The FITT Principle
To really get the most out of your fitness/strength & conditioning program, you are going to have to learn and live by the FITT principle. Applying the FITT principle to your program will allow you to progress through those frustrating plateaus that everyone faces from time to time. The reason why you are not achieving success in your program is because your body is getting used to the same routine day in and day out. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY! However, implementing the FITT principle into your program will take you to the next level.
Frequency: Is the number of days you are working out in the week. You may have to increase your frequency or decrease your frequency depending on how your body is adapting to the program. Most hardcore athletes need to decrease their frequency due to overtraining because they are not getting enough rest for the body to repair itself. However, people who are trying to lose weight need to increase their frequency so they are achieving an overall calorie expenditure. This does not mean that you have to “workout” more but, you do have to increase your levels of physical activity which means…
- Walk or bike instead of drive
- Wash your own dam car
- Join a sports league
- Learn a new sport
- Just stop sitting on your ass
Intensity: Training intensity is defined as an individual’s level of effort compared with their maximum effort. This means different things for different goals. If you are trying to lose weight you must cut down your rest time to keep your heart rate up to burn the most calories. For example, circuit training, interval training, and Crossfit do a good job at keep you moving with little to no rest in between workout. However, if you are trying to pack on some muscle you must make sure that every set is to failure. Thus, increase weight = increase in intensity! And for athletes who are trying to make it to the next level, intensity means not to take plays off and practice hard day in and day out. Only the strong will survive in the world of sports and if you don’t work hard at your craft 24/7 you will be left in the dust.
Type: This corresponds to the types of exercises that you are performing in your training program. However, you must understand that the human body is a highly adaptable machine that can readily adjusts to the imposed demands of training. Therefore, exercise selection should be functional and specific to the individual’s intended goal. Make sure to implement variations to each exercise but keep the movements functional, move in all planes of motion, and stay away from isolated movements like bicep curls.
Time: is the time frame of a workout or the length of time (number of weeks) spent with a certain program. A general workout including warm-up and cool-down should take 60-90 minutes. A professor once told me, “If you’re in the gym for more than one hour…you are making more friends than muscles.” Furthermore, Workouts that exceed 90 minutes will lead to rapid declines in energy levels which can lead to discrepancies in hormonal and immune responses that can later have negative effects on your training program.
It takes the body approximately 3 weeks to adapt to a fitness program. However, if you apply the FITT principle to your program, you will be able to break through plateaus and reach your goals quicker. Good luck!
