The FITT Principle

Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type… and how they relate to Injury Prevention.
by Brad Walker | First Published September 24, 2003 | Updated May 23, 2017

The FITT Principle (or formula) is a great way of monitoring your exercise program. The
acronym FITT outlines the key components of an effective exercise program, and the
initials F, I, T, T, stand for: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency …refers to the frequency of exercise undertaken or how often you exercise.
Intensity …refers to the intensity of exercise undertaken or how hard you exercise.
Time …refers to the time you spend exercising or how long you exercise for.
Type …refers to the type of exercise undertaken or what kind of exercise you do.

What is the Mainstream Recommendation?

The FITT Principle is most commonly used in the weight loss industry, although it’s also used
as part of strength and weight training recommendations. The standard recommendation is as
follows.
Frequency – 5 to 6 times per week
Intensity – Moderate
Time – Anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes
Type – Just about any old exercise
Let’s take a look at each of the components.

Frequency
Frequency is a key component of the FITT Principle. Remember that it’s important to know
why you’re exercising and what you want to achieve before rushing into any exercise program.
Adjust the number of times you exercise per week to reflect your current fitness level, the time
you realistically have available, your other commitments like family and work, and the goals
you’ve set for yourself.

Intensity
This is an extremely important aspect of the FITT principle and is probably the hardest factor
to monitor. The best way to gauge the intensity of your exercise is to monitor your heart rate.
There are a couple of ways to monitor your heart rate but the best way by far is to purchase an
exercise heart rate monitor. These can be purchased at most good sports stores and retail from
$50 to $400. They consist of an elastic belt that fits around your chest and a wrist watch that
displays your exercise heart rate in beats per minute.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a heart rate monitor, simply count your heart rate
over a 15 second period. All you need is a wrist watch that has a “second’s” display. Feel for
your heart beat by either placing your hand over your heart or by feeling for your pulse in your
neck or on your wrist. Count the beats over a 15 second period and then multiply by 4. This
will give you your exercise heart rate in beats per minute.

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Time
The time you spend exercising is also an important part of the FITT Principle. The time
dedicated to exercise usually depends on the type of exercise undertaken.
For example, it’s recommended that to improve cardio-vascular fitness you’ll need at least 20 to
30 minutes of non-stop exercise. For weight loss, more time is required; at least 40 minutes of
moderate weight bearing exercise. However, when talking about the time required for muscular
strength improvements, time is often measured as a number of “sets” and “reps.” A typical
recommendation would be 3 sets of 8 reps.

Type
Like time, the type of exercise you choose will have a big effect on the results you achieve.
That’s why it’s important to know what you want to gain from your efforts.
For example, if you’re looking to improve your cardio-vascular fitness, then exercises like
walking, jogging, swimming, bike riding, stair climbing, aerobics and rowing are very effective.
For weight loss, any exercise that using a majority of your large muscle groups will be
effective. To improve muscular strength the best exercises include the use of free weights,
machine weights and body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups and dips.

How does all this relate to Injury Prevention?

The two biggest mistakes I see people make when designing an exercise program, is firstly
training too hard, and secondly, not including enough variety.
The problem, most commonly, is that people tend to find an exercise they like and very rarely
do anything other than that exercise. This can result in long term, repetitive strain to the same
muscle groups, and neglect, or weakening of other muscle groups. Leading to a very
unbalanced muscular system, which is a sure-fire recipe for injury.

When using the FITT Principle to design your exercise program keep the following in mind.

Frequency: After you finish exercising your body goes through a process of rebuilding and
repair. It’s during this process that the benefits of your exercise are forthcoming.
However, if you’re exercising on a daily basis (5 to 6 times a week) your body never has a
decent chance to realize the benefits and gains from the exercise. What usually happens is that
you end up getting tired or injured and just quit.

My frequency recommendation: Only exercise 3 to 4 times a week MAXIMUM!

This may sound strange and a little hard to do at first, (because most people have been
brainwashed into believing that they have to exercise everyday) but after a while exercising like
this becomes very enjoyable and something that you can look forward to.

It also dramatically reduces your likelihood of injury because you’re giving your body more
time to repair and heal.

