Physical Fitness and Aerobic/Anaerobic Training
Physical Fitness and Training Methods
Fitness: Physical conditioning is the development of physical activity essential for proper basic physical performance.
Physical Condition: Physical condition is the ability to perform daily tasks with vigor and effectiveness, slowing the onset of fatigue (tiredness), conducted with minimal energy cost, and preventing injuries.
Essential Physical Qualities: The set of innate or acquired characteristics that determine an individual’s physical condition, which can be developed and improved through training. Everyone naturally possesses physical qualities, such as strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, coordination, and balance. Of all these, four are fundamental to an individual’s fitness:
- Strength
- Endurance
- Speed
- Flexibility
Methods that Build Aerobic Capacity
Continuous Training (Steady Pace)
Characterized by:
- Uninterrupted effort without changes in intensity.
- Long duration.
- Low intensity.
- No recovery during exercise.
- Heart rate between 120 and 160 beats per minute.
- Complete recovery after the effort.
Varied Pace (Fartlek)
Also known as speed play.Characterized by:
- Variable intensity of effort.
- Combination of distance, speed, time, and surface variations.
- Alternating work intensities (high, medium, and low).
- Heart rate can vary between 120 to 200 beats per minute.
- Incomplete total recovery after exertion or during low-intensity exercise.
Interval Training
Characterized by:
- Fractionated efforts; the subject runs a distance equal to or greater than the target, with a higher intensity than they can sustain continuously.
- Incomplete recovery; the individual restarts efforts when their heart rate reaches 110-120 beats per minute.
- Heart rate at the end of efforts should be between 160 and 180 beats per minute.
- Develops higher levels of aerobic endurance.
- Recovery is usually walking, but can also be jogging.
- Long duration of effort.
Methods that Develop Anaerobic Power
Anaerobic means “without oxygen” and refers to the energy exchange *without* oxygen in living tissue. Anaerobic exercise is a brief, high-intensity activity where anaerobic metabolism occurs in the muscles. Examples of anaerobic exercise include weightlifting and any exercise that consists of a brief, intense effort. Athletes typically use anaerobic exercise to acquire power with little resistance, and bodybuilders use it to gain muscle mass. Muscles trained under anaerobic conditions develop differently histologically, gaining more performance in short-duration, high-intensity activities.