The FITT principles are an exercise prescription to help participants understand how long and how hard they should exercise.
FITT is acronym that stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. FITT can be applied to exercise in general or specific components of exercise. For example, below are some general FITT guidelines for weekly exercise.
Frequency: Daily moderate exercise is ideal, but try to exercise a minimum of 3-5 days per week.
Intensity: Moderate to vigorous intensity exercise is recommended for adults.
Time: 30-60 minutes per day.
Type: To maintain a well-balanced fitness level, perform a variety of exercises included cardio, strength, and flexibility training.
The F.I.T.T. formula (frequency, intensity, type, and time) is a flexible exercise framework that can help bring structure to your fitness routine. By altering one of the four variables, you can tailor your workout to overcome challenges and meet specific fitness goals.
F.I.T.T. Defined: Frequency, or how often you exercise. Intensity, or how hard you work. Type, or what exercise you do. Time, or how long you exercise for.
For improved cardio endurance, increase the frequency and time of your workouts while reducing the intensity. If your goal is strength building, reduce the frequency of your workouts to 2 – 3 times per week on non-consecutive days and lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions. The duration of your workouts should also depend on the intensity of your workout; take more time if you’re doing a lot of repetitions at a lower weight. For improved flexibility and balance, aim for low-intensity workouts 5 – 7 days per week. For this type of conditioning, practice slow, low-impact movements like yoga, Pilates, and tai chi.
One additional element of a complete fitness plan is progression. To see continued success, gradually increase over time at least one component of your routine for each session, such as the intensity or duration.
Applying the F.I.T.T. principles can motivate you this Monday to determine the best fitness plan for your goals, fitness level, and experience. Now, you have a plan. Make Monday about the rewards of seeing a plan come to life.
Reach out and share your success story with us! How do you use the F.I.T.T. principles to achieve your fitness goals? We’d love to hear about it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
In order to get the most out of your training, you must follow some basic simple training principles which are overload, specificity, reversibility, and variance.
Overload means we must put our bodies under more stress than normal in order for adaptive changes to be made. Specificity relates to ensuring the training done is specific to the sport or activity. Reversibility means if you don’t keep it up you will lose it and variance relates to varying the training activities.
What are the basic principles of training?
The basic training principles for all physical exercise are:
Overload
In order to progress and improve our fitness, we have to put our bodies under additional stress. Applying this training principle will cause long-term adaptations, enabling our bodies to work more efficiently to cope with this higher level of performance. Overloading can be achieved by following the acronym FITT:
Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week
Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For example, running at 12 km/h instead of 10 or increasing the weight you are squatting with.
Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each session. For example, cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30.
Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For example progress from walking to running.
Specificity
This principle of training relates to the type of training that you do. It should be specific to you and your sport. You should train the energy system which you use predominantly (i.e. don’t run 5,000 meters in training if you’re a sprinter!) and the fitness and skill components most important to your sport, for example, agility, balance, or muscular endurance.
Another example is to swim a lot in training and then expect your running to improve significantly. Your general fitness will improve so therefore your running may also improve, not nowhere near as much as if you focus on running instead of swimming.
You should also test the components which are important in your sport to see your strengths and weaknesses. With this information, you can focus on improving your weak points.
Reversibility
Use it or lose it! Basically, if you stop training then the improvements you have made will be reversed. So if you are ill or have a holiday and do not train for a period of time (even as little as a week) you may not be able to resume training at the point where you left off.
Variance
Try to vary your training. This keeps you interested and gives your body different challenges. Remember a change is as good as a rest with this training principle. Many professional athletes will play a completely different sport in-between their main season, to keep their fitness up whilst still having a rest!
Principles of training quizzes
Training principles External links
- Sports injuries at Sportsinjuryclinic.net
- Your cycle
- Lifestyle
- Fitness and exercise
Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? Or do you simply want to begin incorporating exercise into your daily routine? Then consider using the FITT principle.
