Different Types of Workouts to Consider

 

 

 

 

Years ago, when prescribing exercise, we used a number of unproven training systems based on the ideas and experiences of well-intentioned physicians, coaches and educators. But exercise science and prescription today is based on the results of thousands of peer-reviewed research studies and best practices of experts in the field. The correct dose is based on the type of exercise being performed, the time, intensity and frequency of training, as well as, your individual needs. 

 

There are many ways to improve fitness. You can apply a variety of techniques using a systematic approach gradually, or you can rush the process, pushing too far too fast, risking soreness, overtraining and even injury. Improving fitness involves increasing the range of motion and pace of movements, strengthening the muscles of the body both inside and out, decreasing fat and learning to move in a more fluid, uninhibited way.  You earn your fitness, minute-by-minute, day-by-day as you engage in appropriate training exercises. 

 

There are five traditional components of fitness. All are important and all five need to be considered and respected as part of your complete training program. The five components include muscle strength, muscle endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility and body composition. Body composition is a direct reflection of your diet, so your exercise routine is influenced by your body composition and vice versa.

 

Often people pick and choose the types of exercise they like the best and only train in those modalities. For example, some people only like cardio, running for miles a week but neglecting muscular strength and flexibility and as a result find themselves chronically injured or not progressing as effectively as possible. Others prefer strength training, with limited range of motion at joints that are critical to daily, functional activity, with very little aerobic fitness to boot. In both of these scenarios, regardless of how successful each of these fitness enthusiasts are in their favorite areas of training, they are incomplete, neglecting the very important components that create a completely healthy and fit person. One of the most neglected areas of fitness is flexibility, but it’s very influential on an active lifestyle. A moderate to high level of flexibility and mobility  are important for efficient movement. If you disregard stretching, your muscles and connective tissues can lose distensibility and elasticity making exercise less efficient and potentially contribute to injury. Make a point to include flexibility as a regular part of your training program. 

 

We know the manipulation of how often (frequency), how hard (intensity), how long (time or duration) and what you want to accomplish (type) is the key to bringing about improvements in fitness. This is referred to as the FITT Principle and there are specific formulas based on your individual training goals. For example, if you are looking for increased aerobic stamina, you will apply the FIIT Principle with aerobic adaptations in mind. If you are looking for greater strength or more muscle size (hypertrophy), there is a FIIT formula for that. If you want greater flexibility, there are FIIT guidelines for that too. What you are trying to accomplish will dictate how to manipulate these FIIT variables.  

 

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has established FIIT guidelines that are easy to follow based on the modality of fitness you are trying to improve:

 

• Aerobic exercise involves sustained, rhythmic movements using large muscles of the body with oxygen as the primary energy source for extended periods of time. If your goal is performance, you should include training at or near your lactate threshold (the point where you are pushed).

o How Often? (frequency)

 Beginner: 3-5 days per week

 Moderate to High: 5-7 days per week

o How Hard? (intensity)

 Deconditioned: 30-40% of your Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)

 Moderate: 40-60% of your HRR

 Vigorous: 60-85% of your HRR

 To estimate your appropriate heart rate reserve use this equation:

• HRR = 220 – (your age) – (your resting heart rate) x (desired percentage)

o How Long? (time or duration)

 Beginner: 20-30 minutes

 Moderate to High: 30-60 minutes

o What kind? (type)

 A continuous rhythmic activity such as walking, running, cycling, swimming or circuit training. The specific type of exercise you select should be enjoyable to you so you can be consistent. TRX Suspension Training used for body-weight circuit training is an excellent choice because of the variety and ability to change intensity quickly.

 

• Muscular endurance is the ability to perform several, sub-maximal muscular contractions in a row with sustained intensity. Muscular strength is the ability to perform one repetition at your maximal intensity. 

o How Often? (frequency)

 Beginner: 2-3 days per week, full body workout, 48-72 hours of rest in between workouts

 Intermediate to High: 4–5 days per week; perform split workouts (example: Monday and Thursday, chest, shoulders, triceps, abdominals; Tuesday and Friday, back, legs, biceps), 48–72 hours of rest in-between workouts

o How Hard? (intensity)

 Beginner: 60-70% of maximum strength (1 RM)

 Intermediate to High: 70-90% of maximum strength (1RM)

 Beginner: 1-3 sets, 8-12 reps, 30-sec to 1 min between

 Intermediate to High: Endurance 12-20 sets, 2-3 reps 30 sec – 1 min between; Strength 2-6 reps, 3-5 sets, 2-5 min between

o How Long? (time or duration)

 Depends on the time you need to accomplish your goals, but no more than 60-minutes is necessary

o What kind? (type)

 Resistance machines, free weights, elastic tubing, medicine ball, body-weight/calisthenics  

 

• Flexibility is the uninhibited range of motion through a joint and in the adjacent soft tissues

o How Often? (frequency)

 A minimum of 2-3 days per week. It is best to do some stretching daily

o How Hard? (intensity)

