LIFETIME FITNESS HEALTHY NUTRITION MUSCULAR STRENGTH AEROBIC ENDURANCE UNIT 3 Lesson 4 FLEXIBILITY MUSCULAR ENDURANCE LEAN BODY COMPOSITION Created by Derek G. Becher B.P.E., B. Ed., AFLCA Resistance Trainer Certification 2009 All rights reserved
2 LESSON 4 PRINCIPLES OF CONDITIONING; F.I.T.T. & THE 5 COMPONENTS OF FITNESS; TRAINING SYSTEMS A. PRINCIPLES OF CONDITIONING Although we studied the principles of conditioning in Units 1 & 2, we will review them now so that we refresh our understanding of them, and how they relate to a lifetime of fitness and physical activity, and how they may affect our potential training success. We will then review the 5 components of fitness, and then study a new topic on training systems. 1. Progressive Resistance-Overload The body responds and adapts to the physical demands/stressors that it receives, trying to maintain a state of homeostasis. In order to increase the current level of a component of fitness, the body must work at higher levels than it is used to. That is, it must undergo a progressive overload through training. There are various methods of applying overload in a training program: Increase the duration of the workout (training for 90 minutes rather than for 60) Increase the intensity of the workout (aerobic - working at 75% of your maximum heart rate instead of 70%) Increase the weight used for a particular exercise (increasing your bench press from 80 pounds in the first week to 90 pounds in the third week) Doing repetitions of a particular exercise to failure (until you can do no more repetitions) Use different exercises that the body is unaccustomed to (instead of doing bench presses for the upper body and chest, try the Pec-Dec for one day and then return to bench presses). 2. The F.I.T.T. Principle 4 variables interact to help you obtain your fitness goals; if they are not properly accounted for, your desired results will not be achieved, and you may in fact see a decline in performance. These 4 variables are: Frequency - the number of training sessions you have per week. This should be considered for both aerobic and strength-training. Intensity - how hard you are working in your training session. We have already learned methods to measure this, and it will be discussed in further detail in the future. Time - the length of a single workout (ie: 30 minutes - 90 minutes maximum). Type - the type of exercise you are performing (weight/machine training; aerobic training - jogging/treadmill, etc.).
3 3. Ceiling Effect Simply, as you continue and progress in your training program, and your levels of strength and endurance increase, the amount of actual progress you obtain will decrease. In other words, as you approach your potential, increases tend to slow down and tend to be smaller. (YMCA manual, p. 23) This is related to plateaus or a levelling-off that you may experience from time to time in your training. When these occur, a temporary layoff, change of routine, or decrease in intensity may be needed to [prepare the body for] further growth and development. (Ibid.) 4. Recovery Adequate rest is important in a training program because during a training session, certain tissues are broken down. The training effect [that you are trying to obtain, such as muscular strength] occurs when these tissues are allowed to be rebuilt to a level higher than before. (AFLCA manual, p.86) The general rest period that you should permit following a workout is: 5. Specificity Aerobic workout: 24 hours Strength workout: 48 hours (per muscle group; you could work the upper body and the lower body on consecutive days). NOTE: the duration of rest required will depend on a few factors, including the intensity and duration of the workout, the type of nutrition being consumed, and the type of exercise(s) that are performed. The training effect or result you are trying to achieve is specific to the type of stimulus or training that you place on the body. For example, heavy resistance work with few repetitions [7-10] builds muscle size and strength, while light resistance exercises with many repetitions [12+] builds muscular endurance. (AFLCA manual, p.85) (Continued on next page )
4 6. Symmetry The training program must be designed so that an overall balanced development of the body (YMCA manual, p. 23) is achieved, and muscles on both sides of a joint or limb are trained equally. For example, if the quadriceps muscle on the front of the upper thigh is trained frequently, but the hamstring muscle on the back of the upper thigh is not, the leg and knee joint is being developed with an imbalance in strength, giving it an increased likelihood for injury. Also, don t focus your strength-training attention on solely developing the arms and muscles of the upper body. The legs, abdominal muscles and back muscles must all be given equal attention so that a balanced muscular development can be achieved and maintained. Symmetry also refers to developing all of the components of fitness. In order to obtain a healthy, well-rounded state of fitness, your training should be divided to include the development of muscular strength, muscular endurance, aerobic conditioning and flexibility. 7. Maintenance Once a training effect has been achieved (measured through specific fitness testing), it can be maintained with a reduction in training, but intensity and duration must remain the same. (Ibid., p.24) For example, an athlete who trains with an off-season, pre-season and midseason program, may train 3 times/week to 2 times/week to once/week for each of the training phases. This helps to minimize burnout and overtraining while still maintaining the acquired levels of fitness. 8. Reversibility If a training program is discontinued completely, the training effect achieved will be lost at 1/3 of the rate it took to obtain it. For example, an improvement in muscular strength that took 2 months to obtain will be lost in about 6 months if training is halted.
