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Winston Salem Gyms : Cardio Increases Appetite .

August 27th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Does aerobic training burn fat? It should, but why are so many people still overweight, no matter how much long slow exercise they do? Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it ought to work so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has tried it knows, the practicality of it just does not add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others. And you know who it works best for? Young, fit males. The guys who don’t need any help! Young guys can workout all day long, they have nothing else to do. The guys who have a fast metabolism, exercise a lot, and have plenty of muscle.

It works for them, but does it work for you? Probably not. British scientists wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren’t previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That’s a lot of exercise, but it assisted the subjects lose an averageof 8.You should lose a lot of weight with cardio – if it worked. So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the research study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Make certain to check this out…

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds. The scientists think they know where things went sour. They classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the “Compensators” and the “Non-compensators”.

The Compensators were hungrier, and therefore consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts. Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and researchers believe that was due to the huge “compensatory” increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? Cardio may increase your appetite.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your appetite and calorie intake to see if you are “compensating” for your efforts. If you are, you may be better off using a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

Researchers have proven intervals burn fat. And increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat- burning benefits. In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of cardio. Heck, few even achieve an typicalweight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity exercise a go for your next workout program. Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity fat burning workouts that don’t use cardio.

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Winston Salem Gyms : How to Make Exercises Fun .

August 26th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Making the exercise fun is many ways beneficial to people. This is because the exercises are sometimes too monotones and may prove too boring for people to continue. Additionally making the exercises lively and fun will help to overcome the difficulty of the exercise easily.

If the exercise is pursued in manner that is not a strain to the body then the exercises may be done without much difficulties as they would ordinarily appear to be. There are many ways by which exercises may be made much more fun. Below listed are some of the ways by which you can spice up your exercise routine and make your workout session more interesting.

Be sure that you are in a motivated mood to exercise. This means that you should have a goal in your mind before starting to workout. This could be to loose weight or to create six pack abs. whatever your needs are you should never loose focus of your goal.

There ought to be an element of surprise that you should try to involve while you exercise. You can challenge your body to work harder. Be sure that you do not however over work your body.

There are many ways that you can do the same exercise. Additionally there are many exercises that you can do to obtain the same benefits.

Be certain to keep changing your exercises while maintaining the balance in your workout regime so that you do not get bored doing the same exercises again and again. There are ways in which you can also involve doing the same exercises with different variations. This increases the difficulty level of the exercise and also helps to break the monotony of the exercises.

Aerobics Activities are fun to do as these exercise patterns are almost like dancing. Aerobics also develops flexibility. These exercises are fascinating to perform because the entire body is almost kept active in these exercises. These exercises also help to create a sense of rhythm that is helpful in many other activities.

Play your favorite music while you are working out. Not only can you then move your body to the music but also not feel bored of doing the exercise. Be certain to always try to find a partner to workout.

This is beneficial because not only will that person assist you when you need assistance but You will also not get bored of doing the exercises together with a friend.

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Winston Salem Gyms : Run Outside our Make sure to use the Treadmill?

August 25th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

First let’s define what a cardio workout instills. Cardio is short for cardiovascular which in our reference is a means to exercise the cardiovascular system. How do we exercise our cardiovascular system and why would we want to do that in the first place ? We can exercise our cardiovascular system by performing an aerobic activity. People partake in various aerobic activity like biking, swimming, walking, dancing, running, and yes even sex counts (if it last long enough).

So I always hear the debate over and over again about running outside versus running inside on a treadmill. Which one is more effective at losing weight? Now let’s break it down. Running outside does take more effort on the muscles since one needs to propel the body against the ground. As opposed to the treadmill that decreases the effort by a moving surface. But wait a minute, there are no hills where I live so I can’t intensify the workout! We’ll heck most treadmills have the option of mocking the simulation of running up a hill. Hold on, running outside in the sun makes you sweat more therefore you’ll lose more water weight and end up weighing less. Conversely if you’re watching your favorite show on the TV while on the treadmill, you won’t get bored and end up running for longer distances. Or what about all that air resistance while jogging on into the wind…and the list goes on.

