Personal Fitness Lesson #1- Safety in the gym and beyond

Basic Principles of training Overload Balance Specificity Variation Reversibility

 1. Overload In order to progress and improve our fitness we have to put our bodies under additional stress. Doing this will cause long-term adaptations, enabling our bodies to work more efficiently to cope with this higher level of performance. Overloading can be achieved by following the acronym FITT: • Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week • Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For example running at 12 km/h instead of 10 or increasing the weight you are squatting with. • Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each session. For example cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30. • Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For example progress from walking to running.

2. Balance An effective exercise program is one that includes activities that address both the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system. Cardio exercise and spontaneous physical activity reduce body fat and enhance the efficiency and functional capacity of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels in order to ensure that your body is able to deliver the necessary oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to your body’s organs. On the flip side, strength training regulates metabolism and improves muscle tone, strength, and endurance while flexibility exercises improve joint stability and integrity.

3. Specificity You must ensure that your exercise program is geared towards specific goals. For example, if you’d like to become a better runner, you have to implement regular running into your program. Although swimming is great exercise, it won’t improve a two-mile run time as much as a running program will. Likewise, if your goal is to improve muscle tone, cardio alone just won’t do. You have to implement some sort of resistance training into your exercise routine in order to tone your muscles.

4. Variation It's easy to become bored with physical training if you perform the same routine every time, so it's important to mix things up by breaking up your training routine and including different activities/exercises. Additionally, muscle groups adapt to a specific training stimulus in about three weeks and then plateau. Training sessions should alternate between heavy, light, and moderate in order to allow proper recovery. The content of training programs must also vary in order to prevent boredom and “staleness”.

5. Reversibility Use it or lose it! Basically if you stop training then the improvements you have made will be reversed. So if you are ill or take a vacation and do not train for a period of time (even as little as a week) you may not be able to resume training at the point where you left off. To maintain your fitness levels over time, you must be consistent in your training efforts.

Warming up and Cooling Down

Dynamic vs Static Stretching Dynamic stretching: means your body is still continuously moving, even while stretching. The purpose of warming up is to prepare your muscles. You need to increase your muscles core temperature and dynamic stretching can accomplish this. Dynamic stretching helps to improve the range of motion around your joints. This will help reduce the chances of injury. Over time this will improve your performance and maximize your movements due to the increase in flexibility of your joints. Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Static stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position (to the point of discomfort) and then that position is held for a length of time. Static stretches are more appropriate to the cool down as they help muscles to relax and increase their range of movement.

Helps reduce muscle soreness Lessens your risk of injury Benefits of warming up Improved performance Gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles Helps reduce muscle soreness Lessens your risk of injury

BenEfits of Cooling Down Reduce the potential for DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) Reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities Reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood Allow the heart rate to return to it's resting rate

Spotting and working with a partner

What is the purpose of a spotter? Physical Mental Safety Reduce risk of Injury Correct Form Provide encouragement Creates a sense of confidence that enables the lifter to complete the exercise safely and effectively

Keys to spotting Take a wide stance with one foot forward and one foot back. Have your hands ready in a position relevant to the exercise. Stability, balance and alertness are key. Check for proper form. If they’re doing it incorrectly or losing their posture and technique it’s up to you to tell them, and vice versa. It could prevent future injuries. Focus all your attention on the lifter. Never get distracted by someone trying to talk to you or leave them to get some water. The safety of the lifter is in your hands – literally. Communication is key. Before either of you start lifting, discuss your goals for that session, how many reps you intend to do, when you want them into interject (for example just on the last one or two reps or throughout?), if you want them to encourage you etc. These are all preferences and expectations you will learn over time with a regular spotting buddy. Don’t help until absolutely necessary. A spotter should only help a minimal amount when the lifter is fatigued or unable to complete the rep. Provide just enough assistance by taking a fraction of the load to allow the trainer to complete a few more lifts than if they were alone, but still let them do most of the work. Only take the weight completely if they’re stuck beneath it and can’t move it at all. How to actually spot depends on the actual move being performed (different exercises require different techniques)

What to look for in a training partner Share the Same Goals: Find someone on the same level of fitness that you are trying to achieve. Same Passion and Drive: Sounds similar to the first one but slightly different. This comes to the fire and determination within your partner. If you want to be the best you can be, then you need to find someone who wants the same and then some. If you just want to tone up and look good for the beach, then find a partner with the same mind set. DEPENDABLE: You need to find someone you can actually trust to keep you safe, while also pushing you to work. Share Suggestions and Opinions: Remember you are training partners, not a one-person team. Honest and Critical: You want your training partner to be honest and give you constructive criticism when needed and vice versa. Tell them when they are using improper form. Consider the size of your partner: It seems obvious that you want someone around your size, but consider all of the other things before choosing a partner based on size. Some smaller people may actually be stronger and possibly even more determined. Provide Friendly Competition: This will help you and your training partner get the maximum amount of effort from each other. Competition, kept friendly, brings out the best in an athlete.

Injuries vs. soreness

Common Injuries from working out • Muscle pull and strain • Sprained ankle • Shoulder injury • Knee injuries • Shin splints • Tendinitis • Wrist sprain or dislocation

How to prevent injury Warm-up and cool-down Ease into it Stretch Vary your workouts and the muscles used Dress appropriately for your workout Listen to your body- pain is not okay (if something hurts, stop!) Fuel/ properly hydrate your body Rest

Soreness The gradually increasing discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48 hours after activity is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and is perfectly normal. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is caused by small microscopic tears that occur in the muscle. Scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain. The aches and pains should be minor and are simply indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen.

Keeping the muscle in motion has been known to provide some relief. Dealing with soreness Ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, massage, heat, and stretching have been reported as helpful in the process of recovery. Take it easy for a few days while your body adapts or try some light exercise such as walking or swimming or using different muscle groups while allowing your sore muscles to recover. Keeping the muscle in motion has been known to provide some relief.

Basic Principles of Training Warming-up and Cooling Down Conclusion Basic Principles of Training Warming-up and Cooling Down Spotting and Working with a Partner Injuries and Soreness