INTRODUCTION TO FITNESS

Dr SD. Jacobs
Exercise/Fitness:
Exercise:

Planned, structured, repetitive movement intended to improve or maintain physical

fitness.

Goal → Improves fitness

•Physical activity:

Body movement carried out by the skeletal muscles that requires energy.

Goal → Improves health and wellness (Wide arrange of health benefits)

Watch this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyJoqOR0pkg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODxmLqJD5zU
Exercise/fitness:
Physical fitness:
- Set of physical attributes that allows the body to adapt to the demands and stress of physical
effort
- To perform moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity without becoming overly
tired/fatigued (Quality of training VS quantity)
Exercise/Fitness:
Level of fitness depends on:

Physiological factors (Hearts ability to pump 02 Blood to the muscles)

Energy generating capacity of the cells

This ↑ depends on:

1. Genetics (In born potential for PF)

2. Behaviour (Stress→ Adaptations →LT Physiological changes)

 Health related components of
Physical fitness:
Cardio respiratory

Muscular strength

Muscular endurance

Flexibility

Body composition

Other (Performance/skill related components):

- Speed - Power

- Agility - Balance

- Coordination - Reaction and movement time

 Fitness terms:
Cardiorespiratory:
The ability to perform prolonged, large-muscle, dynamic exercise at moderate to
high levels of intensity.

Muscular strength:
The amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximum effort.

Muscular endurance:
The ability to resist fatigue and sustain a given level of muscle tension (Hold a
muscle contraction for a long period of time)
 Fitness terms:
Flexibility:
The ability to move the joints through their full range of motion.

Body composition:
The proportion of fat and fat free mass (Muscle, bone, water) in the body.

Speed
The ability to perform a movement in a short period of time
 Fitness terms:
Power:
The ability to exert force rapidly, based on a combination of strength and speed

Agility:
The ability to change the position of the body quickly and accurately

Balance:
The ability to maintain equilibrium while moving or while stationary
Fitness terms:
Coordination:
The ability to perform motor tasks accurately and smoothly using body movements and the senses

Reaction and movement time:

The ability to respond and react quickly to a stimulus
Clients needs analysis:
Analysis of a client’s needs include:

Age – predisposition to injury

Training experience and current training level

Injury / operation history

Physical testing results

Training goals

Incidence of injury in the chosen activity – risk of injury

 Basic principles of training:
1. Specificity
2. Overload
3. Progression
F I T T
Frequency Intensity Time Type

4. Reversibility
 Basic principles of training:
Specificity:
Designing a program SPECIFIC for a component/sport/activity

Overload:
The body adapting to the demands of exercise by improving its functioning (Exercise aka load/stress) →
Adaptations

Progression:
Progressively increasing load → Improvement (Decreases injuries- Too much too soon)
Specificity videos:
Watch this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-L3HgyDRPg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW-nWnl5hYk&t=296s
Basic principles of training:
How do we implement the progression principle quantitatively?

F- Frequency= How often?

I- Intensity = How hard?

T - Time = How long? (Duration)

T - Type = Mode of activity?

 Progression principle:
Frequency:

Example 1:

MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

Cardio + Gym –ST Cardio + Gym- ST Cardio + HIIT Rest

Flex UB Flex LB Flex

Recovery dependent on:Experience of client/athlete, age, intensity of the training

Training frequency:
Training frequency refers to how often workouts are performed and are dependent upon:

◦ The participant’s goals

◦ Participant’s current fitness level
◦ Duration and Intensity of exercise
◦ Recovery time required for that exercise

Beginner participants should start with the minimum number of sessions per week, spaced out evenly.

As fitness levels improve, the frequency of training can increase.