5 B. F.I.T.T. & THE 5 COMPONENTS OF FITNESS Our potential training success also depends on our understanding of the F.I.T.T. principle, and how it relates to the 5 components of fitness. We will now review this relationship, and we will review the descriptions of each component. 1. Muscular Strength: -A muscle s ability to exert a maximum force in a single effort. -1RM (1 Repetition Maximum) is used as a guide to help establish starting points for a muscular strength program; beginning trainers should NOT attempt single repetition maximal lifts without the guidance of an instructor. F - 2-4 times/week, depending on fitness goals. I - Approximately 75% 1RM; 8-12 reps per set. T - 30-60 minutes; or to fatigue. T - Resistance training (8-10 exercises working major muscle groups); Backpacking; Mountain climbing; Martial arts; Sprints, etc. 2. Muscular Endurance: -The ability to repeat or sustain muscle contractions. The better trained your body is in muscular endurance activities, the better you will be able to perform in activities or sports that require continuous movement. F - 3-5+ times/week, depending on fitness goals. I - Low - moderate; 12-20+ reps per set,. If you are beginning training, you must ensure that you perform the movements properly to maximize safety and that you begin at a low level and then work your way up into the proposed ranges. When training for endurance using weights, use lighter weights than usual. T - 12-15+ repetitions per set, or to fatigue with weights. T - Resistance training; Swimming; Cycling; Martial arts; Backpacking, etc. 3. Cardiorespiratory (Aerobic) Endurance: -The ability to continue in physical activity that requires oxygen for exertion. The training of this component increases the efficiency of the heart and lungs to transport blood and oxygen to the working muscles. F 3-5+ times/week, depending on fitness goals. I 60-80% of maximal heart rate (approximately). When beginning endurance training using continuous activities, start out at a lower percentage of your maximum heart rate, and then work up into the 60-80% range. T 20-60+ minutes with continuous activities. T Jogging; Swimming; Cycling; Hiking X-country skiing; Dancing, etc. 4. Flexibility: -A measure of the range of motion around a body joint - permits freedom of movement. F - 4-7 times/week. Should be done following each workout. I - Mild tension, preferably after warm-up. T - 20+ seconds per stretch. T - Static stretching; Modern Dance, Swimming, Martial arts, and Gymnastics. 5. Body Composition: -compares the body s percentage of fat tissue to lean tissue. The goal is to decrease body fat% and increase lean tissue (muscle). Focus on losing inches instead of losing weight, since muscle tissue is denser than fat tissue. (You may look trimmer without losing a great amount of weight.) A balanced training program combined with an appropriate nutritional plan will help to promote a leaner body composition.
6 C. TRAINING SYSTEMS While general guidelines for training are necessary for all participants, so that proper technique is performed and safety is maximized, there is no single specific way to weight train, just as there is no one common fitness level which everyone wants to attain. (YMCA Manual, p. 57) Therefore, once appropriate levels have been achieved with the components of fitness, and overall balanced development has been ensured, more specific types of strength training systems can be incorporated (a) to push beyond plateaus that may occur with training (ie: ceiling effect), (b) to maintain motivation with training, and (c) to provide advanced training for higher level participants or athletes. Keep in mind, however, that some of these systems are designed for more experienced or advanced trainers and/or athletes. Even though you may have been participating in training since the beginning of Unit 1, consult with your instructor or coach for guidance and/or demonstrations before attempting some of the types of training that are described in the following systems. Also, a thorough warm-up and a proper cool-down are of course required for each and all training methods. 1. Single-Set System Typically in a strength training program, 2-3 sets of each exercise will be performed, using approximately 7-10 repetitions for each set, while progressively increasing the weight with each set. For example, using 2-3 sets each for the barbell bench press, the seated row, lateral dumbbell raises, dumbbell biceps curls, and seated dips would be a well-balanced upper body workout. In a single set training system, only 1 set is performed with each of approximately 8-10 exercises, to fatigue. For example, doing 1 set each of a flat barbell press, inclined dumbbell flys, seated rows, wide-grip pull-ups, shoulder presses, upright barbell rows, barbell curls and dumbbell triceps extensions would be a single set upper body workout. 2. Light to Heavy System Doing 3 sets for approximately 5 exercises in a workout, perform the first set of each exercise using 50% of the maximum weight you would use to complete 10 repetitions (10 Repetition Maximum). For the second set of each exercise, use 75% of the 10 RM. For the third set, use 100 % of the 10 RM. Only the third set for each exercise is done to fatigue; the first two sets progress to that point. For example, if you could bench press 100 pounds only 10 times with correct technique, this would be your 10 RM. The first set would be 10 repetitions of 50 pounds, the second set would be 10 repetitions of 75 pounds, and the third set would be 10 repetitions of 100 pounds, ending in fatigue (the inability to continue). 3. Heavy to Light System Following a brief warm-up, perform a 10 RM set for each exercise. The second set is 75% 10 RM, and the third set is 50% 10 RM.