Guess what? It does not matter. Yes there are many pros and cons of both scenarios, but what matters is that you ARE IN AN AEROBIC STATE! While you are in this state, research concludes that yes clearly energy expenditure (calorie burning) occurs. Additionally you increase your maximal oxygen uptake as well as increase your respiratory capacity, lower blood lactate concentrations, increase mitochondrial and capillary densities, and improve enzyme activity! Wow, that’s a load of information, right? Let me make it simple, when you do your “cardio” your heart and vascular system improves and gets very efficient at bringing VITAL nutrients to all the cells in your body.

Now for a concern of losing fat, you are able to run as hard and long as you want and if your metabolism is at a snail’s pace, change will be very slow if not any. We’ve all seen it, members at a gym who run on that machine for hours at a time sweating bullets, year after year never losing an inch. Does it make them feel good, sure it does. Are they improving their cardiovascular system, of course. But why are they still not losing weight? Here is why, they can’t grasp control of their metabolism. You not only need aerobic exercise but compliment it with resistance exercise along with proper nutrition.

Resistance training builds lean muscle. Without lean muscle you probably won’t be able to lose most of the fat you desire, but that’s another whole story by itself. Aerobic exercise ensures that your cardiovascular system is at it’s optimal which permits all those great nutrients that you ingest to be transported to the muscles cells for continued growth. And best yet there is a grey area in your heart zone while doing aerobic exercise (providing all the variables are in place) that permits you to burn more fat than usual. So choose your favorite cardio activity, have fun, and remember that any aerobic activity will do the job as well as the other.

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Winston Salem Gyms : Benefits of a Jump Rope Workout .

August 24th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. 1 Comment

Jump roping dates back to early human history, when the Egyptians used to use vines for jumping over. Jumping is a natural human movement-children naturally love to jump. Adults may feel more inhibited, choosing  not to jump simply for the fun of it.

Try adding a rope, however, and you suddenly have a purpose and precise excuse to jump for fun. Jumping is a great way to increase your heart rate. There are several benefits of a jump rope workout.

Aerobic Exercise and Health

Most of us now know that aerobic exercise is beneficial in many ways. Aerobic means “with oxygen,” and aerobic exercise trains the body to use oxygen more effectively. Aerobic exercise involves continuous movement of the large muscle groups that causes one’s heart rate to increase.

Regular aerobic exercise leads to a more efficient heart. Oxygen travels through the blood, and a heart that can pump more blood with fewer beats per minute is a healthier heart. Exercising for twenty to sixty minutes (depending on your fitness level) per session is usually enough for most people to maintain heart health.

Regular aerobic exercise has shown to have a host of benefits in addition to improved cardiovascular health. It can help the body manage insulin more effectively, improve one’s overall outlook, and improve sleep, among many other positive side effects.

Aerobic exercise can also help maintain joint and bone strength, because weight-bearing exercises promote bone health. Benefits of a jump rope workout include its simple to do, easy to start and affordable to continue. When jump roping, you can easily reach your target heart rate. You don’t need a lot of space, and you can easily take a rope with you when you travel.

Aerobic Exercise and Injury

There are generally two types of aerobic exercise: low impact and high impact. Low impact exercises are those where one foot is always touching the ground. High impact exercises are those where the feet leave the ground, such as with jumping.

However, some benefits of a jump rope workout can also be seen as a potential area of risk. Because jump roping involves jumping, it is an ideal aerobic exercise because you are able to reach your target heart rate and increase your jumping speed as you improve your fitness level. However, jumping, specifically at a faster speed, also increases your chances of injury.

If you have joint problems, high impact exercise may not be the wise choice. Also, as you become fatigued when jumping, the chances of getting injured increases because fatigue can increase the chances of losing focus and tripping or twisting an ankle.

