Principles of

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F.I.T.T.O

Frequency

Refers to how often an athlete should exercise to get some benefit from training and to maintain or improve fitness.

This will vary according to a number of factors:•Your goals –what you are trying to achieve•Your current fitness•Your age•How healthy you are•How interested or motivated you are to train

Intensity

Refers to how hard a person works during exercise and can be calculated as a percentage of their maximal effort. Knowing whether the exercise is at the right intensity is important.E.g. Too high = fatigue early, Too low = no improvements

Working out training HR

The Karvonen method is a good way of working out your training heart rate. You need to know your resting heart rate, age and training zone (what intensity you want to work at – measured as a %)

To measure your resting heart rate – Time for 10 seconds then X 6

Karvonen Formula220

Age

Predicted HR max

Resting HR max

Target Zone – e.g. 60% max = x.6

Your resting heart rate

Training target HR

Training Target Heart RateGenerally an aerobic workout will be between 60% and 80% of your maximum heart rate. Anaerobic (without oxygen e.g. sprint work etc.) exercise is usually from 80 – 100% of your maximal heart rate.

Time

Time refers to the duration of the exercise. In resistance training time is measured in rep’s and set’s while for aerobic or endurance training by minutes/hours or distance.

Type

Refers to what kind of training you are doing.

There are five main types of training which may be used in a fitness improvement programme.

1.Resistance Training2.Interval Training3.Continuous Training4.Circuit Training5.Plyometric Training

Resistance Training

Working against a resistance or force (usually weights) in order to develop strength and power of the muscles. Usually used for muscular strength, power and endurance.

Completed in sets and repetitions to a % of maximum.

Interval Training

Training where work and rest periods are alternated. Work is usually high intensity and the rest periods allow this to be sustained over a period of time. E.g. Shuttle runs.

Speed/ Muscular Endurance

Continuous Training

An athlete works continuously for at least 20 minutes on activities such as swimming, running, cycling with the goal of improving cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance.Oxygen is the fuel.

Circuit Training

Where stations or activities are set up in a circular motion. The athlete works for a period of time at each station before moving on.

A very flexible method of training as can be used for many components of fitness.

Plyometric TrainingThe use of jumping and bounding type exercise’s that aim to improve muscular power. The key is that the movements are explosive. Useful for sports that include sprint and agility components E.g. athletics, netball.

OverloadThe principle of overload is based on the concept of working the body systems harder than usual, and increasing the workload as the body’s ability to cope with it improves. It is a balance between the frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise. Working too hard could cause an athlete to burn out.