Principles Of Training

Question 1

what is over-reaching

Answer 1

Over-reaching is where the body is intentionally overworked in order to adapt and improve. There is usually a short decrease in performance (days-weeks0 before an expected increase in performance.

Question 2

What is fitness?

Answer 2

The level of adaptation to the stressor of a given lifestyle

Question 3

How should someone start exercising that has not exercised for a long time ?

Answer 3

Review diet and weight loss, reduce carbs
Then improve joint mobility
Then improve the oxygen transporting system
Then move to muscle tone

Eg low impact exercise eg cycling

Question 4

What is specificity when applied to training ?

Answer 4

Adaptation to a specific stressor and the effect of that stressor is specific to the individual

Question 5

What is overload?

Answer 5

Progressing the adaptation status of a physical characteristic requires progressive challenge eg raising resistance, duration or speed

Question 6

What is reversibility ?

Answer 6

When intensity of exercise is reduced, the degree of adaptation previously brought about will gradually weaken. Adaptations brought about quickly will be lost quickly and vice versa for long term changes

Question 7

What are the three levels of effect of training ?

Answer 7

1.Immediate- the body’s reactions eg raised HR, sweating, increased blood lactate- catabolic effects

2.Residual- recovery and preparation. Recovery=Raised general metabolism for some time after exercise. Waste products of energy expenditure removed, stress related effects eliminated.
Preparation= the body prepares so it is not stressed so much by the stimulus next time

3.cumulative - the body’s progressive adaptation through the preparation response.

Question 8

What is a good starting point for all exercise programmes ?

Answer 8

Low intensity, general all round aerobic activity to prepare a foundation for developing a programme. Should focus on postural muscles

Question 9

Why do people sometimes get fat after finishing serious exercise regimes?

Answer 9

Appetite stays high but energy expenditure Is lower

Question 10

What is strength?

Answer 10

The ability to exert force with no time constraints

Question 11

What is power?

Answer 11

The ability to express force in the shortest amount of time
Can be strength dominated - high force against resistance eg shot put
Speed dominated - production of high force at high speed with restricted resistance eg swinging a golf club

Question 12

What is eccentric movement?

Answer 12

Resisting moving a body part

Question 13

What is isometric muscle action?

Answer 13

Stabilising or fixating a body part

Question 14

What factors in the body govern strength training ?

Answer 14

Neuromuscular, muscular, biochemical, structural and biomechanical factors. They are all highly interdependent.

Question 15

What is the initial adaptation to strength training?

Answer 15

It is neural- increased firing rate, motor unit recruitment and improved motor unit synchronisation. The body learns to engage the appropriate muscles to produce the desired movement and stabilisers to reduce and produce force.

Question 16

What factors increase intramuscular coordination?

Answer 16

Less golgi tendon organ inhibition
Decreased antagonistic inhibition
Increased dynamic joint stability
Increased neuromuscular control

Question 17

What variables can be changed to ensure a continued adaptive response ?

Answer 17

Increase volume, intensity
Change frequency
Change composition of the workout
Increase difficulty

Question 18

What are the functional strength training concepts ?

Answer 18

Train core before extremities- the core is the relay center of the body

Train bodyweight before external resistance

Train strength before strength resistance-

Question 19

What factors cause loss of strength as we age?

Answer 19

Loss of cross sectional area of muscles
Loss of muscle fibres- primarily type 2
Decreased ability of the nervous system to recruit muscle fibres

Question 20

Which movements should be focused on in elderly people?

Answer 20

‘Anti gravity’ muscles and deceleration movements.

Question 21

How do number of reps relate to muscle hypertrophy or increased neural control?

Answer 21

High reps = hypertrophy
Low reps= increased strength through neural control

Question 22

How long does it take for CrP stores and muscle pH to return to normal in anaerobic training?

Answer 22

4-6 minutes

Question 23

What is the continuous method of endurance training ?

Answer 23

Uninterrupted sub maximal exercise, HR us maintained between 130 and 160bpm. Improvements in both anaerobic threshold and VO2 max are likely to occur. Improvements will be faster for those who were unfit to begin with.

Question 24

What is the alternating pace method for improving endurance ?

Answer 24

Long duration running with successive stretches alternating above and below the anaerobic threshold. Exercising above the anaerobic threshold is effective at raising the anaerobic threshold and VO2 max.

Question 25

What is the fartlek method of endurance training?

Answer 25

Running with varying intensity according to the requirements of the athletes and the terrain, is similar to the alternating pace method

Question 26

What is interval training ?

Answer 26

An extremely effective method for improving aerobic endurance- fast then slow intervals. Intensity sufficient to raise HR to approx 180 bpm then jog
Produces adaptation both at the cardiovascular system and at the muscle. Improves aerobic capacity

Question 27

What is speed endurance training ?

Answer 27

Increases ability to produce high quality performance despite reduced CrP and acidosis in the muscle. Involves increasing number of repetitions with increasing intensity and shorter recovery. Seeks to maintain quality and maintain number of repetitions.

Question 28

What is strength endurance training ?

Answer 28

To develop the ability to apply force when acidosis in muscles in resulting in fatigue and weakness. Quality demands are reduced but recovery periods are very strict. These improve the ability to keep going when lactate is high

Question 29

How does training affect our cardiovascular system?

Answer 29

Increase in plasma volume and red cell mass leasing to increased oxygen delivery
The heart has some increase in size and adapts, leading to increased stroke volumes- increased ventricular compliance causing faster filling during diastole, larger end diastolic volumes, improved ventricular contractility.
There is also increased capillary density within the myocardium resulting in improved perfusion og cardiac muscle.

Question 30

What effect does training have on fuel utilisation?

Answer 30

Use of fatty acids increases with increasing levels of work and glycogen use Decreases.

Question 31

What is deconditioning ? What physiological processes drive it and what effect does it have on exercise?

Answer 31

Deconditioning is the decrease in aerobic conditioning and muscular strength that occurs with immobilisation. 20 days of bed rest can lead to a decrease in VO2 max by almost 30%!
This is led by reduction in stroke volume which causes a higher heart rate at any given work load. Immobilisation also causes muscle atrophy.

Question 32

If a weight causes a muscle to fatigue in 8 or fewer repetitions what percentage of 1RM is the individual likely to be working?

Answer 32

80%

Question 33

If a weight causes a muscle to fatigue in 8-15 reps what percentage of 1RM is the individual likely to be working?

Answer 33

65%

Question 34

What percentage of 1RM is recommended for strength training for unfit individuals ?

Answer 34

50% 1RM@ 12-15 reps 2-3 times a week, involving 8-10 major muscle groups. When the reps exceeds 15 the training adaptations are likely metabolic endurance rather than strength.