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Intensity, Time & Type: The key here is variety. Don’t let yourself get stuck in an exercise
rut.
In regard to intensity and time, vary your effort. Dedicate some of your workouts to long, easy
sessions like long walks, laps around the gym or using light, repetitive weights. While other
sessions can be made up of short, high intensity exercises like stair climbing or interval
training. And remember, if you’re not feeling 100%; take the day off or schedule an easy
workout.
The type of exercise you do is also very important. Like I said earlier, many people get into a
routine of doing the same exercise over and over again. If you really want to lower your risk of
injury, do a variety of different exercises. This will help to improve all your major muscle
groups and will make you a more versatile, all round athlete. Cross training is a great way of
adding variety to your workout schedule.

Interval Training and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Looking for an interval training program to accelerate your fitness training?
by Brad Walker | First Published July 22, 2008 | Updated June 2, 2017

Fitness training for most people comprises a workout of continuous exercise at a constant
intensity. This type of training is very effective but, to propel yourself to the next level of
fitness, you need to incorporate interval training into your fitness training regimen. You will
burn more calories, increase your speed, strength, endurance, motivation and overall athletic
performance.
The concept of interval training has been around for years as the basis for athletic fitness
training routines. Originally called Fartlek, it combined alternating short and fast bursts of
intensive exercise with the slower, easier activity of continuous work. Fartlek training was a
deliberate attempt to complete more work than continuous training by increasing the intensity
of workouts.

What is Interval Training Today?

Interval training has since evolved into a more structured and sophisticated way of fast
tracking your fitness training. Unlike Fartlek training, which causes a temporary build-up of
lactic acid, interval training now involves alternating periods of activity and recovery.
Recovery is achieved by maintaining movement throughout the entire workout. This facilitates
the removal of the lactic acid from the muscles through to its conversion into energy.
Interval training programs are now easily adapted to suit most sports. This is done by
manipulating the intensity and duration of the work intervals, and the length of the rest
periods, to create the desired training responses. A complete interval training workout usually
comprises several short, alternating periods of both higher and lower intensity exercises.
Interval training programs are also designed scientifically and specifically for individual
athletes. Physiologists and trainers measure precise periods of activity that match the athlete’s
sport and current level of fitness. For example, the intensity and duration of these periods of
activity are usually determined by AT (anaerobic threshold) testing, which also measures the
blood-lactate of the athlete during intense exercise.

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 How Does Interval Training Work?
During the intense periods of activity, interval training works repetitively on the aerobic and
anaerobic systems.

• The anaerobic system metabolizes energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for the short
bursts of activity without needing oxygen.

• Lactic acid builds up as the by-product and the athlete experiences oxygen debt.

• The body is then allowed to recover with the heart and lungs working together to give back
this oxygen and to break down the lactic acid.

• The aerobic system takes over using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.
What Makes Interval Training So Effective?
Interval training enables greater exposure to more intensive training without the excess
fatigue. Intensive repetition forces the athlete’s body to respond by adapting to the new process
(Adaption Response). This leads to many benefits:

• New capillaries are built taking oxygen to the muscles to strengthen them, including the
heart muscle.

• The combination of an improved cardiovascular system with muscles that can tolerate lactic
acid build-up significantly improves athletic performance and well-being.

• Injuries associated with long-term, repetitive exercises are significantly reduced due to lack
of overtraining or burn-out.

• Overall aerobic power and fitness levels are improved.

• Helpful when trying a new form of exercise or activity. Allows you to gradually build up to
the continuous activity in a much more enjoyable and effective manner, without tiring too
quickly.
Also, interval training can be applied to all levels of fitness training – for beginners,
intermediate exercisers and conditioned athletes.

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 Types of Interval Training
There are two basic types of interval training.
1. The Fitness Interval Training technique is recommended for beginners and intermediate
exercisers. This training method uses periods of increased intensity that usually last from 2-5
minutes, followed by lower intensity periods of the same duration. When determining the
higher intensity periods, it is vital that the levels should not exceed the anaerobic threshold
of below 85% heart rate reserve.
2. The Performance Interval Training technique is more advanced and is recommended for
conditioned athletes. This training method uses periods of maximum intensity (85% – 100%
heart rate reserve) that usually last from 2-15 minutes, followed by lower intensity periods of
the same or shorter duration.

