Exercise
Introduction
Base Fitness
How much time should I spend in a base program?
Performance
How will I know when I'm ready for performance exercise?
How much performance training should I do?
What results will I see from performance training?
Competition
Being fit does not mean being healthy! In fact, too many people actually end up sacrificing their health in order to be fit. Too often, the attitude of "more is better" leads to over-training, hormonal stress, depression and injury. Jim Fixx, who wrote the Complete Book of Running in 1977 and helped begin the "fitness revolution" in the United States, died of a heart attack while exercising in 1984. It turned out that his arteries were clogged with cholesterol. While he looked trim and fit on the outside (he had lost almost fifty pounds of excess weight), his health was actually severely compromised. Even today, I often meet athletes who think that working out is the solution to everything and absolutely refuse to pay attention to their nutrition.
The question I'm asked most frequently is "What kind of exercise should I be doing to get the most results in the least amount of time?" My answer is simple: Pick something, some way of moving your body that is fun and that you will enjoy on a regular basis. This might be walking with friends around the mall, biking with your family, or swimming at your local YMCA. Research indicates that our approach to exercise will be more balanced--and will lead to greater long-term benefits--when we are relaxed, having fun, and in the company of friends. This is the exact opposite to the "no pain, no gain" approach recommended by personal trainers, gyms and the entire billion dollar "fitness" industry that wants to pick our pockets while telling us how bad we should feel about ourselves!
Fitness can be broken down into three components: base, performance and competition.
Base level fitness is the place where you should start, finish and come back to on a regular basis. This is the level where the majority of exercise should take place, no matter if you are an elite athlete or a beginner. You will often hear trainers talk about "building base." This means spending time in low-intensity aerobic activity that is continuous, fun, and builds endurance. The ideal base fitness exercise is something that works out the heart and lungs and as many muscle groups as possible. Walking or jogging may provide a good foundation for the heart, lungs and legs, but it neglects the upper body and core muscles of the stomach, back and chest. Swimming, on the other hand, is a better base builder because it hits more muscle groups.
If you choose a base fitness program that mainly uses lower body muscles (for example, walking, jogging, or biking) then you can balance out your exercise with 8 to 10 minutes of upper body and torso movement. Here is a typical routine:
2 - 3 minutes: situps--do as many as you can in this time.
1 - 2 minutes: push-ups--pushing against a wall is recommended if floor pushups are too difficult.
1 - 2 minutes: tricep dips--(see photo)
1 - 2 minutes: dumbell curls--use a weight that is comfortable and do as many as you can.
Calesthenics are safe to do daily, but adding extra resistance with weights is only recommended for alternating days.
How much time should I spend in a base program?
You will follow a base fitness program three to four months before you feel comfortable with a 5 to 7 day routine of 45 minutes per day. If you are more than 40 pounds overweight or recovering from an illness or injury, it may take a little longer. When you reach base fitness you will feel better and have a better chance of losing excess body fat.
If you are just starting a fitness program, or are returning from years of inactivity, I recommend working out only 3 to 4 times a week for 20 - 30 minutes. Gradually increase duration and frequency. It may take 3 to 4 months before you feel comfortable with the recommended 5 to 7 day routine.
All athletes should spend the majority of their time at the base level. This is your foundation. It will make you stronger and better equiped to participate in the "performance" athletics described below. I can't stress too strongly the need for athletes at all levels to spend several workouts per week at base level. If your competitive season lasts 4 to 5 months, your off-season should be spent at base level. For a competitive athlete, this means going at the same in-season distances, but at a relaxed pace. Off-season base training is also the time when most competitive athletes work on building muscle with resistance training equipment.
Once strong base fitness is reached, performance fitness comes naturally. Performance simply means performing base fitness exercise at a greater intensity. This is the level where you find yourself pushing a little bit harder, going beyond your normal workout without feeling that you have gone too far. This is important. Without a solid foundation of base fitness, performance level exercise can feel terrible! But if you've patiently built up your base, performance activity will be a joy and can lead to significant improvement in your body and athletic ability.
The key to performance is having sufficient fitness to be able to embrace short bouts of intensity that take you to your "break-through" points. If you haven't exercised for a while, or are overweight or recovering from stress, it can take months of base training before you are ready for performance exercise. Still, many trainers and commercial gym programs try to push people too quickly into performance mode. The reason? Performance produces the most visible results, but without a sufficient base you can experience burn-out, poor attitude, and even injury.
How will I know when I'm ready for performance exercise?
You will be ready when adding a little bit of intensity to your workouts starts to feel good. You might feel a little stiffness the following morning, but this should go away after an hour of moving around normally. You shouldn't feel so sore that you are incapacitated. If this is the case, then you need more time at base.
How much performance training should I do?
I usually suggest once a week at first. If this feels right, then go to twice a week with two to three days in-between. If you are doing a continuous aerobic workout like swimming, jogging, biking, or walking, then I recommend splitting your workout in thirds:
First Third: Warm-Up.
Middle Third: Several bursts of hard work separated by intervals of less intense work. Only a few bursts are necessary.
Last Third: Cool-Down.
If you are lifting weights or performing calisthenics, the same rules apply. Just make sure you warm up and cool down with less intense muscle movement. In the middle-third of your workout the last few reps of any muscle work should really make you feel a "burn." Remember that the key to any type of intensity training is make sure you warm-up and cool down properly.
What results will I see from performance training?
The performance level is where lean, sculpted bodies are made. The problem is that if you have been inconsistent in your training, or have over-trained in preparation for a competition, you will always need to come back to building your base. Performance training gives terrific results, but you shouldn't do it all year long. The biggest mistake made by competitive athletes is to think that they don't need to return to base exercise. Believe me. I have a proven philosophy that comes from thirty-five years in competitive sports: "You can either humble yourself or be humbled!" One way or another, if you don't come back to working your body at base level, you will not get results at performance level and injury will pretty much be inevitable. Your body and your brain both need some rest!
Competition training is when you structure your performance training over a specific period of time in order to reach an end result. The most significant difference between performance training and training for competition is measurement. The bursts of intensity introduced at the performance level are now measured and tracked. Instead of pushing intensity according to how it feels, competitive training monitors continual improvement and provides direction for future results. Competitive training schedules should always have a beginning and an end. A schedule lasting longer than six to eight months is self-defeating and stressful on the body. Whether you are training for a one-time ironman competition or just participating in short weekend distance races, you must allow yourself to rest. If not, your body will make you rest!
If you are an athlete with two competitive seasons, then plan on 3-4 months of competition and 2-3 months of rest. This means returning to base level training: slower, less distance and more relaxed. Many inexperienced athletes think this will make them less fit, but the reality is that not slowing down will only lead to burn-out and injury.