Download Lecture #1

PERSONAL FITNESS LESSON #1SAFETY IN THE GYM AND BEYOND
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING
1. Overload
2. Balance
3. Specificity
4. Variation
5. Reversibility
1. Overload
• In order to progress and improve our fitness we have to put our bodies under
additional stress.
• Doing this will cause long-term adaptations, enabling our bodies to work more
efficiently to cope with this higher level of performance.
Overloading can be achieved by following the acronym FITT:
• Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week
• Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For example running
at 12 km/h instead of 10 or increasing the weight you are squatting
with.
• Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each session. For
example cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30.
• Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For example
progress from walking to running.
2. Balance
• An effective exercise program is one that includes activities that address
both the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system.
• Cardio exercise and spontaneous physical activity reduce body fat
and enhance the efficiency and functional capacity of your heart,
lungs, and blood vessels in order to ensure that your body is able to
deliver the necessary oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to your
body’s organs.
• On the flip side, strength training regulates metabolism and
improves muscle tone, strength, and endurance while flexibility
exercises improve joint stability and integrity.
3. Specificity
• You must ensure that your exercise program is geared towards specific
goals.
• For example, if you’d like to become a better runner, you have to
implement regular running into your program. Although
swimming is great exercise, it won’t improve a two-mile run time
as much as a running program will. Likewise, if your goal is to
improve muscle tone, cardio alone just won’t do. You have to
implement some sort of resistance training into your exercise
routine in order to tone your muscles.
4. Variation
• It's easy to become bored with physical training if you perform
the same routine every time, so it's important to mix things up by
breaking up your training routine and including different activities.
• Additionally, muscle groups adapt to a specific training stimulus in
about three weeks and then plateau.
• Training sessions should alternate between heavy, light, and
moderate in order to allow proper recovery.
• The content of training programs must also vary in order to
prevent boredom and “staleness”.
5. Reversibility
• Use it or lose it!
• Basically if you stop training then the improvements you have made will
be reversed. So if you are ill or take a vacation and do not train for
a period of time (even as little as a week) you may not be able to
resume training at the point where you left off.
• To maintain your fitness levels over time, you must be consistent
in your training efforts.
WARMING UP AND COOLING
DOWN
DYNAMIC VS STATIC STRETCHING
DYNAMIC
• Dynamic stretching: means your body is still
continuously moving, even while stretching.
• The purpose of warming up is to prepare your
muscles.You need to increase your muscles core
temperature and dynamic stretching can
accomplish this.
• Dynamic stretching helps to improve the range of
motion around your joints. This will help reduce
the chances of injury.
• Over time this will improve your performance and
maximize your movements due to the increase in
flexibility of your joints.
• Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to
the warm up as they help reduce muscle
stiffness.
STATIC
• Static stretching is used to stretch
muscles while the body is at rest.
• It is composed of various techniques that
gradually lengthen a muscle to an
elongated position (to the point of
discomfort) and then that position is held
for a length of time.
• Static stretches are more appropriate
to the cool down as they help muscles
to relax and increase their range of
movement.
BENEFITS OF WARMING UP
• Improved performance
• Gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body
temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles
• Helps reduce muscle soreness
• Lessens your risk of injury
BENEFITS OF COOLING DOWN
• Reduce the potential for DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
• Reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of
venous blood at the extremities
• Reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood
• Allow the heart rate to return to it's resting rate
SPOTTING AND WORKING WITH A
PARTNER
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SPOTTER?
PHYSICAL
MENTAL
• Safety
• Provide encouragement
• Reduce risk of Injury
• Creates a sense of confidence
that enables the lifter to
complete the exercise safely
and effectively
• Correct Form
KEYS TO SPOTTING
• Take a wide stance with one foot forward and one foot back. Have your hands ready in a position
relevant to the exercise. Stability, balance and alertness are key.
• Check for proper form. If they’re doing it incorrectly or losing their posture and technique it’s up to you
to tell them, and vice versa. It could prevent future injuries.
• Focus all your attention on the lifter. Never get distracted by someone trying to talk to you or leave
them to get some water. The safety of the lifter is in your hands – literally.
• Communication is key. Before either of you start lifting, discuss your goals for that session, how many
reps you intend to do, when you want them into interject (for example just on the last one or two reps or
throughout?), if you want them to encourage you etc. These are all preferences and expectations you will
learn over time with a regular spotting buddy.
Don’t help until absolutely necessary. A spotter should only help a minimal amount when the lifter is
fatigued or unable to complete the rep. Provide just enough assistance by taking a fraction of the load to
allow the trainer to complete a few more lifts than if they were alone, but still let them do most of the work.
Only take the weight completely if they’re stuck beneath it and can’t move it at all.
• How to actually spot depends on the actual move being performed (different exercises require
different techniques)
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TRAINING
PARTNER
• Share the Same Goals: Find someone on the same level of fitness that you are trying to achieve.
• Same Passion and Drive: Sounds similar to the first one but slightly different. This comes to the
fire and determination within your partner. If you want to be the best you can be, then you need to
find someone who wants the same and then some. If you just want to tone up and look good for
the beach, then find a partner with the same mind set.
• DEPENDABLE: You need to find someone you can actually trust to keep you safe, while also
pushing you to work.
• Share Suggestions and Opinions: Remember you are training partners, not a one-person team.
• Honest and Critical: You want your training partner to be honest and give you constructive
criticism when needed and vice versa. Tell them when they are using improper form.
• Consider the size of your partner: It seems obvious that you want someone around your size,
but consider all of the other things before choosing a partner based on size. Some smaller people
may actually be stronger and possibly even more determined.
• Provide Friendly Competition: This will help you and your training partner get the maximum
amount of effort from each other. Competition, kept friendly, brings out the best in an athlete.
INJURIES VS. SORENESS
COMMON INJURIES FROM WORKING OUT
• Muscle pull and strain
• Sprained ankle
• Shoulder injury
• Knee injuries
• Shin splints
• Tendinitis
• Wrist sprain or dislocation
HOW TO PREVENT INJURY
• Warm-up and cool-down
• Ease into it
• Stretch
• Vary your workouts and the muscles used
• Dress appropriately for your workout
• Listen to your body- pain is not okay (if something hurts, stop!)
• Fuel/ properly hydrate your body
• Rest
SORENESS
• The gradually increasing discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48
hours after activity is known as delayed onset muscle soreness
(DOMS) and is perfectly normal.
• Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is caused by small
microscopic tears that occur in the muscle. Scientists believe
this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies
these tears, causes the pain.
• The aches and pains should be minor and are simply
indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen.
DEALING WITH SORENESS
• Ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, massage, heat, and stretching
have been reported as helpful in the process of recovery.
• Take it easy for a few days while your body adapts or try some light
exercise such as walking or swimming or using different muscle
groups while allowing your sore muscles to recover.
• Keeping the muscle in motion has been known to provide some relief.
CONCLUSION
• Basic Principles of Training
• Warming-up and Cooling Down
• Spotting and Working with a Partner
• Injuries and Soreness