Fitness Components and FITT Principles

Health-Related Fitness Components

• There are five health-related fitness components: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

FITT Principles

Cardiovascular Endurance

• Frequency: 3-5 times per week
• Intensity: 60-85% of maximum heart rate
• Time: 20-60 minutes
• Type: Running, cycling, swimming, etc.

Muscular Strength

• Frequency: 2-3 times per week
• Intensity: Heavy resistance (e.g. 4-8 repetitions)
• Time: Each session until fatigue
• Type: Weight training, resistance bands

Muscular Endurance

• Frequency: 2-3 times per week
• Intensity: Moderate resistance (e.g. 9-15 repetitions)
• Time: Each session until fatigue
• Type: Calisthenics, circuit training

Flexibility

• Frequency: Daily
• Intensity: Stretch to the point of feeling tightness, not pain
• Time: 10-30 seconds per stretch
• Type: Static, dynamic stretching

Training Principles

• Overload: Place greater stress on the body than it is accustomed to, in order to increase fitness.
• Progression: Gradually increase the overload over time to continue improving.
• Specificity: Training must be specific to the fitness component and activity.
• Warm Up: Light exercise to prepare the body for activity and prevent injury.
• Cool Down: Light exercise after a workout to allow the body to recover gradually.
• Rest & Recovery: Allow time between workouts for the body to recover and adapt.
• Reversibility: Fitness levels will decrease when training stops or decreases.
• Diminishing Returns: There is a point when overload stops producing desired results.
• Tedium: Varying the workout routine to prevent boredom and plateaus.

CPR Chain

• The CPR chain consists of: Call emergency services, give Chest compressions, give Rescue breaths.