Fitness for Life

FITT Factors: Frequency

Certain factors must be part of any fitness training program for it to be successful. These factors are Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type.
The acronym FITT makes it easier to remember them.

FREQUENCY
To be in good shape, you should exercise 3 to 5 times per week. For the best results, you should exercise 5 days per week. Ideally, at least three exercise sessions for CR fitness, muscle endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility should be performed each week to improve fitness levels. Thus, for example, to obtain maximum gains in muscular strength, you should have at least three strength-training sessions per week. Three physical activity periods a week, however, with only one session each of cardiorespiratory, strength, and flexibility training will not improve any of these three components.

With some planning, your training program can be developed to provide fairly equal emphasis on all the components of physical fitness. The following training program serves as an example.

Some muscular and some CR training can be done during each daily training session as long as a “hard day/recovery day” approach is used. For example, if someone runs hard on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they may also choose to run on Tuesday and Thursday. However, on Tuesday and Thursday the intensity and/or distance/time should be reduced to allow recovery.


Goal Frequency

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance 3-5 times/week
• Muscular Strength 3 times/week
• Muscular Endurance 3-5 times/week
• Muscular Strength and Endurance 3 times/week
• Flexibility Always before and after exercise; 2-3 times/week for increased flexibility

FIT Factors: Type

TYPE

Type refers to the kind of exercise performed. When choosing the type, you should consider the principle of specificity.

For example, to improve your level of CR fitness (the major fitness component in a 1.5-mile run), you should do CR types of exercises; to increase strength, you should do strength exercises, etc.

Each of these exercise types will be discussed in more detail later. Understanding each one will help you better design a program tailor-made to your goals. The basic rule is that to improve performance, one must practice the particular exercise, activity, or skill he wants to improve. For example, to be good at push-ups, one must do push-ups. No other exercise will improve push-up performance as effectively.

Goal Type

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance

Running, Swimming, Cross-Country Skiing, Rowing, Bicycling, Jumping Rope, Walking/Hiking, Stair Climbing

• Muscular Strength

Free Weights, Resistance Machines, Body Weight Exercises (Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, etc)

• Muscular Endurance

Free Weights, Resistance Machines, Body Weight Exercises (Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, etc)

• Muscular Strength and Endurance

Free Weights, Resistance Machines, Body Weight Exercises (Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, etc)

• Flexibility Static ( or Passive)