Basic Exercise and Training Variables

Effective exercise and fitness programs follow certain principles that allow them to produce a stimulus and therefore force the body to adapt.

There are of course, several, even countless ways of putting exercise programs together, but the basic principles behind exercise and fitness plans will always remain.

Knowing these principles and applying them in your own fitness regimen can help make your plan more effective and accelerate how quickly you achieve results.

Here are four variables you will need to consider when designing your fitness program:

Exercise Frequency

This of course refers to how often you exercise. Exercise frequency will vary, based upon your current level of physical conditioning and exercise experience. For beginners, 3 days of physical activity per week may be enough to kick-start the metabolism and induce weight loss. However, for more experienced fitness enthusiasts, fourth, fifth and even sixth days may need to be added in order to provide enough shock to the system to make the exercise plan effective.

It should also be noted that frequency applies to all types of exercise, i.e. resistance training AND cardiovascular exercise. Once again, beginners may opt to alternate between resistance training days and cardio days, while the more experienced may need to perform both weight training and cardio sessions within the same 24 hour period.

Exercise Intensity

Exercise Intensity refers to the difficulty of the training session. How hard you push yourself during each exercise session will play a significant factor in the effectiveness of an exercise program.

You see, unless the body is uncomfortable, it has no reason to change.

For example, most carpenters have tough, thick pieces of skin covering the palms of their hands. These calluses protect the hands from the physical stress of manual labor, so that the body will not be uncomfortable. Unless the carpenter places a GREATER stress on the hands, the body has no reason to change.

By comparison, an office manager who leaves work on a Friday afternoon to go home and build a shed all weekend, will likely have a few blisters to show for it come Monday morning!

For the office manager, the stress of swinging hammers, running power tools and hauling materials may encompass more physical stress than the body is used to. The body adapts to this stress by building calluses on the palms, so that the next time this physical labor is performed, the stress is not as great on the body.

The same rules apply for exercise. Obviously, walking and sprinting will place two extremely different levels of stress on the body. Even though there are benefits to both high-intensity exercise and low-intensity exercise, it is important to remember that you must constantly challenge yourself with higher levels of physical exertion in order to continue making physical changes.

Type of Exercise

In choosing the type of exercise you will participate in, it is important to identify your purpose for said activities.

If your goal is to lose weight and increase muscle tone, you may opt to do some resistance training and cardiovascular activity.

If you wish to lose weight and sculpt a flexible physique with long, firm muscles, you may wish to combine Pilates with cardiovascular training.

If you are looking to decrease stress, provide an outlet for pent-up energy and re-establish a sense of calmness in your life, Yoga may be the activity for you.

If your goal is to compete in a triathlon, then a combination of sport-specific training, core strength and conditioning will be in order.

If you are trying to recover from an accident or injury, then you will most likely combine strength training, stretching techniques and seek the assistance of a health care practitioner like a Massage Therapist or Physiotherapist.

No matter your goals, be sure to do your homework and consult with a professional in order to determine what may be best for you.

Duration of Exercise

Obviously, this refers to the complete time devoted to each exercise session. The duration and intensity of a session will ultimately determine the amount of work completed in the session and therefore determine the amount of stress placed on the body. Duration may also be used to outline the acceptable length of time in weeks or months that other exercise variables will be used before new methods are employed, whether to avoid injury or improve results.

When designing your exercise program, it is important to be aware of all of these exercise variables in order to create a program that is best suited to your needs, physical capabilities and goals.

These exercise and training variables can be used in developing a certain exercise program that would allow for better performance as well as increased results.

As your body changes, you may also then change any or all of these variables to either increase the efficiency of your fitness program as well as to reach the target results.

Remember to also vary the above variables in order to keep your fitness program fresh and fun!

Maranda and Pat Lessard -

With nearly 20 years of collective experience, Maranda and Pat have grown to become two prominent and highly trusted professionals in the Health and Fitness industry.

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