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Defining Your Goals
Muscle Strength is the maximum force you can exert
against resistance at one time. Your muscle strength
comes into play when you pick up a heavy bag of groceries
or lift a small child. It is developed when a localized muscle
is worked both positively (concentric) and negatively
(eccentric) at a resistance great enough to perform only
five to eight repetitions of the exercise before the muscle
fails. Each set of repetitions is followed by a rest interval
that typically runs three times longer than the set. Later,
between exercise sessions, the muscle overcompensates
for the stress and usually increases in both strength and
size.
Muscle Endurance
is the ability to perform repeated
contractions. It comes into play when you cross-country
ski or work on your feet all day. Endurance training
addresses the slow twitch, endurance muscle fibers,
which depend on oxygen for energy. To develop muscle
endurance, use low resistance and high repetitions
— about 15-20 repetitions in each set, three sets to each
exercise, working the muscle only to fatigue.
Muscle Power
is the combination of strength and
speed of the muscular contraction. This is often
misinterpreted as:
a) Being directly associated with certain skill or sport and/
or
b) Meaning that you must move fast.
Load is actually a more important factor than speed when
attempting to improve power. When training to achieve
muscular power, pick a resistance that fatigues you in the
3-5 repetition range. When performing these reps, it is
more important to think of contracting the muscles faster
rather than attempting to move faster. Performing sport
simulation exercises usually results in a deterioration
of the motor pattern or skill. The biomechanically sound
method of improving power in your sport is to train for
power using the correct joint movements, as described in
this manual. Then practice the skill associated with your
sport, learning to apply this newly achieved power.
Body Composition
is the ratio of fat weight (fat) to
lean weight (muscles, bones and tissue). As you age, the
ratio shifts. The fat weight increases and the lean weight
decreases. Training for muscle strength will generally
increase muscle size and aerobic conditioning will help
burn extra calories. Performing these two forms of
exercise, either at different times or together, will create
the greatest changes in body fat weight.
Balanced Strength
and alignment is the result of
equal strength developed in all parts of the body. It comes
into play in your standing and sitting posture, and in
your ability to perform just about any activity safely and
effectively. An over-development of the back will round
the shoulders; weak or stretched abdominals can cause
lower back pain. You want a balance of muscle strength in
front and back. In addition, you need a balance of strength
between your middle, lower, and upper body.
Flexibility
is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles
to move the joint through a full range of motion. Flexibility
comes into play when you execute an overhand serve or
stretch for the top shelf in the kitchen. It is a cooperative
movement of opposite muscle groups. When a muscle
contracts, its opposite muscle group must relax for the
action to occur. Increased flexibility means an increased
range of motion, made possible by this simultaneous
contracting and relaxing. Good flexibility is important
in protecting the body from injury and can be achieved
through the balanced strength training programs included
in this manual.
Cardiovascular Endurance
is the ability of the heart
and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients to exercising
muscles over an extended period of time. It comes into play
when you jog a mile or ride a bike. It is a critical component
of overall fitness and health. Any exercise program must
be supplemented with cardiovascular training, such as
rowing on the Bowflex
®
Ultimate
™
home gym.
Your body will do what you train it to do. That’s why it’s important to define your goals and focus on those goals. Here are
some fitness components that will help you define your goals and choose your fitness program.