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FITT Principle
by Laura Brand
Many people often ask me what the “best” method for achieving workout goals
should be. Since there are MANY ways of working out, different goals, different
body types, different schedules, and different interests, the answer to that
question would vary drastically from person to person. So, I want to share with
you a principle that should help you to answer that question for yourself and to
help you design your own workout program. It is called the FITT principle.
“The FITT Principle applies to any type of resistance training, whether it is
for limit strength, speed-strength, anaerobic strength or aerobic strength. It
is especially suited to beginners’ efforts because it spells out exactly what
they should do to get started. Applying the FITT Principle will ensure that
your training is reasonably effective.”
(Taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide, p. 6.12)
Frequency of exercise:
How often should you exercise each week? Twice for maintenance, 3 times for
beginners, 5 times for serious fitness enthusiasts and up to 14 or more times
for elite athletes
Intensity of exercise:
How hard should you exercise: If training 2 or 3 times weekly, train with
high intensity; if training 5 or more times weekly, you should split your
workouts between certain muscle groups, vary the exercises performed, vary the
amount of weight/reps between sessions, and make sure you have enough rest
between workouts to prevent overtraining.
Time
to exercise:
How long should you exercise each session? For weight training, 45 minutes to
1 hour is usually sufficient, but it depends on what your goals are. For
cardio workouts, usually 30 to 45 minutes is sufficient, but the heart rate
needs to remain within the training zone to have any benefit. To find your
training zone, use this formula: Subtract your age from 220. Your exercise
heart rate needs to be between 65% and 85% of whatever that number is. To
find your exercise heart rate, periodically check your pulse for 6 seconds,
and then add a 0 to the end of that number. That will tell you what your
exercise heart rate is. If it’s below 65%, then you need to pick up the
pace. If it’s above 85%, then you need to take it down a little.
Type
of exercise:
What exercises should you do? Beginners training 2 or 3 times weekly should
choose an array of exercises and exercise methods to reverse the processes of
disuse in all major muscle groups and bodily systems; Athletes do likewise,
but only during their off-season. Pre- and In-season training must be highly
specific to the tasks/skills of their respective sports.
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