Even if you aren't competing in the next Olympics or Ironman triathlon, you can still benefit from having solid physical fitness. Being in good shape lets you have more energy throughout the day, boosts your confidence, and allows you to complete physically challenging tasks.
ASPECTS OF FITNESS
Flexibility:
Flexibility is the range of movement of your joints. It is by far the most underrated and underdeveloped aspect of fitness among men. However, it is also one of the most important. Being flexible will increase your strength due to the increased blood flow, reduce your chance of injury, and give you increased range of motion. In order to become more flexible, you should perform both static and dynamic stretches daily. A static stretch is, as the name suggests, where you stretch in place. One example of a static stretch would be sitting down, straightening your legs out in front of you, and attempting to touch your toes. A dynamic stretch is where you stretch by constantly moving the given muscle area. One example of a dynamic stretch is where you stand on one leg, grab a pole (or something similar), and swing the other leg back and forth in a kicking motion.
Cardiovascular Endurance:
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply your muscles with oxygen during physical activity. Most people think that cardiovascular endurance is achieved best through aerobic activities such as running. However, this is not the case. Although you do gain cardiovascular endurance through such activities such as running, the best way to achieve cardiovascular endurance is through strength training. This is due to the fact that the cardiovascular system supports the muscular system and not the other way around. The problem with running (other than being hard on your joints) is that it primarily improves the efficiency of your running technique. Are there instances when you should run as part of your training? Yes. If you are training for a running event such as a marathon, obviously most of your training will consist of running. However, for the average guy who just wants to be in great overall physical shape, running is not the way to go.
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply your muscles with oxygen during physical activity. Most people think that cardiovascular endurance is achieved best through aerobic activities such as running. However, this is not the case. Although you do gain cardiovascular endurance through such activities such as running, the best way to achieve cardiovascular endurance is through strength training. This is due to the fact that the cardiovascular system supports the muscular system and not the other way around. The problem with running (other than being hard on your joints) is that it primarily improves the efficiency of your running technique. Are there instances when you should run as part of your training? Yes. If you are training for a running event such as a marathon, obviously most of your training will consist of running. However, for the average guy who just wants to be in great overall physical shape, running is not the way to go.
Don't believe me? Check out this case study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392
The group who performed strength training actually improved their cardiovascular system more than the group who performed aerobic training. The best way to improve your cardiovascular endurance is through strength training.
Muscular Strength:
Muscular strength is your ability to exert force with your muscles. Muscular strength is developed through resistance training. Resistance training utilizes various types of resistance, including weights, resistance cables, machines, and your own bodyweight. Each type of resistance has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, so your best bet is to mix it up as much as you can. Also, by mixing up the types of resistance you use, you will prevent your body from plateauing, or becoming so accustomed to a certain exercise that it no longer benefits you.
Muscular Endurance:
Muscular endurance is your ability to sustain a certain amount of force with your muscles over a period of time. Improving your muscular endurance is very similar to improving your muscular strength; you use resistance training. The only difference is that you use less resistance but perform more repetitions of the exercise.
KEY ASPECTS TO GETTING IN GREAT SHAPE
Recovery:
The recovery period is the time you spend in between workout sessions. Depending on your schedule and the intensity of your workouts, this can be a day, two days, three days, or whatever works best for you. The recovery period is the time in which you get stronger; you do not get stronger when you work out. Therefore, it is essential that you give your muscles ample time to recover. If you work out again before your muscles have recovered, not only will you not be able to lift as much or for as long, but you also run the risk of overtraining. Overtraining leads to all sorts of problems, including reduced strength, chronic fatigue, and increased chance of injury.
Progression:
Never be satisfied where you are. Too many people do the same exercises with the same amount of resistance for months at a time. Although this is the easy path, you will not get in better shape. You need to make your workouts harder as time goes along. This can be done a number of ways, including performing more repetitions, using more resistance, and having less time in between sets. When the difficulty in your workouts increases, so does the level of your fitness.
Consistency:
You must be consistent if you want to get in great shape. This includes being consistent in how often you work out, the quality of your workouts, and the quality of your nutrition. With long-term consistency, you will get in great shape. Without long-term consistency, you will not keep the fitness gains that you make for very long.
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