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Now that you have a basic understanding of exercise concepts, you will want to determine the mode, frequency, duration, and intensity of your exercise.
With your fitness goals in mind, the following chart will help you determine the mode, frequency, duration and intensity of your exercise.
Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? Or do you simply want to begin incorporating exercise into your daily routine? Then consider using the FITT principle.
The acronym FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type. It describes the various factors that determine what kind of impact physical activity will have on your body. These four factors do not stand alone but are closely connected and interdependent. Let’s delve a little deeper into each component and how it relates to your fitness regimen. The FITT formulaRegardless of your experience level, FITT helps ensure that your body reaps the full benefits of regular workouts. By the same token, it protects you from eventual exercise burnout. But what exactly is the FITT formula? FrequencyIf you think of a calendar week as your workout period, then your frequency would be the number of times you exercise per week. Frequency should always be determined by the type of activity you’re engaging in. In the case of strength and resistance training, for example, it’s recommended that you allow at least one day for recovery between sessions. Therefore, your frequency of exercise per week will be lower. IntensityThe degree of intensity is based on the amount of work you have to put in. When you’re doing cardio, such as jogging, intensity is determined by the speed and distance of your running. When you’re strength training, it’s the number of weight lifting reps you end up completing. The intensity with which you approach your workout also depends on your current level of fitness and on how often you hit the gym. It’s wise to do high-intensity training fewer times a week, allowing longer rest periods than you would with low-intensity training. TimeThe length of time you spend exercising is directly impacted by the other three components of the FITT model. Cardio routines, for instance, are almost always longer than weight lifting routines. Similarly, high-intensity workouts should be shorter than low-intensity workouts. And lastly, you can exercise more frequently by doing shorter sessions, or vice versa. TypeThe type of physical activity you choose lies at the heart of the FITT principle. All other aspects of the model revolve around it. Generally speaking, cardio and resistance training are the two most common types of exercise. The former includes running, swimming, bike riding, and hiking. Meanwhile, the latter includes weight lifting, pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. Depending on your desired goals and outcome, you can mix and match the above, as needed.
FITT can be applied to any workout routine you have in mind. To demonstrate, let’s pretend that you’ve been overdoing it on sugary foods lately, and you’re trying to shed a few pounds. Instead of skipping meals, however, you’d rather exercise the weight off, according to the FITT model.
Your trainer will likely recommend that you follow certain dietary restrictions to guarantee the best results. It’s also a good idea to stay away from sodas and fizzy drinks to quench your post-workout thirst.
There’s a dizzying array of exercise tips available online, but chances are that most won’t even apply to you. With the FITT model, however, you can lose weight, maintain fitness, and increase endurance as well as tone your muscles. When properly applied, FITT actually enables you to push your limits just enough to make progress without harming your body. It also decreases your likelihood of developing conditions like hypertension, obesity, or diabetes. Furthermore, exercise encourages your body to release endorphins, which offer pain relief. During your period, it can alleviate cramps, bloating, and other symptoms you might be experiencing. Cardio workouts are particularly effective in these situations. Overall, the FITT model allows you to meet your goals by adapting to your body’s unique needs, producing short- and long-term benefits in the process.
Updated on January 19, 2021
Billinger, Sandra A, et al. “Does Aerobic Exercise and the FITT Principle Fit into Stroke Recovery?” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4560458/. “Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. 2nd ed., 2018, https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.
The FITT principle has been around for a long time and is used to help structure training programs and sessions. Your learn to for the related dot point asks you to be able to design an aerobic training session using the FITT principle. The FITT principle stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of training. Each of these is a variable that can be adjusted in order to create a training program or sessions to target aerobic or anaerobic training. Aerobic training is training that aims to improve an athlete’s aerobic power or VO2max. Aerobic exercise, as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine, is:
Often the FITT principle is used as follows for aerobic training:
And if you are a beginner to aerobic training this is what should be followed, however, research has shown that the best improvements in aerobic power or VO2max are achieved using the following:
Anaerobic training, on the other hand, can be used to focus on strength, power, muscular endurance or even size. The use of the FITT principle in relation to anaerobic training, therefore, varies depending on the focus of the session. As a general guide to, develop anaerobic fitness (targeting the anaerobic lactic acid energy system) the FITT principle uses the following:
However, the data on this is very varied. Essentially you want to train somewhere around the lactate inflection point (intensity where lactic acid accumulates in the blood), and ensure you have a minimum of 48 hrs rest between training sessions. For further information on the applying the FITT principle to the various types of training, see the table here developed by ptdirect.com. References [1] Wenger HA, Bell GJ. “The interactions of intensity, frequency and duration of exercise training in altering cardiorespiratory fitness.” Sports Med. 1986 Sep-Oct;3(5):346-56. [2] Helgerud, Jan et al. “Aerobic High-Intensity Intervals Improve V˙ O2max More Than Moderate Training.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007:665-671 Training to Improve the Big Three. http://faculty.washington.edu/crowther/Misc/RBC/model2.shtml http://www.ptdirect.com/training-design/training-fundamentals/fitt-training-guidelines-for-fitness-components |