Elements of fitnes Flashcards
The warm-up
Necessary for preparing the body for the activity or training; purposes include:
Increase blood flow
Increase respiration
Increase body temperature
Increase neurological activation
Different types
General warm-up: nonspecific, low-intensity activity including dynamic stretching and light cardiovascular activity with the purpose of increasing blood flow, respiration, and body temperature
Specific warm-up: movements used to prepare the body for a sport or specific exercises
Variations of dynamic stretching and light cardiovascular activity
Flexibility training
Element of fitness using stretching to increase the range of motion of a joint or group of joints
Flexibility and range of motion typically begin to diminish at age 25
Should be incorporated a minimum of three days a week
Different types
Static stretching: lengthening a muscle and holding the lengthened position
Ideal after exercise or on rest days
Dynamic stretching: movement-based active stretching where muscles engage to bring about a stretch
Ideal before exercise
May reduce muscle soreness
Self-myofascial release (SMR):
applying manual pressure to an adhesion or overactive tissue to elicit an autogenic inhibitory response, which is characterized by a decrease in the excitability of a contracting or stretched muscle arising from the Golgi tendon organ
Ideal before and after exercise
Example: foam rolling
Avoid the lumbar spine
Active stretching:
a type of stretching that involves a muscle actively contracting to stretch another muscle
Passive stretching
a type of stretching that uses an external force to move a joint to the end of a range of motion
Pre-contraction stretching:
flexibility technique that may be assisted by or utilizes a stretching tool like a towel or stretching strap
Flexibility training progression
General warm-up
Dynamic stretching, SMR
Specific warm-up
Exercise bout
Static/passive or pre-contraction stretching, SMR
Benefits of flexibility training
Better posture
Improved balance
Decreased chronic pain
Improved ROM (Range of Motion)
Core training
Core musculature:
Hip adductors Gluteus medius Gluteus minimus
Erector spinae Rectus abdominus Gluteus maximus
Hamstring complex Quadriceps Hip flexors
Transverse abdominus Internal obliques External obliques
Multifidus Pelvic floor muscles
Abdominal muscles aren’t the only muscles included in the core, so it involves more than targeted abdominal work
Abdominal bracing works to activate the muscles of the trunk to support the spine and hold the pelvis in a neutral position
Necessary for every client; research suggests that a strong core contributes to increased sports performance, stability, reduced back pain, and increased functional strength for everyday activity
Example exercises:
Abdominal crunch
Plank
Cable woodchop
Balance training
Requires sensory input from the eyes, ears, and proprioceptors
Benefits:
Improved static and dynamic stability
Reduced incidence of a recurrent ankle injury
Reduced low back pain (with core training)
Reduced joint pain (with strength training)
Should become progressively more difficult:
Floor: two legs
Floor: single-leg with step
Floor: single-leg with ball
Floor: single-leg
Balance pad: two legs
Balance pad: single-leg with step
Balance pad: single-leg with ball
Balance pad: single-leg
Reactive training
Although sports are most often associated with the need for speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ), nonathletes can benefit from the incorporation of reactive training into their fitness programs as well
Speed: the ability to move the body in one direction as fast as possible
Agility: the ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize, and change direction with proper posture
Quickness: the ability to react and change body position with a maximum rate of force production
Plyometric training
reactive training seeking maximum force in the shortest amount of time
Benefits:
Improved intermuscular coordination
Increased muscle size
Improved storage and use of elastic energy
Increased active muscle working range
Enhanced involuntary nervous reflexes
Increased muscular pre-activity
Enhanced motor coordination
Example exercises:
Split jumps
Speed skater
Cone drills
Resistance training
Also called strength training; exercise with the explicit intent of increasing strength, endurance, muscle size (hypertrophy), or power
Muscular endurance: the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to continuously exert force against resistance over time
Hypertrophy: an increase in muscular size as an adaptation to exercise
Strength: the amount of force that can be created by a muscle or group of muscles
Power: the amount of force exerted by a muscle or group of muscles in a given amount of time
Strength categories:
Relative strength: the individual’s body weight in relation to the amount of resistance they can overcome
Calculation: 1RM / body weight = force per unit of body weight
Maximum strength: the ability of a muscle or muscle group to recruit and engage as many muscle fibers as possible
Starting strength: the ability to recruit as many motor units as possible instantaneously at the start of a movement
Power: a combination of strength and speed; a muscle’s ability to generate maximal tension as quickly as possible
Speed strength: the ability of a muscle or muscle group to absorb and transmit forces quickly
Benefits:
Increased lean mass
Increased resting metabolic rate
Promotes bone development
Additional considerations
Compound exercises engage multiple joints and muscle groups
They are typically completed before accessory exercises
Partial repetitions are those that are completed with an intentionally reduced range of motion
Cardiorespiratory training
Cardiovascular fitness: the capacity to take in, transport, and utilize oxygen; specifically, the efficiency at which the heart and lungs can provide oxygen-rich blood to working muscle tissue
Aerobic is WITH oxygen; anaerobic is WITHOUT oxygen
Benefits:
Reduces fatigue
Improves energy levels
Reduces depression
Reduces stress and anxiety
Prevents some types of cancer
Improves sleep
Improves mental acuity (sharpness of the mind, determined by memory, focus, concentration, and understanding)
