Sports Specific Training

For individuals trying to get into a regular fitness regimen, could using the FITT Principle help structure exercise, track progress, and achieve fitness goals?

FITT Principle

The FITT principle is a set of guidelines for adjusting, revising, and improving exercise workouts. FITT is an acronym for:

• Frequency
• Intensity
• Time
• Type of exercise
• Individuals take these elements to create and adjust workouts that fit their goals and fitness levels.

For example, this could be a workout of 3 to 5 days combined with low, medium, and high-intensity exercises for 30 to 60 minutes each session that incorporates cardio and strength training. Focusing on these details and progressing over time helps create an effective program.

Frequency

Workout frequency and how often the individual is going to exercise is the first thing to look at.

• Frequency depends on various factors, including the type of workout being done, how hard the workout is, fitness levels, and exercise goals.
• General exercise guidelines developed by the American College of Sports Medicine offer recommendations. (Carol Ewing Garber, et al., 2011)

Cardiovascular Workouts

• Cardio workouts are usually scheduled more often.
• Depending on goals, guidelines recommend moderate cardio exercise five or more days a week or intense cardio three days a week to improve health.
• Individuals can adjust the exercise intensity level easily on a treadmill to provide excellent and convenient cardiovascular workouts.
• Individuals who want to lose weight may want to work up to more workouts gradually.
• However, more is not always better, and recovery time is essential. (Pete McCall. 2018)

Strength Training

• The recommended frequency for strength training is two to three non-consecutive days a week. (National Strength and Conditioning Association. 2017)
• Individuals should have at least one to two days of rest and recovery between sessions.
• Workout frequency will often depend on the type of training sessions being performed as well as health goals.
• For example, individuals want to work on each muscle group at least two times a week if their goal is to build muscle. (Brad J. Schoenfeld, Dan Ogborn, James W. Krieger. 2016)
• For individuals following a split routine, like upper body one day and lower body the next, workouts can be more frequent than total body workouts.

Intensity

Workout intensity involves how hard the individual is pushing themselves during exercise. How it is increased or decreased depends on the type of workout. (Carol Ewing Garber, et al., 2011)

Cardiovascular Workouts

For cardio, individuals will monitor workout intensity by:

• Heart rate
• Perceived exertion
• Talk test
• Heart rate monitor
• A combination of these measures.

1. The general recommendation is to work at a moderate intensity for steady workouts.
2. Interval training is done at a higher intensity for a shorter period.
3. It's recommended to mix up low, medium, and high-intensity cardio exercises to stimulate different energy systems and prevent overtraining. (Nathan Cardoos. 2015)

Strength Training

• Individual intensity comprises the amount of weight being lifted and the number of reps and sets done.
• The intensity can change based on health goals.

1. Beginners looking to build stability, endurance, and muscle are recommended to use a lighter weight and do fewer sets with high repetitions - for example, two or three sets of 12 to 20 reps.
2. Individuals wanting to grow muscle are recommended to do more sets with a moderate amount of reps - for example, four sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
3. Individuals who want to build strength are recommended to use heavy weights and do more sets with fewer reps - for example, five sets of three reps each.
4. Building muscle can be done with a wide range of repetitions and weights. (Brad J. Schoenfeld, Dan Ogborn, James W. Krieger. 2016)

Time

The next element of the plan is how long the exercise will be during each session. Exercise length depends on individual fitness level and the type of workout being done.

Cardiovascular Workouts

The exercise guidelines suggest 30 to 60 minutes of cardio, but workout duration will depend on fitness level and type of exercise. ((Carol Ewing Garber, et al., 2011)

• Beginners are recommended to start with a 15- to 20-minute workout.
• Individuals with some workout experience and are doing steady-state cardio, like jogging or using a cardio machine, might exercise for 30 to 60 minutes.
• For individuals doing interval training and working at very high intensity, the workout will be shorter, around 10 to 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training.
• Having a variety of workouts of different intensities and durations will provide a solid, balanced cardiovascular program.

Strength Training

• How long an individual strength trains will depend on the type of workout and schedule.
• A total body workout can take over an hour.
• A split routine can take less time by working fewer muscle groups in one session.

Type

The type of exercise you do is the last part of the FIIT principle.
It is easy to manipulate to avoid overuse injuries or weight loss plateaus.

Cardiovascular Workouts

• Cardio is easy to adjust and change because any activity that increases heart rate counts.

1. Walking, dancing, running, cycling, swimming, and using an elliptical trainer are a few activities that can be incorporated.
2. Having multiple cardio activities is recommended to reduce burnout and keep workouts fresh.

Strength Training

• Strength training workouts can also be varied.
• They include any exercise where some type of resistance  -  bands, dumbbells, machines, etc. are used to work the muscles.
• Bodyweight exercises can also be considered a form of strength training.
• Strength workouts can be changed from total body training to adding, for example, supersets or pyramid training.
• Incorporating new exercises for each body area is another way to vary the type of workouts.
• Spending a few weeks working on functional strength movements, then switching to hypertrophy or strength-based training.
• Each modality includes various alternative types of strength-based exercises.