The acronym FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type. It describes the various factors that determine what kind of impact physical activity will have on your body. These four factors do not stand alone but are closely connected and interdependent. Let’s delve a little deeper into each component and how it relates to your fitness regimen.
The FITT formula
Regardless of your experience level, FITT helps ensure that your body reaps the full benefits of regular workouts. By the same token, it protects you from eventual exercise burnout. But what exactly is the FITT formula?
Frequency
If you think of a calendar week as your workout period, then your frequency would be the number of times you exercise per week. Frequency should always be determined by the type of activity you’re engaging in. In the case of strength and resistance training, for example, it’s recommended that you allow at least one day for recovery between sessions. Therefore, your frequency of exercise per week will be lower.
Intensity
The degree of intensity is based on the amount of work you have to put in. When you’re doing cardio, such as jogging, intensity is determined by the speed and distance of your running. When you’re strength training, it’s the number of weight lifting reps you end up completing.
The intensity with which you approach your workout also depends on your current level of fitness and on how often you hit the gym. It’s wise to do high-intensity training fewer times a week, allowing longer rest periods than you would with low-intensity training.
Time
The length of time you spend exercising is directly impacted by the other three components of the FITT model. Cardio routines, for instance, are almost always longer than weight lifting routines. Similarly, high-intensity workouts should be shorter than low-intensity workouts. And lastly, you can exercise more frequently by doing shorter sessions, or vice versa.
Type
The type of physical activity you choose lies at the heart of the FITT principle. All other aspects of the model revolve around it. Generally speaking, cardio and resistance training are the two most common types of exercise.
The former includes running, swimming, bike riding, and hiking. Meanwhile, the latter includes weight lifting, pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. Depending on your desired goals and outcome, you can mix and match the above, as needed.
FITT can be applied to any workout routine you have in mind. To demonstrate, let’s pretend that you’ve been overdoing it on sugary foods lately, and you’re trying to shed a few pounds. Instead of skipping meals, however, you’d rather exercise the weight off, according to the FITT model.
- Frequency: To burn up all those extra calories, you’ll want to train as often as possible, but without over-exhausting yourself. On average, your frequency should be three to four times a week. Note that it’s unhealthy to lose more than one to two pounds in a seven-day period.
- Intensity: A moderate- to high-intensity workout is good for eliminating excess fat. Your selected activity should be one that drives up your heart rate to a point where it’s more than half of your maximum heart rate. Stay hydrated both during and after to replace any fluids lost from sweating.
- Time: The time you spend exercising will, of course, depend on your individual fitness level. The longer you work out, the more calories and fat you’ll burn off. But be sure to pay close attention to your body since it’ll always let you know when it’s ready to throw in the towel.
- Type: The most effective weight loss techniques tend to be cardio-based. Opt for activities such as running, swimming, or bike riding. If you’re also looking to tone and sculpt your muscles, you can add in a few resistance exercises to your cardio routine.
Your trainer will likely recommend that you follow certain dietary restrictions to guarantee the best results. It’s also a good idea to stay away from sodas and fizzy drinks to quench your post-workout thirst.
There’s a dizzying array of exercise tips available online, but chances are that most won’t even apply to you. With the FITT model, however, you can lose weight, maintain fitness, and increase endurance as well as tone your muscles.
When properly applied, FITT actually enables you to push your limits just enough to make progress without harming your body. It also decreases your likelihood of developing conditions like hypertension, obesity, or diabetes.
Furthermore, exercise encourages your body to release endorphins, which offer pain relief. During your period, it can alleviate cramps, bloating, and other symptoms you might be experiencing. Cardio workouts are particularly effective in these situations.
Overall, the FITT model allows you to meet your goals by adapting to your body’s unique needs, producing short- and long-term benefits in the process.
Updated on January 19, 2021
Billinger, Sandra A, et al. “Does Aerobic Exercise and the FITT Principle Fit into Stroke Recovery?” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4560458/. “Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. 2nd ed., 2018, //health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.