 Progression principle:
Intensity:
H M L

HIGH MEDIUM LOW

- HR (Heart rate values) Cardiorespiratory eg.Cycling/running

- Muscular strength (Weight increases)

- Flexibility (Stretch/muscles elasticity should be increased)

 Progression principle:
Time (Duration):
Duration of training :

High intensity = 20-30 min (eg. Running)

= Poses a risk as an ↑ injury level may occur

= Start off with Low → Moderate activity but longer

Moderate intensity = 45-60 min (eg. Brisk Walking)

Weeks: Sets and reps:

Reps and sets in the gym: Week 1-2 x2 sets x15 reps
Example 2: Week 3-4 x3 sets x12 reps
Week 5-6 x3 sets 8 Reps
 Progression principle:
Volume/training load:
Refers to the total amount of work being done

How do we measure it?

How much work is being done per exercise (Sets and reps)

How much work is being done per muscle group (Agonist VS antagonist) (Exercises)

What is the total volume per work out (TL)

What is the total volume per week (TL)

 Progression principle:
Type (Mode of activity):
The type of activity which is being done

Eg. To develop cardiorespiratory fitness you need to do:

- Walking

- Jogging

- Cycling

- Swimming
 Basic principles of training:
Reversibility:
Adapting to a reduction in training meaning:

The body adapts to lower loads the same way it does to higher loads

Therefore:

50% of fitness improvements can be lost within two months of no training => Detraining effect

BUT:

Not all fitness levels reverse at the same rate: Hereby: MAINTENANCE of training programs is key!!!!

Eg. ST can be maintained with one session a week

Eg. Cardiovascular training can be lost within a few weeks

 Warm ups:
Passive Warm-Up

Involves such methods as hot showers, saunas, heating pads, or massage.

General Warm-Up

Basic activities requiring major muscle group movement such as jogging.

Increases heart rate, blood flow, muscle temperature, respiration and perspiration.

More appropriate than passive when the goal is preparing the body for demanding physical activity.

Stretching- ROM around joints is increased as a result of the warm-up.

Specific Warm-Up

Includes movements that are specific to the activity or the sport code
Importance of warm up:
↓ chances of injury (Progress from rest to activity)
Activates the blood circulation & increases body temperature
Reduces joint stiffness and ↑muscle elasticity (Flexibility)
Bathe joint surfaces in lubricating fluid
Increase blood flow to the active muscles and heart
Improves the conduction speed of the nervous system
Mental preparation
Warm up intensity: Low-> Moderate (Never max)
 Warm up guidelines:
Take note of weather temperatures (Cold weather focus > on the warm up. Warm weather you do
not need the athlete to sweat profusely)

Working with children their bodies warm up faster than adults or older people (↑ vascular
system, HR, energy systems), however still NB to warm them up efficiently.

Children get “cold” quicker hereby allow them to stay warm, after warm up and during training

10-20 min warm up (General and specific exercises)

Warm up timed properly (not longer than 5-10 min before an event)
 Structure of a warm up:
Three Phases of warm up:
Phase 1:
General exercises to stimulate the heart and vascular system and also ↑ body
temperature (Cardiorespiratory) Energy system related.

Phase 2:
Dynamic stretching of the large muscles and the muscles used in the sport or
movement (No static stretches)

Phase 3:
Specific exercises to prepare muscles involved in movement (Drills)
 Importance of cooling down:
Restore circulation to its resting condition
Brings HR back to its resting state
Decreases fainting or dizziness due to blood pooling in large muscle
groups
Removes lactic acid
Decreases DOMS (Delayed onset of muscle soreness)
Reduces adrenaline from training
Structure of cool down:
Basic cool down example:
Cardio respiratory cool down (Run, walk, cycle etc) LOW intensity

Medium intensity runs (Faster lactate clearance) HP Sport

Static stretches of the muscles which were loaded during the session
Acronyms key:
PF = Physical fitness

LT = Long term

ST = Strength training

HIIT = High intensity interval training

Flex = Flexibility training

TL = Training load

HR = Training load

BT = Body temperature

HP = High performance sport

 In summary:
1. Difference between exercise and physical activity

2. Components of fitness

3. Fitness terms

4. Client needs analysis

5. Training principles

6. Warm up / Cooldown
Take home message:
Questions????
Your best quote that reflects your
approach… “It’s one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind.”

- NEIL ARMSTRONG