7 4. Pyramid System This system combines the 2 previous systems. Using the barbell bench press, here is an example of pyramid training: Do a proper warm-up! 1 set of 10 repetitions of 80 pounds 1 set of 8 repetitions of 75 pounds 1 set of 6 repetitions of 70 pounds 1 set of 4 repetitions of 65 pounds 1 set of 6 repetitions of 70 pounds 1 set of 8 repetitions of 75 pounds 1 set of 10 repetitions of 80 pounds This method is obviously more time consuming. It is likely something you might try once every few weeks just to shake up your training. For the example to the left, we only went down as far as 4 repetitions. You could add a set of 2 repetitions and then a set of 1 repetition before going back up. You would likely use a total of only 3-5 exercises in a workout that uses this type of training. 5. Upper Body / Lower Body Training This system has training for the lower body on two days a week, and training for the upper body on two days a week. However, because more upper body exercises exist than lower body exercises, (AFLCA manual, p. 150) consider grouping the abdominals and legs in the lower body workout, and the chest, shoulders, and arms in the upper body workout. 6. Super-Set System Super-setting is particularly effective if you want to target one muscle group or body part for more improvement than others. (ALFCA manual, p. 149) Super-setting can make up part of a workout, or it can be the type of training used for an entire workout. There are many workout possibilities when considering super-setting, but three main methods are: Performing several (3-5) sets of two exercises for opposing muscles of the same body part for example, doing one set of dumbbell biceps curls and then one set of dumbbell triceps extensions as a cycle, repeated three or four times. Another example for this method would be exercising the quadriceps, with seated leg extensions, along with the hamstrings, doing seated leg curls. A second method of super-setting is performing one set of several exercises in succession for the same muscle group or body part. (ALFCA manual, p. 149) For example, you could target the chest area by doing one set of flat barbell bench presses + one set of flat dumbbell flys + one set of push-ups off a stability ball; this would be one cycle that you could repeat 2-3 times. To target the back with this method of super-setting, you could do one set of wide-grip pull-ups + one set of bent-over barbell rows + one set of dumbbell shoulder shrugs.
8 A third method of super-setting is also referred to as circuit-system training. For this method, you do either an upper body workout, a lower body workout, or a total body workout by performing one set of each exercise for your [entire workout], with about 30-45 seconds [of rest] between sets. (AFLCA manual, p. 150) As cautioned in the YMCA manual, it is important to stagger the exercises [so you don t work the same muscle group] twice in a row. (p. 60) For example, you could do a total body circuit workout by doing 1 set of barbell bench presses + 1 set of bent-over barbell rows + 1 set of upright barbell rows + 1 set of dumbbell biceps curls + 1 set of dumbbell triceps extensions + 1 set of leg extensions + 1 set of hamstring curls + 1 set of standing calf raises + 1 set of crunches. The entire cycle of exercises would be repeated 1-3 times. 7. Sport-Specific Training Strength, power, and endurance are components that are present in most sports and, through weight training, condition and sport performance can be improved. (YMCA manual, p. 60) When planning to train for a particular sport or activity, it is important to determine which fitness component(s) are primarily required of the activity; pick out the basic movements that are specific to that sport. (Ibid.) For example, soccer primarily requires aerobic endurance; hockey requires muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic endurance; gymnastics requires muscular strength and flexibility; football requires muscular strength and power; volleyball requires muscular strength and power, for jumping and for striking the ball. Once you have identified the key components required of a particular sport or activity, you can design a program to work all of the motions and muscle groups involved in the sport. (Ibid.) ~~ Use the information on Training Systems along with the Sample Workout Programs in the Appendix to guide your training. ~~