Nautilus NS600X
Your body will do what you train it to do. That’s why it’s important to define your goals and focus on those goals.
Here are some fitness components that will help you define your goals and choose your fitness program.
MUSCLE STrENGTh
is the maximum force
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 to perform
only five to eight repetitions of the exercise before
the muscle fails. Each set of repetitions is followed
by a rest interval that typically runs three times
longer than the set. Later, between exercise
sessions, the muscle overcompensates for the
stress and usually increases in both strength and
size.
MUSCLE 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 develop 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.
MUSCLE 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.
When training to achieve muscular power, pick a
resistance that fatigues you in the 3-5 repetition
range. When performing these reps, it is more
important to think of contracting the muscles faster
rather than attempting to move faster. Performing
sport simulation
exercises usually results in a
deterioration 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). As you
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 different times or
together, will create the greatest changes in body fat
weight.
BALANCED STrENGTh
and alignment is the result
of equal strength developed in all parts of the body. It
comes into play in your standing and sitting posture,
and in your ability to perform just about any activity
safely and effectively. An over-development of the
back will round the shoulders; weak or stretched
abdominals can cause lower back pain. You want a
balance of muscle strength in front 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 from injury and can be achieved
through the balanced strength training programs
included in this manual.
CArDIOVASCULAr ENDUrANCE
is the ability
of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients
to exercising muscles over an extended 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.
Any exercise program must be supplemented with
cardiovascular training.
DEFINING YOUr GOALS
