Planning An Exercise Program - Answering Service Resources

Home
>
Exercise & Fitness
>
Planning An Exercise Program

Planning An Exercise Program

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.

If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you'll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.

What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:

? Frequency
? Intensity
? Type
? Time

Here's what each of these four things stand for:

Frequency refers to the number of times you exercise. For those new to training or those just wanting to lose weight, frequency is usually calculated within the context of a week. For example, your plan might be to walk 3, 4 or 5 times per week.

Intensity is the level of effort you put into each exercise. For aerobic exercises intensity is usually measured in terms relative to your maximum heart rate while the intensity of strength exercises is measured in terms of the amount of weight you use, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, and the amount of rest time you take in between sets.

Time is simply how long you exercise during each session. For example, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, etc) per session.

Type refers to whether you do aerobics or strength training during your exercise sessions and the specific exercises you select for each.

The F.I.T.T. principle and Weight Loss

Why are the basic F.I.T.T. principle concepts important if you are planning an exercise program to lose weight?

They're important because they help you to:

? Start with the right exercises and intensity.
? Measure your progress.
? Plan your exercise to maximize long term weight loss.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle isn't just important in your initial exercise planning, it is also crucial to your long term planning and weight loss and fitness success.

By increasing or varying any or all parts of the F.I.T.T. principle elements, you can:

1. Increase the number of calories you burn during each exercise session.

2. Improve your cardiovascular fitness and strength.

3. Help minimize overuse/over training injuries.

4. Build variety into your program.

F.I.T.T Principle Guidelines

Here are some basic F.I.T.T. principle guidelines for both aerobics and strength training to help you plan an exercise program.

Please keep in mind that these examples represent general guidelines only for those of us with low to moderate fitness levels. Use these guidelines to establish a program and then customize your program to fit your specific needs and goals as your experience and knowledge increases.

And remember to always consult your doctor before commencing any new exercise program and consult a fitness professional (personal fitness trainer, gym instructor, etc) if you require help.

Basic Aerobic Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise between 3 and 5 times per week.

Intensity: Maintain a heart rate of between 60 - 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate.

Your Maximum Heart Rate can be calculated using a Maximum Heart Rate test conducted by a fitness or health professional or estimated using the formula:

For Women (230 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate). For Men (220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate).

The best and most practical way to monitor your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor.

Time: Those of us with low levels of fitness should maintain our heart rates in our selected target zone for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool down periods.

Those with a good fitness base should exercise for between 20 and 60 minutes in their target heart rate zone.

Type: Exercises that involve as many muscles as possible and allow a relatively consistent level of intensity are best. Good examples of these include:

? Walking
? Jogging
? Cycling
? Swimming
? Rowing
? Hiking

Basic Strength Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise each body part 1 to 2 times per week. For lower intensity workouts or for those who have trained for some time, try exercising each body part 2 to 3 times per week. You can exercise different parts of the body on different days (called split routines) or you can train your whole body at each workout.

Intensity: Choose a weight that can be performed 10 to 15 times (repetitions) per set.

When you can perform more than 15 repetitions without rest, increase the weight slightly for your next workout.

If you are training your whole body each time you exercise, only do 1-2 exercises for each muscle group and perform 1-3 sets of each exercise.

If you employ a split routine try performing no more than 2-3 exercises per muscle group and 2-4 sets of each exercise.

Time: Beginners usually benefit from exercise sessions that last between 30 to 45 minutes. As you become fitter and stronger, you may want to increase your total workouts from 45 to 90 minutes. For most of us, particularly those with limited time, sessions of 60 minutes are typically ideal.

With rest between sets, try not to take longer than 2-3 minutes as a beginner. As you get fitter, try to reduce this time to 1 minute or less.

Type: Generally speaking, there are two types of exercises for muscles, compound exercises and isolation exercises.

Compound exercises use more than one muscle group to perform and are the most effective for those interested in losing weight. Examples of compound exercises include Bench press, Push-ups, Squats, Shoulder press and Deadlifts.

Isolation exercises use only one muscle group to perform and include Bicep curls, Tricep extensions, Leg extensions, etc.

For those new to resistance training, compound exercises are best. Once you have a base level of strength you can add isolation exercises to your workouts for variety and to help shape individual muscles.

Conclusion

No matter what your goal, current fitness level or exercise experience, you can employ the F.I.T.T. principle to plan an effective long term exercise program.

By using the guidelines above, you too can plan an effective regime that will help you to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and of course help you lose weight.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle in your exercise planning will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals as efficiently as possible. Not only will you achieve your goals in the shortest possible time, you'll also enjoy your routine more because of the variety built into it. If that weren't enough, you'll also minimize the chances of experiencing annoying and painful overtraining injuries that can stall or stop your weight loss and fitness progress.

While anyone with the basic knowledge provided above can plan their own workout, if you are new to exercise or have an existing injury or ailment, we suggest you consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional. As well as designing a personal plan for you using the method above, they can help you rehabilitate or work around existing injuries, teach you the right techniques for each exercise in your program and advise you of when to modify your plan to take advantage of your new fitness levels.

For all your weight loss and healthy lifestyle needs, visit www.weightloss.com.au and become a happier, healthier you.

Scott Haywood

In The News:

Research credits healing power of exercise in war against cancer
Chicago Tribune, United States - 11 hours ago
In a few years, exercise will probably be prescribed regularly for cancer rehabilitation, said Melinda Irwin, an expert on cancer and exercise at Yale ...

Los Angeles Times
Outdoor buffs must exercise caution on smoggy days
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jul 4, 2008
Brisk exercise exacerbates the effects (when and how severe those are vary from person to person). Because muscles need more oxygen to work, breathing rates ...

War, Inc." is a military exercise gone awry
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 20 hours ago
By COLIN COVERT, Star Tribune that a bunch of anti-war idiots would try to make a movie about war and totally botch the job. ...

What is the best exercise for me?
The Times, South Africa - 27 minutes ago
If January is the time for making noble vows about taking up regular exercise, February is when reality hits home. That gym membership you forked out for in ...

Your dog might make a good exercise companion
Reading Eagle, PA - 18 hours ago
By Elizabeth Giorgi Berks County, PA - Experts say finding an exercise buddy can be a great motivator for people who have trouble sticking with a workout ...

Hindu
Depressed? Then work out
Hindu, India - 3 hours ago
It is well known and widely acknowledged that regular exercise relieves depression. A recent study published in Psychosomatic Medicine (2007; 69, ...

Navy ballistic missile exercise simulates shoot-down
Stars and Stripes, DC - 57 minutes ago
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes The US Navy has completed an unprecedented simulated ballistic missile exercise between ships operating in different ...

Program to look at exercise for seniors
Hattiesburg American, MS - 12 minutes ago
Exercise Options for Senior Adults will be the topic of a program during the July 17 meeting of the Petal Area AARP Chapter #3802. ...

Missile-defense exercise held in Middle East
NavyTimes.com, VA - Jul 4, 2008
While not speaking specifically about the BMD exercise, he said naval operations in the area reflect the high stakes involved. “Conducting these operations ...

Police-Armed Forces Joint Exercise Should Not Be Misconstrued As A ...
Bernama, Malaysia - 10 hours ago
KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hasan said Saturday a recent joint exercise conducted by the police and the armed ...
Joint ops to test readiness, says IGP Malaysia Star
Armed forces, police prepare for demos New Straits Times
all 7 news articles

exercise - Google News

Answering Service ResourceAnswering Service Resource