Muscles and physical health

principles of training and conditioning for physical activities

  1. FITT principle:

    • Frequency: the number of training sessions per week

    • Intensity: the level of execution on how hard an individual works

    • Time: the length or duration of the training

    • Type: eg. aerobic, anaerobic, resistance programs

  2. Progressive overload

    • in order to see improvement in fitness the exercise must exceed that to which the individual is already accustomed (increased frequency, intensity, time, and type)

  3. Stress / rest

    • following exercise, the body needs time to rest to recover the energy that was expended and to make repairs to the muscle tissues. the length of rest depends on the intensity of the workout and the fitness level of the individual

  4. Starting point

    • in order to have long-term physical changes an improvements in the way the body functions, the body must be provided with greater stress than it regularly encounters in “everyday life”. The lower the baseline or starting point is, the easier it is to see improvements and the higher the starting point is, the harder it is to see improvements

  5. Specificity

    • improvements are specific to the physical activity. This principle is also known as the SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demands)

  6. Reversibility / regularity

    • any improvement in physical fitness is reversible (use it or lose it)

  7. Ceiling

    • as an individual increases their physical fitness, the rate of improvement gets smaller to the point of no improvement, referred to as a plateau

  8. Maintenance

    • once an individual has reached a level of fitness that meets their needs, it is possible to maintain the results gained and reduce workout frequency, however, the intensity and duration must remain the same

  9. Individual variability

    • no two individuals will respond exactly the same way to similar doses of physical activity. Physical activity is highly heterogeneous (different)

  10. Diminishing return

    • the rate of fitness improvement diminished over time as fitness approaches its ultimate genetic potential. “you recieve less bang for your buck”

Heart rate zone levels and calculations

Heart rate zone, heart rate, example

  • zone 1: sedentary activity, 105+ bpm, watching tv

  • zone 2: mild activity, 120+ bpm, bowling

  • zone 3: moderate activity, 140+ bpm, baseball

  • zone 4: vigorous activity, 160+ bpm, soccer

  • zone 5: maximum activity 185+ bpm, 100-meter sprint

calculating max heart rate

  • male: 220 - age

  • female 226 - age

Cardiorespiratory fitness

  • fitness of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels

  • the cardiovascular and raspatory system work together to deliver oxygen to the entire body

    • the blood picks up oxygen from the lungs after air is breathed in and carries it to the heart

    • the heart pumps the oxygen-rich blood into the arteries which carries it to the body cells (including muscle cells)

    • waste products are produced by the body cells and returned to the heart via veins

    • the heart pumps the blood to the lungs where the waste products are eliminated and replaced by oxygen

    • the cycle begins again

    • cardio=heart, vascular= blood vessel

Effects of exercise on the heart

  • the heart is a muscle, getting stronger with exercise

  • heart rate = the number of beats per minute

  • resting heart rate = the number of beats per minute while the person is still

  • resting heart rate of a fit person = 50-60 beats per minute

  • resting heart rate of a unfit person = 70+ beats per minute

  • a fit resting heart rate is lower because the heart can pump more blood per heartbeat, meaning the heart doesn’t need to pump as much

  • muscles need more oxygen when they work hard, more oxygen is supplied through the heart beating faster

Ways to achieve cardiovascular fitness

aerobic exercises

  • “with oxygen”

  • steady, slower exercise where the heart can supply all the oxygen the muscles need

  • 135-160 bpm

  • ex. jogging, walking, cycling

anaerobic exercises

  • “without oxygen”

  • short fast bursts of exercise where the heart cannot supply blood and oxygen to the muscles as fast as they use the,

  • 165-180bpm

  • ex. sprints, basketball

Physical fitness components

skill related

  • agility

    • the ability to change the position on your body quickly and to control movement

  • balance

    • the ability to keep an upright posture while you are standing still or moving

  • coordination

    • the ability to use two or more body parts together (hand-eye, foot-eye)

  • power

    • the ability to do strength performances quickly, strength and speed

  • reaction time

    • the amount of time it takes you to move once you see the need to move

  • speed

    • the ability to preform a movement or cover a distance in a short time

health related

  • cardiorespiratory endurance

    • the ability of the cardiovascular system (heart, blood, blood vessels) and respiratory system (lungs, air passages) to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the working muscles and to remove wastes.

    • cycling, skating, swimming laps, walking

  • muscular strength

    • the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to exert force for a brief period of time

    • chopping wood, training with weights, lifting and carrying things

  • muscular endurance

    • the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain repeated contractions or continue applying force against a fixed object

    • gardening, golfing, tennis, push ups, sit ups

  • flexibility

    • the ability to move joints through their full range of motion

    • yoga, gymnastics

  • body composition

    • the makeup of the body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue, and organs) and fat mass. good body composition has strong bones, adequate skeletal muscle size, a strong heart, and low amount of fat mass