TRAINING FOR ENERGY FITNESS

What is energy fitness?

 an athletes body needs to power the muscles to meet demands of the sport
 physically fit ind. have conditioned their bodies to store and use fuels efficiently and to
remove the metabolic waste produced by the working muscles

Energy Systems

1. Anaerobic A-Lactic (ATP-PC) Energy System

 Athletes who compete in sports that require high amounts of short duration acceleration
—shot-putters, weight lifters, American football linemen, gymnasts, or sprint-distance
speed skaters use the anaerobic a-lactic system. The ALA system does not create energy
for sufficient duration to create a great deal of waste products.
2. Anaerobic Lactic (Glycolytic) Energy System
 The anaerobic lactic (AL) system (also known as fast glycolysis) provides energy for
medium to high intensity bursts of activity that lasts from ten seconds to two minutes.
Some American football skill positions, baseball players, soccer players, judokas, middle
distance runners (400m-800m) and sprinters rely on this system. The anaerobic lactic
system, as well as the ATP-CP system, are capable of high intensity levels, and do not rely
on oxygen for fuel.

The primary difference between the two systems is in the capacity of the system. You can think
of capacity as the amount of time that the system can work at peak output before dropping off.

Whereas the ATP-PC system will only produce energy for 10 seconds, fast glycolysis works at
capacity for as long as two minutes. As a result, waste products such as lactic acid accumulate in
the blood and in muscle cells. A burning sensation in the muscle, shortness of breath and
fatigue are all symptoms of lactic acid build up.

3. Aerobic Energy System

 The aerobic system is the most utilized of the three. It provides energy for low intensity
activities that last anywhere from two minutes to a few hours. Unlike the other two
systems, the aerobic system requires oxygen and takes much longer to overload. Sports
and activities that use continuous sustained efforts such as long distance swimming,
crew (rowing) and sea kayaking rely on the aerobic system.

In reality, most sports use a variety of energy systems, or at least the power (time to reach peak
output) and the capacity (duration that peak output can be sustained) of the system. The only
real exceptions are Olympic weight lifting and certain field events, such as hammer or shot put.
Which energy system is most prevalent in a given sport dictates the training intent.

TRAINING ZONES

 Easy (EZ)
 No training (NZ)
 Performance (PZ)
 Maximal (MZ)

Duration of Energy Training

 Duration depends on:

o Sport
o Ability of Athlete to handle the overload

Loading Parameters—Functional Definitions

Reps

Reps are short for repetitions, or the number of times that a movement is repeated at one time.
For instance, a set of 10 push-ups equates to ten reps in the push-up.

The number of repetitions performed during a specific set of a workout determines the training
effect. Neurological efficiency is achieved through training in the lower rep range and metabolic
(muscular) adaptations are achieved through training with higher repetitions. The number of
reps dictates all other aspects of strength training, namely the sets, the tempo and the rest
period.

After the initial assessment of an athlete/client, the qualified personal trainer will prescribe a
repetition range based on the needs and goals of the client. For novice lifters, higher reps (12-
20) and lighter loads are prescribed to teach the body new exercise movement patterns.

Sets

Sets describe a group of repetitions. For example, 3 sets of 10 reps in the pushup equates to
three individual efforts of ten repetitions each. There is an inverse relationship between the
number of sets and the number of reps in any given workout; the higher the number of reps,
the lower the number of sets necessary to elicit the appropriate training response. Lower
numbers of reps require higher numbers of sets.

For a beginner, 2-3 sets of 12-20 repetitions should be sufficient to teach the body how to move
through different planes of movement. After the first 4-6 weeks, depending on the learning
curve of the client, the personal trainer or strength coach should increase the number of sets of
the workout. The client should then perform multiple sets of the prescribed exercise if strength
is a major goal.

Time Under Tension

Time under tension (abbreviated TUT) is the amount of time that a muscle or muscle group is
put under stress during a single rep, set, or workout.

For example, if a client performs a biceps curl and lifts the weight in 1 second and lowers it in 4,
the time under tension for that repetition is 5 seconds. In this particular example, the TUT
would be noted as 4010, where 4 seconds is the time it takes to eccentrically lower the weight,
0 seconds is the time of pause at the bottom position of the curl, 1 second is the time it takes to
concentrically lift the weight and the last 0 seconds is the pause at the top of the movement.

Time under tension is inversely proportional to both reps and sets. The more time that stress is
placed on a muscle in one rep, the less reps and sets are necessary to produce the same training
effect.

Rest Intervals

 Training goal
 Training intensity
 Fitness level of the client

CARDIO EQUIPMENT

 Treadmills
 Ellipticals
 Upright Bikes
 Climbers
 FlexStrider

GROUP TRAINING

 SYNRGY
 Indoor Cycling (Group Cycling)

STRENGTH TRAINING

 Plate-Loaded
 Cable Motion
 Benches & Racks