Week 3. – P.

E 01 Physical Fitness and Gymnastics

Topic: Principles of Physical Activity and FITT Principle
Time allotment: 2 hours
Objectives: 1. Identify the principles of physical activity.
2. Enumerate the steps in designing exercise program.
3. Explain the FITT Principle.
Lesson Proper
Are there guidelines to help me improve my fitness level safely and effectively?
Fitness standards are higher than health standards. People can get fit by becoming more active.
However, you need to practice caution because doing MORE is not exactly doing it RIGHT. There are safe
and effective principles of exercise training that can help you improve and sustain your improvements
while avoiding injuries. The following principles are important in designing an exercise program.

THE PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Principle of Overload. The Principle of Overload states that the body must work harder than what it is
used to in order for it adopt. It implies that exercise is a controlled from of stress that will stimulate the
body to become stronger. For example, in order for a muscle (including the heart muscle) to get stronger,
it must be overloaded or worked beyond the usual load. At first, the body will resist the new workload but
it will eventually adapt over time. It is important to perform exercise on a regular basis to gain its benefits.
A word of caution though: exercise should not be performed until exhaustion or until pain sets in to be
considered effective.

Principle of Progression. The Principle of Progression states that the body should experience a gradual
increase in workload. If the principle of overload asks “How hard?” then the principle of progression asks
“How soon?” The body will get injured if it experiences a workload that is too hard and too soon. The body
should be given an ample time to recover and get used to the new workload. The rate at which the body
adapts varies from one individual to another. A reasonable time frame is to increase the load after two
weeks. However, it is recommended that you do not increase the workload by more than 10% from the
previous week.

Principle of Specificity. The Principle of Specificity states that the body will adapt specifically to the
workload it experienced. It implies that improvements in fitness level will be limited to the activities that
one is performing. The application of this principle is not only on the movement or activity performed but
to the intensity at which it is performed. A person who trains for a marathon should not be expected to be
able to lift heavy barbells. This principle highlights the importance of performing a variety of activities to
improve overall fitness.

Principle of Individuality. The Principle of Individuality states that not two persons are the same and
their rate of adaptation to the same workload differs. This principle emphasizes the need to create an
exercise program that is individual-specific. All individuals have different performance goals, fitness
attributes, lifestyle, and nutritional preferences; they respond to exercise and its physical and social
environments in their own unique way. It is therefore essential that the exercise program cater to these
individual needs and preference.

Principle of Reversibility. The adaptations that take place as a result of training are all reversible. While
an exercise program requires rest for the body to recover, too much rest may be counterproductive. The
Principle of Reversibility is another way of stating the principle of disuse. If your energy systems are not
utilized, they deteriorate to a level that matches your level of activity. It indicates that disuse or inactivity
results in loss of benefits achieved in overloading.

STEPS IN DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM

The following are the guidelines that can help in determining fitness goals:
1. Write short-term and long-term performance goals. A short-term goal is something that can
be achieved in 6 to 8 weeks while a long-term goal is something that can be achieved in 6 months
or more. A long-term goal is usually made of several short-term goals that build on each other.
2. Set realistic goals. It is important that goals are attainable in the given period. Review your
current fitness level and decide on modest gains. You can also ask your teacher or friends who
exercise for a possible goal. This will keep you from getting frustrated.
3. Write specific goals. Write a goal for each fitness component instead of writing a general one
(e.g., climb four flights of stairs without getting tired instead of improve fitness level). A specific goal
helps you focus on what has to be done.
 4. Write a fitness contract. A fitness contract is a concrete commitment. It is a visual reminder of
the goals you have identified and its strengthens your resolve to keep your exercise program. It
makes you accountable for the consequences of your actions.

The FITT Principle

 The FITT Principle is an acronym for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. These are the key Factors
in designing an exercise program that will address the current fitness level, provide means to
overload the body, and trigger positive adaptations.

FACTOR DESCRIPTION

Frequency Number of sessions in a week

Intensity Difficulty level of the exercise or work demand

Time Duration or distance covered in an exercise

 session Frequency
The frequency of
an exercise Type Mode of exercise or activity program
depends on the current
fitness level and the type of
activity performed. It
is important to provide rest days to allow the body to recover. Consequently, beginners should exercise
less frequently as compared to athletes.
 Intensity
The intensity of an exercise, refers to the difficulty level of the workout. It is important to set a
workload that is more challenging than what one is used to. This factor is affected by the current fitness
level and the time allotted to an exercise session. Each type of exercise has its own method of estimating
intensity. Current research indicates that exercise intensity is the most important factor in improving
fitness level.
 Time
The time is the duration or the length of session is influenced by the intensity and the type of
activity performed. An exercise that is performed at a high intensity cannot be sustained for a long period.
Furthermore, a stretching program usually takes a shorter period to complete as compared to a resistance
training program.
 Type
The type of activity is influenced by the fitness goal and the current fitness level. The program
should be designed so that exercise is the best activity to specifically address the fitness goal. For
instance, an individual who wants to develop his/her endurance to swim 2 kilometers should choose
swimming as his/her main activity though there are different strategies to achieve this goal.
Exercise Intensity Time

