Defining Your Goals
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.
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