DESIGNING A PERSONAL FITNESS PROGRAM Chapter 3 Lesson 2: FITT and the Principle of Overload Lesson 3: The Principle of Specificity Lesson 4: The Principle of Progression

Exercise Prescription A breakdown of how often you need to work, how hard, the length of time per session and the type of activity or exercise performed.

Overload Principle Like medications……exercise prescriptions are governed by three scientific principles: 1) the overload principle: in order to improve your level of fitness, you must increase the amount of regular activity or exercise that you normally do. 2) the specificity principle (will learn in lesson 3) 3) the progression principle (will learn in lesson 4)

F.I.T.T Frequency Intensity Time/Duration Type

Frequency Refers to the number of times per week you engage in physical activity or exercise. Questions to ask yourself….. 1) What are your specific fitness goals? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to improve on the soccer field? Do you want to run a 5km in less than 30 minutes? 2) What is your current level of fitness? Are you currently inactive? Do you play sports regularly? 3) What are your other priorities? Are you still in school? Do you have a part-time job? After school activities?

Type of ActivityFrequency for Beginners Frequency for those with average to high fitness levels Cardiovascular conditioning 3-5 days a week4-6 days a week Weight Training2-3 days a week3-5 days a week

Intensity Refers to the difficulty or exertion level of your physical activity or exercise. If intensity is too low = progress is limited Heart rate: is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Maximum Heart Rate: 226 minus your age for women or 220 minus your age for men

Type of ActivityIntensity for Beginners Intensity for those with average to high fitness levels Cardiovascular conditioning % of maximum heart rate 70-90% of MHR Weight Training60-70% of MHR70-90 % of MHR

Perceived Exertion (RPE ) Another method of determining intensity is …… Perceived Exertion: this is a measure of how hard you feel you are working during your physical activity of exercise. RPE (rate of perceived exertion) uses “cues” which indicate how ……… hard you are breathing, your heart rate, your body temperature and any muscular/skeletal discomfort.

Talk test: is a measure of your ability to carry on a conversation while engaged in physical activity or exercise. Level 7: can chit chat a little in between lots of heavy breathing

Time Is referred to the duration of a single workout, usually measured in minutes or hours. A workout that is too brief may result in limited progress A workout that goes on too long may increase your chances of injuries. ** your specific goals will help determine the duration of your workout

Type of ActivityTime for Beginners Time for those with average to high fitness levels Cardiovascular conditioning minutes35 minutes -1 hour Weight Training20-30 minutes45 minutes – 1 hour

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines: Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Strength training. Do strength training exercises at least twice a week. No specific amount of time for each strength training session is included in the guidelines. Moderate aerobic exercise includes such activities as brisk walking, swimming and mowing the lawn. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes such activities as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines, or activities such as rock climbing or heavy gardening.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week. Short on long chunks of time? Even brief bouts of activity offer benefits. For instance, if you can't fit in one 30- minute walk, try three 10-minute walks instead. What's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.

Type of Activity The final component of the FITT formula is Type which refers to…. The particular type of physical activity or exercise you choose to do. The type of activity you do should be guided by the following considerations.. What you enjoy doing… Your goal (improve cardio therefore you need to run) How much time you have for the activity How much money you can afford to spend on needed equipment

The Principle of Specificity States that overloading a particular component will lead to fitness improvements in that component alone. Every exercise of physical activity works a component for example….. running will work your heart. If you are weight training and working your chest – your legs will NOT become stronger. The specific improvements that result from conditioning or training depend on the activity / exercise you engage.

Goal Setting Short term goals: goals that can be accomplished relatively easily and quickly Long term goals: goals that are more complex and require considerable time and planning When deciding on goals… remember….. Keep them SMART S: simple, M: meaningful and measurable, A: action oriented, R: realistic/ relevant, and T: time bound List ways you can achieve your goals Seek help from others Keep records Be positive and reward yourself

The Principle of Progression Progression Principle states that as your fitness levels increase, so do the factors in your FITT. Never increase all the factors in your FITT at once – that may lead to an overuse injury. (overloading your muscles beyond a healthful point) Factors affecting progression A) your initial fitness level B) your heredity C) the rate at which you overload your body or change your FITT D) your specific goals

Training Plateaus pg. 96 chart ** A training plateau is a period of time during training when little, if any, fitness improvements occur. Plateaus are a natural part of training, everyone experiences them at once point in their training.

Overtraining and Health Problems Overtraining is defined as exercising or being active to the point where it begins to have a negative effect. Overtraining often leads to ``burnouts`` or overuse injuries.

Overtraining has a number of effects on health – they include.. A) chronic fatigue – the feeling of being tired all the time B) Insomnia – or sleeplessness C) constant muscle soreness D) rapid weight loss E) Loss of appetite F) elevated resting heart rate G) weakened immune system H) in women: absence of menstrual cycle – possible infertility

Restoration Restoration refers to the ways in which you can optimize your recovery from physical activity of exercise. The speed at which you recover depend on your FITT – if you exercise daily you will need to recover more quickly. One of the most common conditioning mistakes is not allowing enough time for recovery.

Restoration Restoration is influenced by the following factors… A) Age: the older you are the longer you will need B) Experience: the more experienced you are the faster you recover C) Environment: more extreme enviro = slower recovery D) Amount of rest: 8-10 hours of sleep recovery E) Nutrition and Fluid intake: eat well and drink LOTS!