If you enjoy jumping rope, You will probably experiment with different styles of jumping as you become more skilled. These alterations can also increase your chances of tripping and getting injured.

Jump Smartly

If you decide that the benefits of a jump rope workout are worth the potential risks, consider these tips. First, as with all exercise plans, speak with your doctor. He or she can review your medical history and determine if high impact aerobics are a safe choice for you. Once you are cleared to jump rope, choose a smart place. Choose the most “giving” surface as possible to jump on.

If you have access to a suspended wood floor, that’s a great choice. If you have to jump outdoors, avoid grass, as the variations in the ground can cause you to twist an ankle.

However, cement is one of the worst surfaces you can choose, because it is so hard. Your body will absorb all the impact. Pavement, while still hard, is a much better surface. Another choice is to buy a rubber exercise mat designed specifically for use with high-impact exercise.

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Winston Salem Gyms : Getting Started With Cardio .

August 23rd, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Today there is no dearth of cardio routines to choose from and it has become much easier to choose one that suits you best.

There are two basic types of exercise — aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic literally means “in the presence of oxygen,” and has evolved to refer to endurance exercises in which your body first burns stored sugars (glycogen) before it burns fat stores for energy.

Aerobic Exercises usually increase your heartbeat to 65% of its maximum rate for long stretches — averaging about 20 minutes or so. Examples of these are brisk walking, running, or bike riding from a medium to a quick pace.

Anaerobic activities, conversely, are done in short and quick bursts such as calisthenics, weightlifting, or sprinting. In these types of exercises, your body uses glycogens for as long as it can and improves muscle strength, tone, and agility.

If you are a novice, trainers would ordinarily suggest that you emphasize the former type to promote overall fitness and maintain your heart’s health.

However, to refine your aerobic skills, anaerobic activity is advised. For example, a runner who can constantly do 5-6 miles at the same pace each day has obviously demonstrated above-average endurance. Thus, she might take her workout to the next level and do strength training or sprints to shock her muscles and complement her cardio targets.

And then there’s flexibility training, which many of us often forget. You need to work in exercises that would constantly stretch the same muscles you’re working on during aerobic and anaerobic workouts.

Now that you know the types of exercises, you need to first get specialist advice on the state of your health. Although cardio is for people of all ages, women over 40 usually need to consult their doctors’ advice first before joining a group of women in their prime, specifically if they have been sedentary for quite a long time.

In the same vein, if your family has a history of coronary artery disease, your cardio would be limited in intensity, frequency, and duration. Moreover, if you have no idea about what your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels are, the more reason for you to first check with your physician if your planned exercise regimen is manageable.

Finally, don’t instantly jump into a routine if you have experienced any of the following in the past: chest pains; dizziness; pain while walking; joint or bone problems; very slow or fast; irregular heartbeats; wounds or cuts on the feet that don’t heal; and unexplained rapid weight loss.

Once you’re given the go signal, you can then choose which cardio can both increase your heart rate (within safe limits, of course) and is enjoyable for you at the same time. As you engage in regular cardio, your lungs, heart, and muscles all increase their efficiency in their use of oxygen.

The capacity of your lungs increases, your heart pumps more blood for every stroke, and your muscle fibers extract oxygen from the blood more efficiently.

This is quite obvious when you compare a well-trained athlete with a sedentary individual. The former will have a lower resting heart rate — perhaps even 50 beats per minute (bpm) — while the person who has rarely moved away from her desk may have a resting rate of 80 bpm.

As you begin your cardio sessions, You will find that your heart rate increases quickly during the duration of the session. However, the longer you are into the program, your heart rate won’t rise nearly as much.

Once you’ve chosen the program (or “programs” — it’s a good idea to cross-train to keep from feeling bored) that you feel you’re going to enjoy for quite some time, always keep in mindthat you can’t immediately see results!

Practice gradual progression to avoid the risk of injuries.

The instant effect You will experience, though, comes by way of a reduction of “stress hormones” such as cortisol and an increase in the production of endorphins, or the so-called “feel-good hormones”. Now, who does not want that?

