Frequency, Intensity and Duration of Exercise

Frequency, Intensity and Duration of Exercise
For most people the hardest part of exercising is just getting started. Hectic schedules and lack of time certainly contribute to the excuses. But for many people, lack of basic workout knowledge intimidates them and prevents them from even getting started.

It’s easy to understand why some feel overwhelmed about beginning a new fitness routine. Virtually every day the media is bombarding the public with the latest “diet research” often times contradicting what may have been reported just weeks earlier. And infomercials swear that 20 minutes of this or 15 minutes of that is all that is required to look like a Hollywood star.

With so much information (and misinformation), it can be hard to decipher what fitness regimen will really deliver results. But truthfully, it’s not difficult at all to determine what workout will provide health benefits.

An easy way to get started is utilizing the F.I.T.T. principle. This acronym stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency: As you might expect, this refers to how often you will exercise. After any form of exercise is performed your body completes a process of rebuilding and repairing. So, determining the frequency of exercise is important in order to find a balance that provides just enough stress for the body to adapt and also allows enough rest time for healing.

Intensity: Defined as the amount of effort or work that must be invested in a specific exercise workout. This too requires a good balance to ensure that the intensity is hard enough to overload the body but not so difficult that it results in overtraining, injury or burnout.

Time: Again, this is rather self-explanatory. Time is simply how long each individual session should last. This will vary based on the intensity and type.

Type: What type of exercise will you be doing? Will an exercise session be primarily cardiovascular, resistance training or a combination of both? And, what specific exercises will you perform.


Now you know the F.I.T.T. principle so planning a workout program and getting started should be a breeze. The ACSM (American College of Sport Medicine) has F.I.T.T. guidelines both for cardiovascular work and strength training. For cardiovascular benefits, they recommend exercising for a frequency of 3-5 times per week, at an intensity equal to 60-85 percent of your maximum heart rate for a time of 20-60 minutes. For strength straining they recommend working out a minimum of two times per week at an intensity that is equal to 70-85 percent of your one rep maximum (maximum weight you can use for one rep) for 8-10 reps and 1-3 sets.

Planning a new fitness routine by breaking it into the four F.I.T.T. principle pieces allows you to quickly create a workout plan that will truly provide you with results.

For beginner exercisers choosing the Type of exercise may be the best place to start mapping out your routine. After all, if you have the perfect frequency, intensity and time but hate the actual exercise then you’ll never do it. So, start with something you like. This may be walking, biking, swimming or something else.

Next determine the Frequency. Consider how much time each week you truly will devote to this workout. Be realistic. There’s no purpose in setting expectations so high that you likely will fail. Remember, the ACSM guidelines are 3-5 times per week, so a good start would be three days.

If you are very limited in your schedule then determining your Time would be the appropriate next step. Otherwise, choose your Intensity level, which will help determine how long your workout session should be. For example, a higher intensity will typically provide more benefit (such as burning more calories in a shorter amount of time). So, choosing to jog may require only 30 minutes of commitment versus walking which may require 45-60 minutes.

Here’s a quick example of both a cardiovascular and resistance workout program that utilizes the F.I.T.T. principle. Walk (Type) at 4 MPH (Intensity) for 45 minutes (Time) four times per week (Frequency). Perform exercises with dumbbells (Type) at 70% of your maximum 1 rep strength (Intensity) for 8-12 reps (Time) 3 times per week (Frequency).

That’s all there is to it. Now get out there and get FITT!

Diet Plan for Healthy Muscles for Couch Potato's

This the Diet for Couch Potato . Couch Potato Dieters are those people who just can't say no to high fat, high calorie snack foods. Coach Potato's don't just over-eat; they also eat the wrong foods. Coach Potato�s tend to lose weight on diets that focus on caloric intake.

1. Mediterranean Meal Plan:

This plan is a GOOD MATCH if:
•You prefer fresh, unprocessed foods.
•You'd like to enjoy a glass of wine daily with your meal plan.
•You're looking for a plan that can help lower rates of heart disease and cancer -- as research has shown with the Mediterranean Diet.

Might NOT be a good fit if:
•If you don't like or are allergic to seafood, including shellfish.
•You are always on the run and need a convenience-based meal plan, including fast food.

Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast Olive Oil Toast and Yogurt with Blueberries and Almonds

Lunch Mediterranean Bean Salad with Cheese and Kiwi

Dinner Lemon Pepper Salmon with Lentil Rice and Spinach Salad Snack Apple with Goat Cheese.

Healthy Habits for Fit Life ....

I try to follow this every day for healthy muscles. Here are some ideas. If you have other thoughts, leave them in the comments!

.Brush your teeth
.Do 15 sit-ups
.Straighten your posture
.Eat an apple
.Stand up and stretch
.Resist the impulse purchase of a candy bar
.Drink a glass of water
.Smile
.Put a package of oatmeal in your pocket or purse for a healthy breakfast or snack
.Throw a bottle of water in there as well
.Ask to have your salad dressing on the side
.Say thank you to someone who deserves it
.Take a deep breath
.Put on your seat belt
.Wake up 10 minutes earlier
.Give your mother a call
.Wash your hands
.Put on hand lotion
.Check your blood pressure
.Jog in place for 9 minutes
.Hug your kids
.Replace your next cup of coffee with a cup of tea
.Last but not leats Post a comment on a blog and build your muscles :)

Eat a healthy breakfast each day !!!

First of all breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You are literally "breaking the fast" of the night. Now I do not mean eating thre sugar loaded " cereal' that they have in the grocery store. That is nothing more than eating a "candy bar".

Studies have shown that you significantly increase your chances of being obsese if you skip breakfast! Also those same studies have shown that you also increase your chances of living longer by eating breakfast.

Eating breakfast lets you start off your day with enery, vitality, and WILL ENABLE YOU TO EAT LESS DURING THE DAY FOR YOU WILL NOT CRAVE FOOD AS MUCH,
Your body needs protein to recover from the fast of the night and to build muscle. If it does not get protein then it will canibalize your bodies muscles to get the protein it needs to meet your bodies needs each day.

For you parents scientific tests have proven that kids who do not eat breakfast are less able to learn and excel at school, and they do not get enough iron in their diet. Iron is a essential nutrient that's is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells (RBCs). Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all our cells, and are essential to get oxygen to our muscles and tissue. Plus these same children are more likely to be overweight.

So make sure you eat a healthy breakfast each day to start your day.