Using FITT

The FITT principle outlines how to adjust workout programs to achieve better results. It also helps figure out how to change workouts to avoid burnout, overuse injuries, and plateaus.

For example, walking three times a week for 30 minutes at a moderate pace is recommended for a beginner to start out with. After a few weeks, the body adapts to the workout. This results in burning fewer calories, burnout, or weight management efforts, and goals are put on hold. This is where the FITT principles come in. For example, a change-up could include:

• Changing frequency by adding another day of walking or jogging.
• Changing intensity by walking faster, adding more challenging terrain like a hill, or jogging at certain intervals.
• Walking for a longer time each workout day.
• Changing the type of workout by swapping one or more of the walk sessions for cycling or aerobics.

1. Even just changing one element can make a big difference in the workout and how the body responds to exercise.
2. It's important to change things up regularly to keep the body healthy and mind engaged.

Injury Prevention

One of the best things about using FITT is that it allows individuals to monitor the length and intensity of their workouts. When individuals work out too frequently or don't get enough rest, they run the risk of overuse injuries, burnout, and muscle strains. The FITT principle encourages adding variety to workouts. When following this practice, it allows the body to rest and recover properly. Because individuals are not working the same muscle groups over and over again, better results are achieved.

Fighting Inflammation Naturally

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I. M., Nieman, D. C., Swain, D. P., & American College of Sports Medicine (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 43(7), 1334–1359. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb

McCall Pete. 8 reasons to take a rest day. (2018) American Council on Exercise.

National Strength and Conditioning Association. (2017) Determination of resistance training frequency.

Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8

Cardoos, Nathan MD. Overtraining Syndrome. (May/June 2015). Current Sports Medicine Reports 14(3):p 157-158. DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000145

Running Shoes: Feet are important. By the time the typical American reaches the age of 50, they will have walked 75,000 miles.

Runners put even more miles on their feet, and stress. Your feet are your foundation. A problem with your feet can throw your entire body out of balance. That is why when it comes to running shoes, it is important to find the right type. This guide will help you find the running shoes that are right for you.

Running Shoes

Before You Shop

Know the type of runner you are.

Different types of running require different features in shoes.

Some questions to consider:

• Do you run or jog?
• What surface do you run on – asphalt, treadmill, or trails?
• How far do you run each week?
• Are you training for a marathon?
• Are you a competitive sprinter?

Know your body type.

A larger person will not move and run the same way a thin, wiry person does. An overweight person will put more stress on their feet – and shoes.

Know your running style.

The way you run, the motion of your stride and how your foot strikes the ground has great bearing on the type of running shoe you need. When your foot comes in contact with the ground, what hits first? Does the inside of your forefoot hit first? The center of your heel? The outside of your heel? Where your foot first hits is where you really want the cushion.

Know what injuries you may have sustained from running.

Plantar fasciitis, shin splints, tendonitis, and blisters are a few common injuries can be reversed or improved when you wear running shoes that fit properly.

Know the type of arch you have.

Whether you supinate (foot rolls to the outside) or pronate (foot rolls to the inside) is determined, at least in part, by the shape of your arch. While supinators are rare, quite a few people over pronate. This can be the source of injuries due to overuse. 

When You Shop

Give it the 360-degree test.

When people try on shoes they typically check for fit in the toe box, but look no further than that. When you try on running shoes, you do need to make sure you have adequate space in the toe box, but you also need to check that your entire foot fits on the shoe’s platform.

Give your foot enough space.

The upper should have enough room but should not be loose. It shouldn’t squeeze your foot either though. It should fit well with no pinching or binding.

Shop later in the day.

Throughout the day your feet swell. When you run they also swell so when you shop for shoes, going when your feet are the largest will help ensure that you get the most accurate and more comfortable fit possible.

Bring your old running shoes along when you shop.

Having your old shoes with you when you shop will help the sales person determine what kind of running shoe you need. They can look at the wear on the shoe to see your running patterns and help you find a shoe that works best for you.

Get your foot measured.

As you age your feet actually change; they can expand or flatten. Don’t every assume your shoe size, get your foot measured every time. A comfortable fit is dependent upon wearing the right size shoe. You also need to keep in mind that shoe sizes may differ from brand to brand.

Dress for the run.

When you are shopping for a new pair of running shoes, dress as you would when you run. Don’t show up wearing flip flops or when you are dressed for the office. Definitely don’t show up without socks.

Forget the latest trend or what’s fashionable; think functionality.

There are plenty of sharp looking shoes, but that doesn’t mean they are the right running shoe for you. Go for fit and functionality first and fashion second.

Take them for a test drive.

Once you have settled on a pair or two, try them both on and try them out. Many stores that specialize in running shoes have a treadmill or area where runners can try their shoes. That is the only way you can tell for shoe if the shoe is right for you.

Injury Medical Clinic: Sport Injury Treatment