The F.I.T.T. Principle

I was watching a man in the gym for several months (not in a stalking kind of way).  I nicknamed him, quietly in my head, Mr. Magoo. He looks a lot like the cartoon character but is not nearly as endearing. He bit my head off one morning for some infraction I now cannot remember. I may have taken up too much space on the stretching mat. 

This not-so-adorable gentleman appears at the gym every morning. I found the cartoon Magoo irksome. This doppelganger is no different. in the beginning, I tried to be friendly. I smiled and said hello but he just pushed past me and went about his daily routine (and routine it is).

This brings me to the subject at hand.

Some routines are great! Some routines are bad.  The routine that gets you up and gets you to the gym every day is good. The routine that has you doing the exact same thing every time you go to the gym is bad.

Mr. Magoo shows up every day at 8:00 AM and does the exact same thing every single day.  The same exercise, the same weights, and the same cardio.  Not only is this BORING, he is making no progress, and doing little to maintain his current fitness level.

I admire the fact the he shows up every day. It also drives me crazy that he does the same thing and does it wrong.

To help overcome the grind of doing the same thing repeatedly, you can apply the F.I.T.T. principle.

F- Frequency.

ACSM guidelines for cardio respiratory exercise is 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days per week or 20- 60 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 days per week.

Strength training should be done 2-3 days per week with 48 hours rest in between strength sessions. Two to four sets of each exercise, 8-12 repetitions to improve strength and 15- 20 repetitions to increase endurance.

Flexibility should be done 3-4 days per week. Each stretch should be held 10-60 seconds.

muscles are best stretch when they are warm. NEVER stretch a cold muscle.

I-Intensity

You cannot go hard every day.  Some days need to be easy, and some days need to be intense with high intensity intervals.  Use your RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Some days you will be at a 4 or 5. On higher intensity days, you will be at 9 or 10. Schedule the different intensity days into your regular routine.

T-Type

Unless you are training for a marathon or other road race, running everyday can get monotonous. Try adding cycling or swimming to break up your routine.  Add a group fitness class a great trainer (hint).

T-Time 

Can you run every day for an hour? Of course you can. I don’t know why you would want to but you could.  Vary your time. Shorter and more intense, longer and easier.

Here is some tips to maximize your workout time. Vary the amount workout times to alter your routine even more. Set aside time on the weekend for a long ride with friends. Have NO time in the morning before work for an hour workout? Then add a 30-min high intensity interval training session to get your metabolism jump started.

Use the fit FITT principle to keep your workouts interesting  & fun. Most of all to make sure you are doing something every day. Keep moving your results the direction want to see.

Hot Weather Running Tips

Hot Weather Running Tips

The Road Runners Club of America wants to remind the running community about the importance of following our hot weather running tips. Running in the heat of summer can be dangerous if proper precautions and preparations are not followed.

• Avoid dehydration! You can lose between 6 and 12 oz. of fluid for every 20 minutes of running. Therefore it is important to pre-hydrate (10–15 oz. of fluid 10 to 15 minutes prior to running) and drink fluids every 20–30 minutes along your running route. To determine if you are hydrating properly, weigh yourself before and after running. You should have drunk one pint of fluid for every pound you’re missing. Indications that you are running while dehydrated are a persistent elevated pulse after finishing your run and dark yellow urine. Keep in mind that thirst is not an adequate indicator of dehydration.
• Visit Gatorade Endurance’s site. You will find great tools for developing a hydration strategy.
• Avoid running outside if the heat is above 98.6 degrees and the humidity is above 70-80%. While running, the body temperature is regulated by the process of sweat evaporating off of the skin. If the humidity in the air is so high that it prevents the process of evaporation of sweat from the skin, you can quickly overheat and literally cook your insides from an elevated body temperature. Check your local weather and humidity level.
• When running, if you become dizzy, nauseated, have the chills, or cease to sweat…. STOP RUNNING, find shade, and drink water or a fluid replacement drink such as Gatorade Endurance. If you do not feel better, get help. Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature, and the body temperature continues to rise. Symptoms of heatstroke include mental changes (such as confusion, delirium, or unconsciousness) and skin that is red, hot, and dry, even under the armpits. Heatstroke is a life-threatening medical emergency, requiring emergency medical treatment.
• Run in the shade whenever possible and avoid direct sunlight and blacktop. When you are going to be exposed to the intense summer rays of the sun, apply at least 15 spf sunscreen and wear protective eyewear that filters out UVA and UVB rays. Consider wearing a visor that will shade your eyes and skin but will allow heat to transfer off the top of your head.
• If you have heart or respiratory problems or you are on any medications, consult your doctor about running in the heat. In some cases it may be in your best interests to run indoors. If you have a history of heatstroke/illness, run with extreme caution.
• Children should run in the morning or late afternoon hours, but should avoid the peak heat of the day to prevent heat related illnesses. It is especially important to keep children hydrated while running and playing outdoors in the heat.
• Do wear light colored breathable clothing. Do not wear long sleeves or long pants or sweat suits. Purposefully running in sweat suits hot days to lose water weight is dangerous!
• Plan your route so you can refill water bottles or find drinking fountains. City parks, local merchants, and restaurants are all good points to incorporate on your route during hot weather running. Be sure to tell someone where you are running how long you think you will gone, and carry identification.

Stay hydrated, cool, and safe this summer!