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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 ff)cus them.
Here
are some fitness
components
that will help
you define
your
goals and choose
your
fitness
program.
Muscle
Strength
is the maximum
ff)rce 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 folk)wed
by
a rest interval
that
typically
runs
three
times
longer
than
the set. I,ate_; between
exercise
sessions,
the
muscle
overcompensates
for the stress and usually
increases
in both
strength
and size.
Musde
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 devek)p
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.
Musde
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. X&%entraining
to achieve muscular
power; pick a resistance
that
fatigues
you in the 3-5
repetition
range. When perfbrming
these reps, it is
more important
to think of contracting
the muscles
faster rather
than attempting
to move faster.
Perfbrming
sport simulation
exercises usually results
in a deterioratk)n
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). A_s >m
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
dif*Erent times or together; will create the greatest
changes
in body fat weight.
Balanced Strength
and aligmnent
are the result of
equal strength
devek)ped
in all parts of the body. It
comes into play in your standing
and sitting posture,
and in your ability to perfbrmjust
about a W actixdty
safely and ef*Ectively, kal ove>devek)pment
of the
back will round
the shoulders;
weak or stretched
abdominals
can cause lower back pain. You want
a balance of muscle strength
in Dont 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 possible by
this simultaneous
contracting
and relaxing.
Good
flexibility is important
in protecting
the body fiom
injury and can be achieved through
the balanced
strength
training
programs
that are included
in this
manual.
Cardiovascular
Endurance
is the ability of the
heart and hmgs to supply oxygen and nutrients
to
exercising
muscles over an exmnded
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. You may want to design your own personal
program
specifically geared to your goals and
lifestyle. Designing
a program
is easy, as king as you
folk)w the below guidelines.
gowflex
Xceed'"
()_aler's
Manual
11
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