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Define Your Goals
Your body will do what you train it to do. That's why it's important
to define your goals and focus them.
Here are some fitness components
that will help you define your goals and choose your fitness program.
Muscle Strength
is the maximum force that you
can exert against resistance
at one time. Your
muscle strength
comes into play when you pick up
a heavy bag of groceries or lift a small child. It is
developed when a localized muscle is worked both
positively (concentric)
and negatively (eccentric) at
a resistance--great
enough so you can perform only
five to eight repetitions
of the exercise before the
muscle fails. Each set of repetitions
is followed by
a rest interval that typically runs three times longer
than the set. Later, between exercise sessions, the
muscle overcompensates
for the stress and usually
increases in both strength
and size.
Muscle
Endurance
is the ability to perform
repeated contractions.
It comes into play when
you cross-country
ski or work on your feet all day.
Endurance
training
addresses the slow twitch,
endurance
muscle fibers, which depend on oxygen
for energy. To develop muscle endurance,
use low
resistance and high repetitions--about
15-20
repetitions
in each set, three sets to each exercise,
working
the muscle only to fatigue.
Muscle
Power is the combination
of strength
and
speed of the muscular contraction.
This is often
misinterpreted
as a) being directly associated with
certain skill or sport and/or b) meaning
that you
must move fast. Load is actually a more important
factor than speed when attempting
to improve
power. When
training
to achieve muscular power,
pick a resistance that fatigues you in the 3-5
repetition
range. When
performing
these reps,
it is more important
to think of contracting
the
muscles faster rather than attempting
to move faster.
Performing
sport simulation
exercises usually results
in a deterioration
of the motor pattern
or skill. The
biomechanically
sound method of improving
power
in your sport is to train for power using the correct
joint movements,
as described
in this manual. Then
practice the skill associated with your sport, learning
to apply this newly achieved power.
Body Composition
is the ratio of fat weight (fat)
to lean weight (muscles, bones and tissue). As you
age, the ratio shifts. The fat weight increases and
the lean weight decreases. Training
for muscle
strength will generally increase muscle size and
aerobic conditioning
will help burn extra calories.
Performing
these two forms of exercise, either at
different times or together, will create the greatest
changes in body fat weight.
Balanced
Strength
and alignment
are the result of
equal
strength
developed
in all parts
of the body. It
comes
into play in your standing
and sitting
posture,
and in your ability to perform
just about
any activity
safely and effectively.
An over-development
of the
back will round
the shoulders;
weak or stretched
abdominals
can cause lower back pain. You want
a balance
of muscle
strength
in front
and back. In
addition,
you need a balance
of strength
between
your middle,
lower, and upper
body.
Flexibility
is the ability of a muscle or group of
muscles to move the joint through
a full range
of motion. Flexibility comes into play when you
execute an overhand
serve or stretch for the top
shelf in the kitchen. It is a cooperative
movement
of
opposite muscle groups. When
a muscle contracts,
its opposite muscle group must relax for the action
to occur. Increased
flexibility means an increased
range of motion, made possibly by this simultaneous
contracting
and relaxing. Good flexibility is
important
in protecting
the body from injury and
can be achieved through
the balanced strength
training programs
that are included
in this manual.
Cardiovascular
Endurance
i s the ability
of the
heart and lungs to supply
oxygen
and nutrients
to
exerdsing
muscles
over an extended
period
of time.
It comes
into play when
you jog a mile or ride a bike.
It is a critical
component
of overall fitness and health.
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