Understanding the Fundamentals of Physical Fitness
By Alissa Carpio 11/10/02

In order for you to train to be your best, whether for sport, physical appearance, or overall health, you must learn and understand the types of training available and be able to maximize your efforts in each of those areas. Having good all-around physical fitness involves several components that, when combined, help you to be in your utmost physical shape and condition, which is often accompanied by great self-confidence and a greater physique!

There are four main components of physical fitness. In order to be in your best shape physically, you should incorporate each of the components into your training regimen. There are many benefits to each of the components, and when combined equal outstanding overall physical fitness. These components include cardio respiratory, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

Cardio respiratory fitness is also known as cardiovascular or aerobic fitness. It is defined as one's ability to pump oxygen to the lungs and blood carrying vessels in a most efficient manner by recruiting the large muscles of the body. Benefits of cardio respiratory fitness include increased stroke volume, decreased blood pressure, decreased risks of CHD, and increased metabolic rate, to name just a few. The ACSM recommends performing cardio exercise 3-5 times a week for a duration of 20-60 minutes at 55/65%-90% of your training heart rate. Beginners should start out simple with 3 days of 20 minutes, working in smaller 10-15 minute increments if necessary. Intermediate and advanced individuals may choose longer durations and frequencies. It would not be uncommon for an elite athlete to do cardio up to 60 minutes at a time 5-7 times a week There is no one exercise that is better than another. The "best" exercise is the one that encourages participation and keeps the heart rate up while working the larger muscle groups.

Muscular strength refers to one's ability to lift as heavy a weight as possible in an all out effort for one repetition, or the amount of force a muscle can exert in a single effort. The best way to gain muscular strength is to resistance train with a heavy weight and perform a low number of repetitions, usually between 5 and 7. Machines are good for beginners to learn form and to develop a mind-muscle connection. The use of machines has a bonus of stabilizing and isolating the muscles to be worked, therefore allowing the user to focus just on the prime mover in the exercise. Free weights are better for intermediates and advanced athletes due to the recruitment of stabilizer muscles. They also allow the body to perform an exercise in its natural range of motion. Free weights offer a larger variety of exercises from which to choose, preventing boredom and allowing the ability to work every muscle group in the body.

Muscular endurance is the body's ability to hold a muscular contraction or perform repeated contractions for an extended period of time. An example is performing continuous repetitions of an exercise as in resistance training. Another example is isometric training, where you hold a static position with no movement for a desired amount of time. The best way to improve muscular endurance is to weight train by using lighter weights and higher repetitions, usually 12 to 15.

Both muscular strength and muscular endurance can be improved drastically through resistance training. A good rule of thumb is to perform each exercise at 70-80% of maximum repetition for 8-12 repetitions, 2-3 days a week on non-consecutive days. Again, it is not uncommon for elite athletes to train up to 6 or 7 days a week. Benefits of strength training include increased bone density, decreased chance of injury, increased strength, increased metabolic rate, and increased ability to perform work and daily activities.

Flexibility is the final component in physical fitness. It can be described as the range of motion of a joint. The best way to improve flexibility is to stretch! Increased flexibility has been known to alleviate post-workout muscle soreness and decrease chances of injury from working out. It can also relieve stress. There are three main types of stretching, including static, ballistic and PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation). Static stretching can be described as holding a constant stretch without movement in a relaxed or supported position. This is the most common type of stretching and is very easy to do with little risk of injury. Ballistic stretching involves a bouncing movement to initiate the stretch reflex. Due to its high risk of injury, ballistic stretching is NOT recommended for the general public. PNF stretching is another method, which involves a partner attempting to move the limb into a deeper stretch. This method carries a slightly higher injury risk due to the involvement of a partner who may not be able to tell when the client has reached his maximum range of motion.

By combining the above fundamentals of physical fitness into your training regimen, you can maximize your fitness level and enjoy all the benefits associated with each component. Not only will you look better, you will have more energy, less stress, a better overall feeling of well-being, plus all the benefits of each component listed above. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, so why not get started today?!