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Winston Salem Gyms : Exercise For People With Dementia .

August 22nd, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Dementia is common amongst elderly people and affects the memory, reasoning power and other cognitive functions. Patients suffering from dementia often find it difficult to carry out routine tasks such as driving, bathing, dressing and routine household chores. Dementia patients can improve the condition by following the prescribed exercise regimen suggested by a trained medical practitioner. Exercise may include brisk walking, swimming and aerobic activities. The exercise helps in increasing the blood flow to the brain and the formation of new brain cells.

Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic Exercises help in improving their general health, strengthening the hormone and immune systems and increasing blood flow to the brain. Patients can start with ten to twenty minutes of aerobic exercises, depending on fitness levels. The exercise duration could be increased slowly as the patient begins to experience a general feeling of wellness. Aerobic Exercises may include jogging, cycling, swimming or any physical activity that rejuvenates the patient’s lungs and heart. Heavy aerobic exercises are however not recommended for dementia patients who have suffered a stroke in the past or have been diagnosed with heart related illnesses.

Exercises in resistance and weight training:

Resistance or weight training exercises for dementia patients helps in building lean muscle mass and increasing metabolism. This helps in controlling blood sugar levels, which is very essential, specifically for patients who are suffering from diabetes. Diabetes can complicate the existing condition of dementia, as increased blood sugar is harmful for human tissue and cells. Patients can start with lightweights and gradually shift to heavier choices, as the body develops lean muscle mass. Initially they can exercise two to three times a week and then increase the frequency.

Flexibility and balance exercises:

The other exercises for dementia patients includes flexibility and balance routines that aim at strengthening the spine and muscles supporting the spine. They help the patients in improving general body co-ordination, which is difficult for the patient. The exercises help the patients to have a better sense of the surrounding space and environment. These exercises may include bending, stretching and tai chi to help in improving the mind-body co-ordination. The patients can take the guidance of a trained therapist, who’ll suggest the right movements and the frequency.

Dancing:

Dementia patients can also opt for alternative exercise forms such as dancing, which may be included in the aerobic exercise regimen. Dancing is a good option for people who find it boring to engage in weight training or the standard exercises. Dancing may be very beneficial for dementia patients as it combines the benefits derived from various forms of exercises such as group fitness and flexibility and balance exercises. Dancing can help dementia patients in reducing some of the mobility problems that arise due to the ailment.

Dementia is a illness that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is important for the patients to regularly engage themselves in metal exercise apart from the physical exercises. Mental exercises may include solving puzzles, riddles or playing board games. Family and friends need to realize that love and affection are as necessary as exercise.

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Winston Salem Gyms : How Just Shedding Off 25 Pounds .

August 21st, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

There is no doubt that people who exercise regularly live a healthier life than those who are mainly sedentary and don’t do any type of physical exercise. Activity is life while death is inactivity. Obesity or overweight predisposes you to a lot of ill health that may reduce  your life span very considerably.

Do you know that many people know the benefits of fitness exercises but would not engage in any of it because they cannot bring themselves to endure the effort involved? Friend, you can do better than such people and begin exercising today. You can choose water aerobics or any other type of fitness exercise you like. Just get started.

Let me paint a picture for you: A fit looking prospective staff member is seen by a prospective employer as an embodiment of both vitality and alertness, two of the important factors he is looking for in a prospective staff member. No serious firm will be interested in an overweight dull looking individual. If you don’t look smart how anyone can ever think that you can do anything smart.

Assuming you aren’t yourself overweight, would you not like to remain trim and fit for all to see? You should workout regularly to maintain a trim physic and fitness that makes for mental alertness necessary for leading an enjoyable life. You can attempt water aerobics. It is very good for working out your heart and lungs and keep fit physically instead of making you overweight with poor energy, lack of both mental and physical alertness. People who are overweight are ordinarily assumed to be of low mental capabilities. I’m sure you do not want to be so identified.

