Conditioning is the process of preparing the body for optimized performance, by becoming stronger and healthier through regular exercise programme and diet, intake.

In this article, you will be able to define Conditioning and explain the key terms discuss the major factors in weight training explain the difference between Isometric, Isotonic and Isokinetic and Understand the benefits and concerns of cardio-respiratory conditioning.

 

Major Conditioning for Fitness and Performance

1. Conditioning Programmes

This is the process of preparing the body for optimized performance, by becoming stronger and healthiest through regular exercise programme and diet. The human body has the capacity to adapt to any physically fit programme,it is exposed to, provided it is physically fit.

Effective conditioning programme require careful planning and proper consideration of certain fundamental rules or principles for safety of the success of the programme.

Preventing injury to the athlete require a proper conditioning of the athlete. An Athlete who is not fit is more likely to sustain an injury. Improper conditioning is one major cause of sports injuries when conditioning is inadequate, the resultant outcome might be counterproductive if your reason for conditioning was to be fit by losing weight you might end up with adding weight or if you wanted to add strength, you might end up losing strength, and vice versa.

Those in charge of the responsibilities to condition or prepare the athlete for good performance at his competition, most proper understanding of rules or principles of training Conditioning isrelative to flexibility, strength and cardio-respiratory endurance or muscular endurance.

2. Principles of Conditioning

1. Safety

2. Motivation

3. Specialization

4. Warm-up/cool down

5. Diet 6. Intensity

7. Capacity

8. Duration

9. Balanced strength

10. Routine

11. Modification

12. Fun

13. Relaxation

14. Progression

1. SAFETY: Proper technique or body mechanics should be used in preparing the athlete. Proper standard equipment should be used safety or health rules must be adhered to constant inspection of trading area of other facilities should be done,

2. Motivation: The athlete must be exposed to motivational conditions, both for self or external motivation, through the use of good. Comments that might be helpful or relived be given for good efforts, motivation will ensure proper results.

3. Specialization: This means that certain exercises should include those for strength, relaxation, flexibility and other exercises is designed for specific sports.

4. Warm-up/cool down:This should precede all other exercises, as it tone up the physical psychological, readiness for the daily activities. At the end of the daily work out exercises that will cool out or the body to be cooled down.

5. Diet: A healthy diet is important for a conditioning programme. Ensure good diet for the programme. Also ensure you avoid hydration to help delay with cramps.

6. Intensity: programme your practice to avoid muscular cramps or the likes.

7. Capacity-Level: This means that performance expected should be at the level of the athlete or client especially his physiological limit.

8. Duration: Time of workout should last enough to briny result, depending on the athlete or client. The whole programme should be provided with time enough for the daily workout.

9. Balanced strength:More strength will lead to more endurance of both muscular or cardio respiratory endurance. In developing more strength, the principle of over loading should be used to ensure results or to avoid injuries. Note that more strength, greater endurance for speed.

10. Routine: Daily exercise routine should be established and consistent with the expected workout programmed.

11. Modification: The daily programmed workout should consider taking care of specific need of the athlete. The area of deficiency must be properly handle or treated for a unique results.

12. Fun: The habits of hard work equated with playing hand or enjoyment should be considered as this is very helpful in development of results from the programmed.

13. Relaxation: A proper balance between the programmed with relaxation is very vital for development of physical or mental health. A balance between leisure time and hard work out should also be emphasized.

14. Progression Daily workout must be based on progression and regular increment of loading. This should be well programmed, considering the fact that it takes 6-8 weeks for good result to begin to surface in a condition of programme.

These principles are observed in consideration of the use of different methods of training, especially for season athletes.

3. Conditioning Methods

There are several methods of training that can be used in conditioning an athlete. Each method is unique and may be used in conjunction with other methods for achieving proper result in a conditioning programme.

These methods include:

·Interval training method

· Continue training method

· Interval/continued method

· Resistant or weight training

· Speed training e.t.c

For the purpose of conditioning the resistance or weight training is very important as the programme of conditioning is not really considering any specific sports rather it is considering fitness mostly, just as in warm up exercises aimed at the whole body at low intensity conditioning also aimed at exercising the whole body organs using the various training methods, for a proper build up, at different intensity to develop the entire fitness components in the whole body.

Your daily activities and sports determine the level of fitness component and in what part of the body it is needed.

