How do you decide when, how, and what exercises to do?

Overload  Stressing the body more than what it is used to.  A fitness principle to improve the body’s ability.  Ex. If you know you can lift 25 pounds 10 times, try to lift 30 pounds 12 times.

Progression  Making progress towards a goal. Pushing past the current limits.  Accomplished by FITT principle.

FITT  F – Frequency  I – Intensity  T – Time  T – Type

Frequency  How frequent, or how often do you perform an exercise?  Once a month, once a week, once a day…  To overload, progress, or improve fitness, try exercising more frequently.

Intensity  How intense is or how hard are you working during the exercise that you are performing?  Perform 20 push-ups with your knees on the ground, with your feet on the ground, or with your feet elevated.  To overload, progress, or improve fitness, try working harder or more intensely.

Time  How long do you perform an exercise for or how many repetitions do you perform?  Jog for 1 minute, 10 minutes, 60 minutes. Jog for 1 mile, 10 miles, 60 miles.  To overload, progress, or improve fitness, try exercising for a longer period of time.

Type (Specificity)  What specific type of exercise are you performing?  To improve sprinting, sprint. To improve distance running, run for distance. To improve strength, use strength exercises.  To overload, progress, or improve fitness, try using the type of exercise that matches your goals.