 Stretch to the point where you feel tension in the muscles, but not pain

 During a warm up, stretches should be dynamic, not held. Whereas, later in the workout or at the end of the workout, stretches are held (static stretches)

o How Long? (time or duration)

 15-30-minutes, 20-60 seconds for each stretch, 2-3 sets

o What kind? (type)

 Yoga, traditional stretching routines, TRX Suspension Training assisted stretching exercises

 

 

What is the best method for you to train for cardio, strength, endurance, flexibility or concurrent (multiple goals at once)? The answer depends on what you want to accomplish – the goals of your training. There are several options you can choose from and TRX Suspension Training can be an effective part of all of the following training techniques, a powerful, portable tool for performance. With any worthwhile fitness program, you will need to earn your progressions within each exercise and perform the movements with precision and care if you are to realize the benefits and avoid potentially harmful side effects.

 

Circuit training involves a series of resistance exercises designed to promote strength and muscle endurance. Circuit training is typically organized in timed, stations of movement, which can be resistance or cardio-based. Incorporate the TRX straps with weights and cardio for an amazing circuit training session. 

 

High intensity interval training (HIIT) takes advantage of short, micro bursts of very high intensity exercise, coupled with a short duration of timed recovery. HIIT protocols are very powerful in that they create an “in workout” oxygen deficit in an effort to create EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. EPOC is a physiological condition in which the body is stressed after the workout, utilizing further amounts of energy (above and beyond that required for the actual workout) to replace the used substrates and bring the systems of the body back to resting levels stressed during the HIIT workout. HIIT is powerful if used responsibly but requires recovery between workouts.  HIIT protocols (particularly Tabata) are easy to implement using the TRX straps. Try this Tabata protocol using the TRX straps: 

4-minutes, 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of recovery for 8 rounds

 Round #1 Side Plank Right 

 Round #2 Side Plank Right with Hip Dip 

 Round #3 Forearm Plank 

 Round #4 TRX Push Up 

 Round #5 Side Plank Left 

 Round #6 Side Plank Left with Hip Dip 

 Round #7 Forearm Body Saw with Crunch 

 Round #8 TRX Pike

 

 

An essential part of improving strength and muscular endurance, resistance training can incorporate body weight, TRX Suspension Training, free weights, weight machines, etc. Traditional strength training techniques, including super sets (2 or more exercises in a row for opposing muscle groups), giant sets (3 successive exercises targeting the same muscle groups), ascending and descending pyramids and eccentric loading, can all happen using the TRX Suspension Trainer. Simply manipulate the TRX intensity variables of Vector, Stability and the Pendulum Principles. 

 

Speed and power training are very activity specific, so if you have a particular goal in mind with respect to speed or power, it is important that you train specifically for that particular goal. Speed is also referred to as velocity. The best way to train for speed is high-speed contractions with low resistance. 

 

Power is Force x Distance / Time. Power combines strength (force) and velocity or speed (distance / time). Power is related to strength and speed – if you can improve one or both of these components, you will increase your power. A popular power training technique is plyometrics, which are explosive movements designed to improve power. However, excessive use or improper technique can lead to injuries. Many TRX exercises lend themselves very well to power and explosive movements. Try the sprinters start, front squat, cycle lunges or the squat jump for lower body power training. 

 

 

The muscles that attach to the spine and pelvis are referred to as the core muscles. Core exercises recruit one or more large muscle areas (abdominal, back, torso, chest, shoulders, and hips) and involve multiple joints. They are a high priority in terms of both health and performance. A stable core can generate a greater transfer of power to the extremities and can also  reduce your risk of injury. TRX Suspension Training is “all core all the time,” so you never need to worry if you are getting your core training done when using the TRX straps. Peer reviewed research demonstrates, when used as prescribed, higher levels of core muscle activation are present with Suspension Training than without.

 

Intensity is important, but excessive emphasis on intensity can take the joy out of regular activity and may lead to overtraining, overuse or even injury. Athletes don’t train at maximal intensity every day, nor should you. If you use a heart rate monitor to measure your intensity, be sure to also include a subjective measure of intensity (perceived exertion), and listen to your body. Adopt the intensity gradually, enjoy the experience and the amazing results will come. 

 

 

 

Irene Lewis-McCormick M.S is Adjunct Faculty at Drake University, an SCW Fitness Education (SCW) Certification Master Trainer and the Education Director at Octane Fitness. An Orange Theory Fitness coach, she’s a twice published author (Human Kinetics) holding advisory board positions with Diabetic Living and the National Egg Council. Named Top 3 Group Fitness Instructor 2015 by IDEA Health & Fitness, Irene is a RYKA Ambassador and Subject Matter Expert for ACE. Irene presents education for SCW, ACSM, IDEA and NSCA. She is an SCW, TRX, Tabata Bootcamp, Barre Above, JumpSport and Octane Fitness master trainer. Certifications include SCW, ACSM, NSCA, ACE, AFAA & AEA.

Body Transformation Series, Part 7 of 7