| FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Type and Time. | | | | faster and more frequent and intensive work outs are |
| These four principles of physical fitness and training | | | | needed to stimulate muscle growth and adaptations. |
| represent the very basic for all athletes and sports | | | | Training less will be detrimental for peak performance |
| enthusiasts, from recreational athletes to world class | | | | in sports for these elite athletes. It is the nature of the |
| professionals. Applying these four principles in your | | | | job and professionals have to work for their living in |
| sports programme will be the beginnings towards peak | | | | this sense. |
| performance in sports. Let's explore in greater depth | | | | A rung down the ladder are your amateur athletes. |
| each one of these. | | | | Part-time aspiring Olympians and competitors who |
| Frequency | | | | need to find the time for peak performance in sports. |
| The basic definition is how many times are your | | | | This group of athletes is generally the most |
| workouts going to be or how frequently do you work | | | | disadvantaged. Not only must they work for a living, |
| out or train in your sports. In order for fitness standards | | | | but they must also juggle training and family life, and all |
| to improve, our body systems - muscular, respiratory, | | | | this is done with very little professional resource help. |
| and skeletal, etc - need to be stimulated to a certain | | | | Compared to professional athletes, the funding is low. |
| degree whereby adaptations is called for response to | | | | There are also no readily available services like nutrition |
| the changes. Once adaptations are complete, it | | | | support, physiological support, medical help, etc around |
| remains to be maintained at that level for sustained | | | | to assist this group of athletes. But still, this group of |
| peak performance in sports. Without the necessary | | | | athletes trains just as hard as the professionals to |
| exercise stimulus at regular interval whatever | | | | reach their peak performance in sports. Training twice |
| adaptations that are gained will be lost and the original | | | | a day is not uncommon. More often than not, a once a |
| status of the body systems will be restored. But I find | | | | day routine is more practical for these highly motivated |
| that answering this question of frequency of training is | | | | sportsmen. Time and work just does not permit these |
| more relevant when you set your sports programmes | | | | athletes from accomplishing more. |
| in context. That is what are you involved in sports for? | | | | After the amateur group come the serious |
| Is it to lose weight? Do you want a healthy life style? | | | | competitors in schools and the local sports scene. |
| Are you training for competitions? Are you a | | | | These include mainly young athletes in schools and |
| professional athlete earning a living through sports? | | | | post-secondary education. This group of athletes is |
| We will explore the frequency of exercise for each of | | | | budding athletes who are just becoming serious in their |
| the following category that I have set out to guide any | | | | sporting ambitions, but their body systems are still |
| aspiring athlete for peak performance in sports. | | | | developing for them to take on too much training. For |
| Right at the very top are our professional athletes | | | | these athletes, training up to 3 to 4 times a week is the |
| who earn top dollars by playing their sports at the | | | | norm for their systems to improve. Anything more is |
| highest level. It is not surprising that the first billionaire | | | | actually counter productive and may cause a burn out |
| athlete, Tiger Woods, is who he is in the golfing world. | | | | effect. |
| Amongst all the golfers in this world, he is the hardest | | | | Right at the bottom of the ladder are recreational |
| training athlete who works out not everyday, but twice | | | | sports enthusiasts whose main goal is mainly to keep |
| a day, with a very heavy weight training component. | | | | a healthy lifestyle. For these people, twice a week |
| To be the best, athletes will have to put in their share | | | | exercise sessions are good enough for them to main |
| of hard work. There is no short cut to success. The | | | | a healthy state of being. With this form of regular |
| body systems will respond to proper training when we | | | | exercise, the body will have the stimulus to develop |
| give them time and resources to adapt to a more | | | | and adapt to a healthy state of being. Our body |
| intensive and grueling training regime. For professional | | | | systems are remarkably responsive to stimulus, and |
| athletes, training twice or more a day is not a problem | | | | for them to maintain an active status all they need is a |
| because the body has adapted to it. Recovery is | | | | frequency of about twice week training. |