Though you enjoy legal protection in this country in terms of employment, a business will wisely not mention your overweight condition as they reject you for employment, even when that is the main reason for denying you employment. According to headhunter’s Kathleen Johnson in The Road to CEO, “a fifty pound overweight candidate did not make the cut because the extra weight made him appear stooped and lumbering, not quick and agile”.

Now, you are able to see that your level of intelligence gets diminished by the extent you are overweight in the eyes of prospective employers. Being overweight to an employer is a clear indication that you are ridiculous. How well you can do the job goes with the wind. Do not let that happen to you when regular aerobic exercises can make it possible for you to be fit and healthy looking.

A friend of mine, who is slightly overweight, went for a job interview of recent. Truly, that is what prompted this article. He was sure, very confident, that he did very well in both the test and the oral interview, but unfortunately one of the interviewers, a lady called my friend aside and confirmed in him that he did very well, except that she’s afraid that his being overweight will cost him the job opportunity. And that was it, my friend lost the chance at the end.

However, the lady had assured my friend, “if you would go shape up, I will not only help you get a go at another opportunity, but I’d not mind being your very good friend”. My friend did as the lady advised and lost 25 pounds. Guess what? Today they’re happily married and my friend gainfully employed in the same corporation as his wife. And what did my friend do to gain all that? He dropped a mere 25 pounds overweight.

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Winston Salem Gyms : Exercising For Flexibility .

August 20th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Flexibility is one of the important qualities that one should have. There is no necessary to have the flexibility of a gymnast for every one but adequate amounts of flexibility ought to be present in all. This is because this quality helps us to adapt to the strain in the body and prevents from injuries. A flexible body has a good circulation of blood and oxygen in the body that keeps the body fit and free from many injuries and conditions.

Flexibility exercises are most important before performing any other exercises. This is because these exercises make our body ready to carry out other types of exercises. The exercises also have added benefits if it’s done after warming up and stretching. Being flexible makes us less prone to damage during exercises. Below listed are a few of the ways that you can exercise for flexibility.

Aerobics is one of the easiest set of exercises that are most beneficial in developing flexibility in the body.

These exercises are fun to do so that there is no lack of motivation to perform these exercises.

These exercises only require enough space to move your body and some music for motivation purpose. No other special equipment is required for the preliminary exercises.

These exercises focus on the flexibility of each and every part of the body.

Apart from developing flexibility these exercises also create the activeness that is required by the body to perform further exercises.

Many aerobic exercises are performed before performing exercises of other sets so that the body is flexible enough to handle the strain.

This way the number of injuries to the body decreases and the effectiveness of the exercises increases.

Another good way to increase the flexibility of the body is to perform yoga.

This helps to increase the circulation of blood and oxygen to every part of the body and increase the flexibility as well as strength of the major as well as the support muscle groups.

Exercising with the medicine ball also increases the flexibility of the body.

It is an old tradition to exercises with the medicine ball to increase flexibility.

It’s also widely adjusted in group exercise routine to exercise with the medicine ball to increase flexibility.

There are also many exercises available to individual muscle groups and well as parts of the body that make our body flexible and ready to handle strain.

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Winston Salem Gyms : The End of Aerobic Exercise?

August 19th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

Hello there, anyone for aerobic exercise?

The aerobic exercise popularised by Jane Fonda in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

You know, the aerobic trend that took millions of Americans to group exercise classes for the first time?

You wore tights, leotards and thongs to the aerobics class.

You did non-stop jumping, kicking and running, twirling your arms, doing high knee lifts and punching the sky to throbbing music….and sweated…..

You did it all with a vengeance!

Remember?

The purpose was to rev up your heart beat and exercise your heart, to keep it in good shape.

And it was all about staying in shape as well…..

