Tag: Stretching

Training for YOUR Own Goals

Specificity

This concept is training for a specific outcome. If you want to increase your endurance, you need to train for endurance.

The four main ways you can weight train include endurance, hypertrophy, strength and power. For sake of simplicity, I will offer set numbers for reps and sets to help describe how to train for each modality.

Endurance:
This refers to muscular endurance. Even though it will have some benefits for your cardiovascular system, it will not result in huge increases of VO2max. Endurance weight training will help improve your muscular function during repeated bouts of sub maximal load. Such as required in cycling or boxing. Muscle fibers will become what is called “Type 1” or “slow twitch”. This fiber type is fatigue resistant. Meaning it can last a lot longer during exercise. However, it is not as strong or fast.
To train for endurance, 3 sets of 20 reps at 60% of your one rep max on desired weight exercises

Hypertrophy:
Arguable why most people weight train now a days is to increase muscle size. This exercise style focuses on increasing the size of the muscle fibers. Normally, it is the “Type II fibers” or the “Moderate to fast twitch” fibers that will have the most increase in size. To have the most benefit of training to increase muscle size you should be aiming to do 4 sets of 12 reps for 80% of your one rep max.

Strength:
This is the absolute amount of strength. So, how much weight can someone lift. Another highly popular reason why people weight train. This targets the same muscle fibers as hypertrophy, except it is more focused on the tensile strength of “sarcomeres”. This training style is actually what most people consider power lifting. Training to increase strength you want to focus on 5 sets of 3 reps at 90% of your one rep max.

Power:
This one is often confused with strength. The subtle but VERY important difference is power has a SPEED component. This means that it is not so concerned about how much weight you can lift but how FAST can you lift that weight. This type of weight training benefits explosive athletes well who need to have immediate reactions and quick starts. It focuses on the “Type IIx” or “Fast twtich” muscle fibers. To train for power you want to focus on 4 sets of 6 reps at 60% of your one rep max.

Any questions please send a message!
Any suggested edits please let me know where I went array 🙂

Thanks!

CB

What is ‘Fitness’?

The first thing the probably comes to mind when you hear this question is an image of people who are really lean with have high muscle definition. How accurate is this?

In other fields, such as biology, fitness defined is a species ability to reproduce (so I guess all humans are pretty fit).

Looking at exercise physiology and their definition of fitness and comparing it to what people assume it is (having a six pack, giant biceps and chiseled chest) you begin to realize that our image of fitness is not correct. And what is advertised as fitness in the media – is really ‘Gym Fit’.

The true definition of fitness when looking at exercise physiology is “How well a person can perform a task” ie, how fast are they, how high can they jump, how long can they run, how much can they lift, are all simple examples of tasks that can show how fit an individual is.

Compare a world class sprinter to a world class marathon runner. First thing you notice is how their bodies are completely different. On top of that, their physiology is way different. The sprinter has more muscle mass composed of fast twitch fibers with a high alactic anaerobic ability, while the marathon runner has high aerobic ability. Two completely different energy systems being used, yet these people are both the most fit in their respective sports.

My point I am trying to get at is that fitness should be compared to your goals. If you goal is to look chiseled and have high muscle definition, then that is fantastic. If your goal is to be fit in a particular sport, or event, then that is great too. Know that just because you don’t look a certain way, it doesn’t mean you arent fit at what you do.

Hope you enjoyed!

CB