulled apart and the spine extended. This trains not only additional reach in a strike without physically moving the body closer to the opponent, but is also a critical skill in short distance power generation.
Xingyi also has standing postures (also referred to as standing/holding post). These are static exercises where the feet are rooted the entire time and the arms hold a specific posture for time. The focus is on relaxing into the posture and using the least musculature recruitment possible to maintain structure.
The Bagua I have studied used some of the same conditioning drills (taught from the same organization), but there were additional drills that were definitely Bagua - like Ding Shi, which we called mud walking. It was slow, grueling, circle walking with the foot landing and picking up toe-heel versus the more normal heel-toe. This was great training not only for conditioning, but also balance, as the upper body was rotated so the center line and gaze was focused on the center of the circle, while the lower body was facing the direction of movement (tangential to the center).
This is contrasted with my Pekiti Tirsia experience, which involves essentially hitting tires with sticks, striking/catching a cast iron shot put (trains the Pekiti Tirsia slap - I always do this with a pillow on the ground since I don't want to put a hole through the floor... lol). The PTK footwork training is all dynamic - no static positions held.
Yes, of course we all practice suburi, but that's primarily to get students used to swinging straight, & it's conditioning only for someone who's pretty out of shape. And waza are for both technique & muscle-memory, unlike what's described above.
Ken