Physical-fitness

Get more physically fit

Fitness is relative to life’s requirements. Fitness is the ability to meet the needs of everyday life and emergencies with ease. It includes:

1.      Absolute strength

2.      Dynamic strength

3.      Strength endurance

4.      Starting strength

5.      Static balance

6.      Dynamic balance

7.      Cardiovascular endurance

8.      Local muscular endurance

9.      Nutrition (optimal body composition is the result of nutrition)

10. Recovery (second to second, rep to rep, and year to year)

11.  Sleep

12.  Mobility/flexibility

13.  Neuromuscular coordination (timing is everything in life) 

14.  Sports psychology

15.  Being an ambassador for your sport

Absolute strength is the utmost force one can produce at will. It influences all aspects of fitness directly.

Dynamic strength is the ability to produce force while moving. It influences powerful movement. Olympic weightlifting is the realization of dynamic strength. It is not absolute strength necessarily but strength moving the system, subtly sometimes, but always with force.

Strength endurance is the ability to sustain force production for time. Sprinting is an expression of strength endurance. It lasts longer than two seconds.

Starting strength is the ability to produce force instantaneously.  Starting strength is powerful as it includes time as a factor. Pre-loading helps produce greater starting strength. Starting a sprint or a deadlift are expressions of starting strength.

Static balance is the ability to maintain control while standing still. Balance is coordination of the system. Standing on one foot is an expression of static balance.

Dynamic balance is the ability to coordinate the system while moving. Dynamic balance affects movement profoundly. Gymnastics movements are manifestations of dynamic balance. Athletes move around the center of gravity while moving.

Cardiovascular endurance is of a duration greater than fifteen minutes and requires the oxidative energy system to produce energy. The oxidative energy pathway requires oxygen and fat to produce this energy (ATP in the electron transport chain). Running a marathon involves cardiovascular endurance.

Local muscular endurance is of a duration greater than several seconds. The work being done is localized rather than systemic. Rowing involves local muscular endurance at the completion of the stroke since it is not completely dependent on the hips and legs.

Nutrition must be coordinated and supply nutrients to meet the needs of the system. Nutrition is vital at the top levels of performance. Work is important. Work cannot be heightened if nutrients are not present. Hydration is part of nutrition.

Recovery is the ability to recharge after stress has been applied. A good way to judge if recovery has been realized is the resting heart rate. Upon waking take a resting heart rate. Over time establish your baseline resting heart rate. If the resting heart rate is elevated recovery has not been fully realized. This is an opportunity to realize a recovery workout. Just do a workout like you are warming up. Do not push it. Recapture it. Resting heart rate is indicative of recovery. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is also indicative of recovery. Rebooting a computer is a good example of recovery.

Sleep is the ultimate recovery. We calm down and reset all default programming. We also rebuild structures which need to adapt for applied stress. Full recovery will not happen without sleep. Get what you need and do not be that guy who says he only needs three hours per night. It is not possible if training is part of the equation.

Mobility and flexibility are the ability to move through the bio-mechanically predetermined range of motion. Repeated application of DOMS results in a retarded range of motion as scar tissue is the only certain result. Yoga and Pilates are expressions of mobility.

Neuromuscular coordination is the ability to sequentially produce forces. Punching is neuromuscular coordination. It originates at the hips and moves through the hands and feet. Coordination is timing; a tight sequence happening in milliseconds.

Sports psychology is the study of how an athlete thinks in sports. It is highly individual. If it is applicable in groups it is called spots sociology. Psych, the zone, and visualization are sports psychology.

Being an ambassador in your sport is not necessarily a fitness component. It is part of sports. If an athlete lacks sportsmanship it is more detrimental than any lack of fitness. The Olympic doctrine states implicitly that an athlete must be a good citizen first and foremost. Will we consider an MMA fighter’s fitness if they are a bully at a bar? NO! That is why I include this in fitness’ definition.

Fitness is holistic. If any of these components are absent fitness is incomplete. Not all components are equal. Absolute strength is more important than any other aspect of fitness. The influence is greater per unit of time. Coordination of these components is relative to one’s sport. Apply your work in a coordinated fashion and gain skills.

Get stronger your fitness will beneFIT!                                                     docsgym@live.com