Sports physiologists, exercise scientists and coaches all tend to agree on the critical elements of a great workout plan. An effective plan should prevent injuries and improve body composition, as well as increase strength and endurance. Whether you are interested in sports performance or general fitness for health reasons, make sure your workout plan includes the right elements.
Warm-Up
The movement preparation phase of a workout, commonly referred to as a warm-up, serves to prevent injury. A great workout plan will include a warm-up session that increases the body temperature and loosens joints and muscles. This will help you avoid pulling or straining muscles and ligaments. Ideally, the warm-up should replicate movements that will be used in the exercise phase, in order to prepare the body for the specific exercises.
Strength Training
Great workout plans increase muscular strength, generally through weightlifting exercises. Strength-training methods will vary based on the specific goals of the workout plan. For increasing muscle size, a program developed specifically to reach that goal is called for. A plan to increase muscle strength without a focus on growth will primarily involve heavier weights and fewer repetitions. Specificity when choosing exercises and in how you plan your workouts is critical in strength training, based on your goals.
Muscular Endurance
While strength training generally involves weightlifting, muscular endurance training may include body weight exercises such as calisthenics and isometrics, as well as light weight training for high repetitions. Muscular endurance training -- conditioning your muscles to work at a sub-maximal level for long durations -- is important for most athletes. It is especially critical to participants in sports like triathlon or mountaineering. In these sports, while bursts of extreme power and strength are seldom needed, long periods of work at a level just below your threshold are frequent. A great workout plan that develops muscular endurance will include relatively light weights lifted for high numbers of repetitions or long durations of time.
Cardio Fitness
Cardio fitness, which is important for any workout routine, can be divided into two specific areas -- aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic, or oxygen-consuming exercise, is long-duration sub-maximal exercise, such as jogging or distance cycling. For the general fitness athlete, aerobic conditioning alone may be adequate to decrease blood pressure and body fat levels. A competitive athlete, meanwhile, may need more sport-specific anaerobic interval training. Anaerobic, or non-oxygen-consuming conditioning, involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise, such as sprints that force the body to consume lactic acid and other nutrients, besides oxygen, to provide energy. This is critical in many sports, such as football or judo, where short duration, high-intensity energy may mean the difference between victory and defeat. A good workout plan must address the specific cardio needs of the individual to be effective.
Flexibility
Great workout plans include flexibility training during a cool-down phase. This prevents injury following exercise by preventing the muscles and tendons from getting tight. It also leads to increased fitness thanks to better bodily function and range of motion. While static stretching exercises, like the split-stretch, are the most obvious type of flexibility training, great workout plans will include dynamic exercises as well, such as leg swings and torso twists. These help slow the cooling-off process and further reduce the possibility of injury. Post-exercise flexibility training should specifically address the muscles targeted by the workout session just completed.
References
- "Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Third Edition;" National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2007
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training;" National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2003
- "Sports Medicine Essentials;" Jim Clover; 2007
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