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The aim and purpose of a
well-guided training program lies in the
improvement of performance, whereby the term
performance should not be equated with record
performance. Great progress has been made in the
last few years in the science which examines to
what extent the human organism can be trained.
The human body with its biomechanical leverage
conditions is explored in detail as are the
biomechanical metabolism processes during
physical strain.
Fitness Check :
For each sector of your fitness
program (strength, endurance, mobility, speed,
coordination) you need to define your position.
All the elements, which contribute towards and
effective training program, must be taken into
account and coordinated. The breaking up of a
training session into different sessions with
specified aims, such as endurance training,
strength, etc.
The perfect training session
should comprise of :
(1) Warm up
(2) Endurance Training
(3) Mobility training
(4) Cool down
(5) Regenerative measures.
WARM UP
The frequently neglected but
nevertheless extremely important warm-up
prepares the body for the exercise to come and
helps it to perform without the danger of
injury. The following advantages are attributed
mainly to warm up. The following advantages are
attributed mainly to warm up.
-
General improvement of
performance potential.
-
Improved physiological
performance potential.
-
Improvement of physical
coordination
-
Reduction of injury danger.
The general warm up should
improve the circulation, increase the body
temperature and stimulate the sweat production.
Due to the increased body temperature, the blood
and lymph fluid in the muscles thin and becomes
fluid, elasticity of the muscles is increased
and the danger of injury reduced. The increased
circulation improves the supply of oxygen and
energy to the muscles, which results in an
improvement in performance. The general warm up
should last between 8 -12 minutes. Do not
stretch out the general warm up phase longer
than 12 minutes, because then general fatigue
and energy loss can start to take place which
can impede the training to follow.
ENDURANCE TRAINING
Of all the motor skills to be
trained - power, endurance, mobility, speed and
coordination - endurance appears at first glance
to be the least spectacular. However, in terms
of its contribution to health it actually comes
first. Regular endurance training tailored to
the needs of individual performance has a wide
ranging positive impact on the cardio-vascular
system :
-
Greater heart efficiency
-
reduced heartbeat through
increased beat volume
-
increased oxygen intake
capacity
-
reduced oxygen consumption of
heart musculature
-
reduced blood pressure
-
improved blood circulation and
coagulation
-
improved breaths per minute
volume under exertion
-
enhanced aerobic enzyme
capacity
-
enhanced coronary vascular
system
-
improved capillarization of
body muscles
-
enhanced glycogen content in
body and heart musculature
-
enhanced mitochondrion volume.
-
reduced levels of the stress
hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin.
-
reduced LDL cholesterol level
-
increased HDL cholesterol
level.
As your training experience and
endurance capacity increase, you will be able to
reduce the number of breaks step by step and
steadily increase the duration of a training
period. Anyone who has started a planned and
regular program to improve their cardiovascular
performance generally feels unbounded
enthusiasm.
Golden rules of ENDURANCE
-
Always warm up at the start of
training and never forget to cool down at the
end.
-
Keep to the times necessary for
recovery between training days tailored to your
own needs.
-
Train at least twice and
preferably three times a week.
-
Observe the optimum training
pulse rate for your age group and performance.
-
Always take care to secure
sufficient intake of liquid or prompt fluid
replacement at the right time.
-
Do not forget the fun and
enjoyment of movement.
MOBILITY TRAINING
Developing mobility is an
essential part of comprehensive fitness program.
Mobility is defined as the capacity to carry out
movements in one or more joints with great
rotational breadth, either voluntarily or under
the influence of external forces. The mobility
involved is made up, in equal measure, of the
ability of musculature, sinews, ligaments and
joint capsule system to stretch and the
suppleness that comes from the structure of the
joint itself.
Correctly applied, stretching can
offer the following benefits :
-
Tenseness is eased enormously,
thus enhancing greatly the sense of general
well-being.
-
Limitation on mobility because
of age can be prevented in the long term.
-
Improved mobility and
suppleness improve our body awareness.
-
Stretch stimuli promote blood
circulation and metabolism of the musculature
and connective tissue.
-
The danger of injury is
lessened due to the fact that musculature,
sinews and other structures of the mobility
system acquire increase elasticity.
-
Due to greater scope of
movement in the joints, muscle can be trained
for strength over a greater period of time
-
Stretch exercises after
training promote regeneration by normalizing
muscle tone and improving circulation.
COOL DOWN - THE
PERFECT ENDING
You should finish a training
session by cooling down, by slowing down the
pace of the exercise and preparing the body for
rest and relaxation after the workout. By
slowing down the pace, we mean that the aerobic
activity increases again but you are no longer
demanding a competitive pace. Cooling down has
more to do with forestalling the period of
exhaustion and results in super compensation,
where increased energy storage provides a basis
for improved training performances.
REGENERATIVE MEASURES : REST AND RECOVERY
The cooling down is when the
regeneration of physical resources starts again.
This is the phase when the heartbeat and
breathing return to normal, the lactic acid is
broken down completely and the empty energy
stores are replenished. It is precisely this
regeneration of energy producing processes which
makes cooling down an important part of the
training cycle that should not be neglected. If
fresh training activity is initiated at too
early a stage, before sufficient energy reserves
are available, performance may not meet
expectations.
The recovery process is working
if you are able to improve your performance in
the long term. There are various ways of helping
you own recovery. A diet rich in carbohydrates,
for example will speed up the reconstitution of
energy supplies. You should drink of plentifully
to maintain water and mineral levels at a
constant level. Minerals such as sodium,
potassium and magnesium will, among other
things, ensure that muscles are able to contract
and remain ready for work - a lack of minerals
can lead to weak muscles and cramp, forcing you
to cut short your training.
Therapeutic treatments like
massage, showers and saunas improve the blood
supply so that the body's waste products are
carried away and eliminated more quickly.
Techniques such as relaxation through breathing
techniques and progressive relaxation of the
muscles also increase the recovery rate.
RELAXATION THROUGH BREATHING
TECHNIQUES
The diaphragm is the most
important human muscle for breathing. Its up and
down movement when we breathe in and out has the
effect of an internal massage of the heart, lung
and stomach / intestinal area. This stimulates
the circulation, and thus the vital functions of
all the organs are stimulated by the improved
circulation and increased resources.
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