To succeed in any fitness-training program you undertake,
you must track your frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise. You can
use the acronym FITT to remember these factors easily. While FITT is just one
method of developing a proper long-term physical fitness regime, fitness
experts agree that you need these factors to have an effective, safe daily
workout program. Frequency is the number of workouts you perform each week. A
basic guideline is three to five cardiovascular workouts, two to three strength
workouts, two to five calisthenics workouts, and three to six flexibility
workouts weekly. Intensity is how hard you work out. You can measure intensity
by something called RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion), which is a
psychological scale and reflects how hard the workout feels to you. The most
commonly used indicator of your workout intensity is your heart rate. Ideally,
you should stay within a productive heart-rate zone. You can use your age to
find your Target Heart Rate (THR). Finding Your THR
- Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is approximately 220 minus your age
- Your lowest target heart rate is equal to MHR 3 .60
- Your highest target heart rate is equal to MHR 3 .85.
Your THR zone is between the lowest and highest THR
calculated above.As you begin your exercise routine, your heart rate should be
on the lower end of your THR zone. Exercising above the zone increases your
risk of injury and reduces your ability to perform optimally.
EASY
VERSUS HARD
Exercise in moderation. Never exercise a particular
muscle group hard (at a high intensity or for a long time) two days in a row.
You should always follow a hard workout with a light day or a day off. For the
best development, more is not always better.
TIME
Like intensity, the time you spend exercising
depends on the type of exercise you are doing. At least 20 to 30 continuous
minutes of intense exercise will improve cardiorespiratory endurance. For
muscular endurance and strength, exercise time equals the number of repetitions
you do. For the average person, eight to 12 repetitions with enough resistance
to cause muscle failure will improve both muscular endurance and strength. As
you progress, you will make better strength gains by doing two or three sets of
each resistance exercise. Use flexibility exercises or stretches for varying
times, depending on the objective of the session. While warming-up before a
run, for example, hold each stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. To improve flexibility,
stretch during your cool-down as well, holding each stretch for 30 to 60
seconds. If flexibility improvement is your goal, devote at least one session
per week to developing that component.
TYPE
refers to the kind of exercise you perform. When choosing
the type, consider the principle of specificity. Some people overemphasize
cross training and you should avoid this pitfall. For example, to improve your
level of CR fitness (the major fitness component in the two-mile run), do CR
types of exercises. The basic rule is that to improve performance, you must
practice the particular exercise, activity, or skill you want to improve. For
example, to be good at push-ups, you must do push-ups. No other exercise will
improve push-up performance as effectively.
0 Comments