Fitness Focus
Training Principles & F.I.T. Formula
Three training principles of a good exercise program
are: overload, progression, and specificity. These are needed to change any area of fitness.
Overload principle – placing greater than
normal demands on the body
Example:
Walking 2 miles a day, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks,
gives a body a certain level of fitness.
Increasing: distance, time, or intensity
(overloading) will change the level of fitness
Progression principle – increasing exercise gradually
Example:
Walking 2 miles a day, 3
days a week, for 4 weeks
Walking
2.5 miles a day, 3 days a week, for the next 4 weeks
Walking
3 miles a day, 3 days a week, for the next 4 weeks
Specificity principle – doing specific activities to
build specific areas of fitness (health or skill)
**Some activities build multiple areas of
fitness.**
Examples:
1.
Walking
builds cardiovascular fitness and helps change body composition.**
2.
Stretching builds flexibility.
3. Weight training builds
muscle strength, muscle endurance(tone), and helps change body composition.**
The F.I.T. formula gives you guidelines to
follow to build good fitness.
These are needed to maintain or change a health area of fitness.
Frequency = how often a person exercises(# of days
a week). Three days a week is the minimum needed to maintain or change an area
of fitness.
Intensity = how hard a person exercises.
Cardiovascular intensity is
determined by heartrate.
Muscle strength/endurance
intensity is determined by the number of sets, repetitions, and
resistance(amount of weight) used.
Time = how long a person exercises. You
need to exercise 20‑30 minutes per exercise session.
1.
Describe
the three principles of good exercise program that are needed to change any
area of fitness.
2.
Give
an example of each of the principles.
3.
Pick
a cardiovascular activity and describe how you would apply the F.I.T. formula
by writing a 4 week workout plan.
(over)
4. How does and how would you apply the principles
of overload, progression, and specificity to a person who has been jogging 10
minutes a day, 4 days a week, for 4 weeks?
5. Give 3 examples of the specificity
principle.