Common Types of Interval Workouts

The following types of interval workouts illustrate how easily interval training programs can
be adapted to suit most sports or activities. By manipulating the intensity and duration of the
work intervals and the length of the rest periods, specific training responses can be achieved for
their specific activities.
• Jumping Rope Workouts are an inexpensive and fast way to build overall fitness. Besides
improving cardiovascular fitness, they can improve muscular strength, endurance, balance,
agility and burn calories.
• 30-Second Sprint Drills improve aerobic capacity and fitness fast by giving the same
benefits as long, slow cardio workouts in about half the time. Popular among all exercisers
because it works.
• Sprint and Speed Training Drills benefit any sport by offering a combination of speed and
endurance. Start only after 3 months of consistent athletic activity and after you have
reached a fitness training level that allows you to run for 20-30 minutes at a time.
• Explosive Exercise Training routines are another way to increase power and strength.
Used by elite athletes in sports that require fast burst of maximum effort in a short amount
of time, such as sprinting and jumping.
• Agility Drills improve coordination, speed, power and sports skills for athletes. These drills
also help perfect foot speed and refine sports technique.
• Shuttle Runs are standard agility and speed drills for athletes playing stop-and-start sports
such as basketball, soccer, hockey and tennis.

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• Stair Running is an advanced program that helps build speed, power and cardiovascular
fitness. A great addition to any agility training program for its quickness, foot speed and
excellent sprint workout.
• Plyometric Jumping Exercises are used by many athletes and trainers to develop athletic
power (strength and speed), coordination and agility for increased sports performance.
• Tuck Jumps are simple drills that build agility and dynamic power to increase an athlete’s
vertical jump. Used to develop proficiency in vertical, high, box and long jumps.

Interval Training Precautions and Safety Guidelines

Interval training is a fantastic form of exercise, however, the most common problem associated
with interval training is that people tend to get over excited, because of the intense nature of
the exercises, and push themselves harder than they normally would. This tends to result in
sore muscles and joints, and an increased likelihood of injury. Below are a few precautions you
need to take into consideration.

• Set a training goal that is realistic and within your current fitness level.

• Use a safe warm up routine before starting your intervals.

• Start slowly and work toward longer intervals to provide better results.

• Maintain a steady but challenging pace throughout the interval.

• Increase the repetitions over time.

• Reduce your heart rate to 100-110 bpm during the rest interval.

• To step up your fitness levels, increase the intensity or duration, but not both at once.

• Extend any increases slowly over a period of time.

• Train on smooth, flat surfaces.

And don’t forget to incorporate regular stretching and flexibility training into your fitness
program. The added intensity of interval training requires that your muscles and joints be
flexible and supple.

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 Sample Interval Training Workouts

Sprint Workout: Perform this workout two to three times a week with plenty of rest between
workouts.

• Warm up for 5-10 minutes.

• 1st Sprint at about 60 percent maximum intensity for about 200m (adjust the distance
according to your fitness level and experience).

• Recover for 2 minutes by slowing down to an easy jog or a walk.

• 2nd Sprint at about 80 percent maximum intensity.

• Recover for 2 minutes by slowing down to an easy jog or a walk.

• Perform the remainder of your sprints by pushing yourself all-out for each sprint.

• Recover for 2 to 4 minutes after each remaining sprint.

• Start with 4 sprint/recovery routines building up to 8 routines depending upon your fitness
level.

• Have a Workout Goal of six workouts in two weeks down to twice a week for maintenance
for six to eight weeks.

• Allow 1-2 days of rest between sprint workouts.

• Follow precautions and safety guidelines listed above.

The Shuttle Run: For sports such as soccer, hockey, basketball and tennis.

• Set up markers 25 yards apart.

• Warm up effectively.

• Sprint from one marker to the other and back for one repetition.

• Do 6 repetitions at maximal speed and time your results.

• Rest for 5 minutes making sure you are still moving.

• Repeat the drill once more.

• Add the 2 times then halve it to find the average time.

• Test monthly to track your progress.

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