Aerobic Heart rate, RPE, Talk Test Elapsed Time, Distance

Resistance Percent of 1RM Repetitions, Sets

Why is
Flexibility Tightness, Discomfort Elapsed Time

movement screening important? How can it evaluate muscle weakness and imbalance?

SQUAT – is a multi-joint movement that has the ability to show neuromuscular deficit in the core muscles
and the lower extremity muscles.
Body Correct Position for Squat

Shoulders Elbows held behind the ears throughout the movement

Hips Trunk remains flat without learning forward too much

Knees Knees are stable and does not exhibit movement to the side nor to the
front.

Ankle Feet is in full contact with the ground and aligned with the knees

Quality Balance is maintained when thighs are parallel to the ground

Lunge – is another movement that evaluates movement stability and neuro muscular deficit of the lower
extremities.

Body Correct Position for Squat

Shoulders Elbows held behind the ears throughout the movement
Hips Trunk remains flat and vertical
Knees Knees are aligned with hip and foot
Ankle Heel of the leg should be in contact with the floor and under the lead knee
while the heel of the rear foot is off the ground
Quality Balance is maintained when the lead thighs is parallel to the ground
Trunk Rotation – is a common movement in many sports that involve throwing. Throwing movements
push the center of gravity of the body outside of the normal region and forces the deep abdominal muscles
to counteract the displacement.

Body Correct Position for Squat

Shoulders Arms are parallel to the ground and the opposite elbow crosses the lead
knee

Hips Trunk remains flat and does not bend while twisting

Knees Knees are aligned with hip and foot

Ankle Heel of the leg should be in contact with the floor and under the lead knee
while the heel of the rear foot is off the ground

Quality Balance is maintained when the lead thighs is parallel to the ground

Push-up – is a basic exercise that evaluates the strength of the arms and abdominal muscles as well as
the flexibility of the shoulder joint.

Body Correct Position for Squat

Shoulders Head is centered between the shoulders and the elbows are wider than
the shoulders.

Hips Trunk remains flat and straight from head to buttocks

Knees Knees are straight and thighs does not touch the ground

Ankle Weight is balanced over the forefoot

Quality Balance is maintained as chest is lowered close to the ground.

TYPES OF EXERCISES
An exercise program can consist of several exercises. Exercise are repetitive movements that aim
to improve one or more components of fitness.
Exercise are generally classified as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or stretching exercise.
1. Aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise involves large muscle groups (e.g., thighs) that perform rhythmic
and continuous movement for a prolonged period of time in order to improve aerobic capacity. Ex.
Swimming, biking, running, and dancing.
2. Resistance Exercise. Resistance exercises require the muscle to contract against an external load
(e.g., barbell) in order to improve muscular strength, muscular endurance, and bone strength. Ex.
TRX (Total Resistance Exercise), Thera-Band, and Resistance machines.
3. Stretching Exercise. Stretching exercises increase the elasticity of muscles and tendons
surrounding the joint in order to improve flexibility. Ex. Static stretching, ballistic stretching, and
dynamic stretching.

Exercise 1
Analyze and Answer the following questions in 1 whole sheet of yellow paper.
1. In the first day of training of the athletes for the preparation for Palarong Bicol, the trainer decided
to give a hard training. First, he gives 45 minutes jogging in oval until the last drop of their sweat
 fall into the ground. Then after that aerobic exercise, their trainer focuses on some core exercises,
2 minutes planking, 50 side crunches, and 50 curl ups until core muscle pain sets in. This training
emphasizes the principle of _________________?
Answer: _________________
Justify: ______________________________________________________________________
2. A group of athletes looking to gain strength could follow the same well-designed training program,
yet after completing the program, the individual training response could differ greatly among
athletes. Some gained a lot, some gained a little, and some do not complete the program. This
training emphasizes the principle of ___________?
Answer: _________________
Justify: ______________________________________________________________________
3. A goal keeper will need to focus on reaction work in their training. So the goal keeper will do some
exercise training that will strengthen his reaction time. This training emphasizes the principle of
___________?
Answer: _________________
Justify: ______________________________________________________________________