4. Cardiorespiratory Exercises

Resistance (weight) training result in the most visible aspect of physical fitness, increased muscle mass, but cardiorespiratory endurance is the most important aspect of physical fitness to one’s health. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems transport oxygen (Fuel) and nutrients to the body tissues for absorption, and carry carbondioxide respiratory waste product, to the lungs for expulsion from the body.

Cardio respiratory exercises help build endurance in the heart and lungs, allowing people to do daily or athletic task without getting very tired Calories is also burned up in the process of important consideration. Cardio respiratory exercise may also be performed at low intensity, weight loss and management programme.

As part of the warm-up or cool down phase in a weight training programme. As you use different weight training, similarly, there are many different exercises to develop fitness to help develop cardio respiratory fitness.

They include: ruining and jogging aerobicor step classes power walking, stair climbing, cling etc.

5. Principles of Weight Training

The primary benefit of weight training in a conditioning programme are for

(a) Muscle strength

(b) Muscle endurance.

Secondary benefits are

(a) Muscle tone

(b) muscle mass and muscle power and flexibility.

The overload principle (SAID)

S – Specific

A – Adopted

I – Imposed

D – Demand

The principle of overload is by far the most important concept when starting any weight lifting or weight training programme. This principle involves overloading the body’s muscular or cardio respiratory systems by working them harder than normal activity requires.

If the overload principle is followed correctly, the muscle strength, endurance and size will all increase and not be injured, because the muscles will be overloaded in a controlled exercise programme.

 

Method of using overload

1. Increase the amount of weight lifted

2. Increase the number of reputation in a set

3. Increase the number of sets that are performed

4. Increase the speed with which repetition are performed

5. Decrease the amount of time between sets

 

6. Other Principles that could be considered alongside the overload Principle include:

a. Variation principle:as the name is varying your approaches in terms of; intensity, speed, sequence, and duration of the exercise of your chosen method of exercise.

b. The specificity principle:This refers to the relationship between the choice of exercise and the activity performance enhancement i.e the chosen exercise

c. Must correlate to the sport or the component of fitness so desired for performance achievement or enhancement.

7. Safety Guidelines for Weight Training

i. Warm-up/cool down

ii. Stretching

iii. Spotting

iv. Collars

v. Muscle balance

vi. Range of motion (ROM)

vii. Hydration

viii. Proper stance or form for lifting weights.

8. Strengthening Exercises

Muscles can be exercised in a variety of ways through different types of muscles contractions. The shortening of a muscle, accomplished through flexion, is called a ‘concentric’, or positive, contraction. The lengthening of the muscle is called an ‘eccentric’ or negative, contraction.

Both types of contractions are essential to conditioning and can be produced in a variety of ways, using free weight, guided weights, or just the weight of the body, among other methods.

This result in no change in the length of the muscle, the muscle neither lengthens nor shortens as it is contracted. This is done by applying pressure against a stable resistance, thereby increasing muscle tension such as when a person pushes or pulls against an immoveable object e.g pushing a wall.

Isotonic Exercise:

An Isotonic contraction occurs when the muscle bears the same weight throughout the entire range of motion. Isotonic exercises greatly improve joint mobility as well as muscle strength and tone. The muscles will shorten and lengthen as it goes through the contraction. Another type of Isotonic exercise is called a variable resistance exercise. Using a machine to vary the muscles resistance.

  

Isokinetic Exercises

An Isokinetic contraction occurs in the muscles when the speed of the exercise stays constant throughout the range of motion, while the resistance against the muscle varies according to the amount of force applied.

This type of contraction will work for the muscles to its full capacity through the entire range of motion (ROM). Isokinetic exercises can be performed on machines also, that provides hydraulic resistance or electronic resistance. Isokinetic combines both Isometric and Isotonic contractions.

 

Warm-up/cooldown: As required for every training or conditioning programme activity, warm-up activity for at least 5- 10mins, to involve the larger or big muscles of the body. This should precede every conditioning programme/cooldown at the end of every conditioning programme activity. Also for 5-10mins at least. Note that the cooler the atmosphere the more the intensity and durations.

 

Note:

Stretching: This should be with some selected related exercises that proceed the warm-up to further prepare the entire muscles.

Spotting: Giving support during performance to the performer, especially when dealing with heavier weight.

Coolar: These are grips used to hold weights to the weight bars, to prevent the weights from falling off the weight bars

 

Conclusion on Conditioning for Fitness and Performance

It is assumed that you have learnt the lesson in this post. A successful conditioning programme must address muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory, fitness body composition and individual special consideration. In addition, careful attention must be paid to the rules of conditioning to ensure the safety and success of the programme.