Sorry to tell you that this kind of aerobic exercise is now on the wane, rapidly fading off due to emergence of new and innovative classes and techniques, for example:

1. Hybrid classes that work your body and mind

2. Calorie-burning workout classes with little stress on joints and muscles

3. Classes that alternate hard training with easy intervals

4. Relaxing Pilates/Yoga classes

For now, the popularity of this type of aerobic exercise is sharply down from when it was the mainstay of fitness in America……

These statictics may tell you a thing or two about the sad, declining trend:

1. Less than half of the 300 gyms and fitness center? surveyed by IDEA offered aerobics classes now. The survey concluded that the number of gyms offering aerobics classes would continue to decline

2. At its summit in the mid-80s, an estimated 17 million to 20 million American Citizens did aerobic exercise. But in 2005, there were only 5 million who did the exercise. The 2006’s figure would show even a lesser number

Aerobic exercise instructors reckoned that this type of group fitness activity got lots of damages, specifically when you engaged in high impact aerobic and did it for 6 or 7 times per week.

The hardest hit group was the instructors as they were pushing harder than anyone else and doing the exercise a dozen times per week……

However, apparently many who took this aerobic exercise weren’t spared the agony either……

They suffered from acute and overuse injuries due to high impact aerobic as their bodies were not meant to withstand all those persistent pounding on their joints…..And most of them had problems with their backs, feet and hips.

However, you should not blame it all on group fitness activity for your problems. You would’ve problems from anything with persistent impact on your joints.

Take running or jogging or swimming.

If you do these exercises 6 or 7 times per week for additional than 1 hour per session, You will bound to stress your joints and muscles.

And for that matter, for any other exercises, if you’re overdoing them, You will bound to create oversuse injuries and would encounter problems – muscle cramps, muscle pain, aches and pains in joints and tendons, swellings……

The correct way of doing exercise, any exercise, is to adhere to the motto – do it in moderation and with varieties.

Moderation, meaning:

• Do cardio exercises such as jogging, running, cycling or swimming 3-4 times per week, for 30 minutes per session

• Do weight training 2 -3 times per week, for 20 minutes per session

• Do stretching 3 – 4 times per week, for 10 – 20 minutes per session

How about varieties?

Yes, just mix and change a little to spice up your exercise routine. For  instance, you could:

• Pick to do running on Monday, swimming on Wednesday, cycling on Friday……..

• Add appropriate weight increment and reduce the number of reps in strength training

• Exercise outdoor instead of always exercise indoor

• Switch to indoor treadmill running or walking when outside weather is terrible

• Liven up your exercise session with lively music in lieu of just exercise in dumb silence……

Hey, it’s up to your “creative” imagination to come up with “sparkling” varieties…..

Would you say there’s an end to Jane Fonda-type aerobics exercise?

Not necessary.

It depends on how you do the exercise.

I would say if you do it moderately, you’d benefit more from it rather than having problems…..

Once in a while, I still go for this type of aerobic exercise…….

It is a great way to keep my heart pumping and in good shape……and I sweat a good hearty sweat!

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Winston Salem Gyms : Planning an Exercise Program .

August 18th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Winston Salem Fitness. No Comments

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness specialists, 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 will 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’s necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

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

• Frequency

• Intensity

• Type

• Time

Here is 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  instance, 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 group exercise or resistance training during your exercise sessions and the specific exercises you choose 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 are 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 is not just important in your initial exercise planning, it’s 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. Be sure to 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 resistance training to help you plan an exercise program.

Please keep in mindthat these examples represent general guidelines only for those of us with low to moderate fitness levels. Be certain to use these guidelines to establish a program and then customize your program to fit your specific needs and objectives as your experience and knowledge increases.

And remember to always consult your doctor before commencing any new exercise program and consult a fitness specialist (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 could be calculated using a Maximum Heart Rate test conducted by a fitness or health specialist 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 ought to 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, attempt 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, specifically those with limited time, sessions of 60 minutes are generally 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: Normally 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 reachyour weight loss goals as efficiently as possible. Not only will you reachyour goals in the shortest possible time, you will also enjoy your routine more because of the variety built into it. If that were not enough, you will 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 fitness trainer or other fitness specialist. 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.

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