Category: 2.1 – Fitness Fundamentals

Strength and endurance training compliment each other for superior athletic performance. Resistance training increases strength limits, muscle mass, bone density and neuromuscular coordination. Cardiorespiratory exercise improves endurance capacity and blood circulation, while making it easier to maintain a healthy body weight. The two training methods draw from different energy pathways, and have few overlapping effects in the body. Problems can arise with concurrent training programs – especially in maximizing strength development. Read More »


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Despite the various magic solutions presented in numerous publications, no one-size-fits-all answers exist in proper exercise prescription. Several training theories are supported by accredited research, but conclusions are based on statistical averages. Studies examine how exercise affects the majority of particular populations – trained, untrained, young, old, men, women, healthy, sick – as well as combinations thereof. If a study finds one exercise performed to failure works for most participants, what about the few who didn’t benefit?

Humans contain numerous similarities; yet there are several distinct differences. Each individual has a unique capacity to tolerate and develop athletic abilities. Ideal methods for reaching fitness goals – more muscle, less fat, sports specific – will be affected by these variations. For instance, bodybuilding is the act of building up the body’s muscular systems by applying a progressive resistance. When attempting to maximize the training year, strength athletes quickly find they respond to , volume and frequency in unique ways. It’s the responsibility of the trainee, or coach, to discover individual physiological and psychological requirements, to overcome or exploit genetic traits. Read More »


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In general, overloading is the practice of applying a load greater than what a power-producing source is capable of withstanding. In machinery, this excessive burden can result in equipment failure. In the human body, this application results in adaptation to subsequently withstand even greater demands. When an athlete’s muscles are exposed to extreme tensions, an over compensation effect can occur. Fueled with proper rest and nutrition, bodybuilders routinely apply on their muscular systems to induce , or growth – to build their body.

consist of several sets of exercise to induce a training stimulus that overloads a muscle’s functional capabilities. Within the structure of a multiple-set workout, there are five frequently used loading patterns: pyramids, inverted pyramids, double pyramids, flat pyramids and wave loading. Read More »


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It’s easy for new fitness enthusiasts to walk into a gym and get lost in all the tangled steel, chains and dumbbells. Even experienced often find themselves learning new movements for many years – or how to perform old ones more effectively. Proper exercise execution is critical with increases in strength, to avoid injury while promoting further progression. The fundamentals of exercise selection, structure and sequence must also be understood to optimize a progressive program design. Read More »


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Proper rest is important for anyone training in a progressive resistance training program, such as powerlifting and bodybuilding. The act of falling asleep shifts the body into a subconscious state of anabolism. Routine exercise does impact sleep patterns and the succeeding growth-stimulating events desired by bodybuilders. Adequate rest is required to optimize and growth.

As humans get older, decrease. During infancy, around 14 to 16 hours are spent asleep during the day. Toddlers often need around 10 to 13 hours per day. During teenage maturation and puberty, daily sleep hours are typically around eight to 10 hours per day – to wake up feeling rested. Adults typically need around seven to eight hours of rest. The elderly often find themselves needing less than seven hours per day. Throughout the human lifecycle, there is a relationship between sleep requirements and rapid periods of growth and development. Read More »


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Resistance and endurance training are commonly seen as healthy activities to engage in – but can exhaustive exercise increase the likeliness of getting ill? The human body is a complex physical structure of organic tissue – an isolated event can affect tissues in several other locations. The is an adequate ambassador of our complexity and is essential for maintaining health. Dysfunction can lead to a wide variety of diseases. A common perception by elite athletes is that frequent and intense exercise leaves the body predisposed to infections. However, an inconsistency exists when health care professionals suggest that regular exercise is beneficial to the immune system by providing some resistance to infections. So, who’s right? Read More »


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It doesn’t matter how dedicated the athlete, interruptions from training are inevitable. Periods of inactivity are frequently due to life’s unplanned events. Occasionally these phases are scheduled to avoid or allow recovery from an onset of . Unfortunately, a prolonged reduction in training efforts, or discontinuing all together, can result in a partial or complete reversal of training-induced adaptations. Muscular is the result of marked decreases or cessation of physical activities. Read More »


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The idea of potentially is not unheard of by established athletes and conventional fitness enthusiasts but an authentic definition frequently remains mysterious. Learning to ride the fine line between training progression and should be most important to an athlete trying to maximize performance. To avoid it is vital to understanding the definition, identify stressors that can put an athlete at risk and learn how to adjust a properly. Read More »


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“What are you working today?” This is a question commonly heard in the gym. A familiar answer is usually formatted with a single muscle group as that day’s priority; an answer like, “Monday is shoulders.” What makes the situation even worse is when it involves a new trainee – soaking wet at 150 pounds of muscular fortitude! Unfortunately, many follow the overused mantras that tie muscle groups down to certain days of the week. This structure has many flaws in it. It is the most abused pattern employed by entry-level bodybuilders. By discovering an optimally progressive , an athlete can assure every workout is a step in the right direction – maximizing time and results. Read More »


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