It is through workout variation that human physiology can adapt to different situations that one (may) encounter(s). Physiological specificity Running increases endurance and improves (heart) stroke volume. Strength Training increases muscular workload capacity. Flexibility and stability are important for mobility of the joints. When taken together, these aspects of activity allow the individual to display a higher degree of functionality.
Workout variation is the programming of flexibility, endurance, strength to support / improves overall bodily functioning. Varying the workout requires some imagination. People, by and large, (tend to) gravitate toward one type of workout. The body adjusts to a specific routine and improvement decreases over time. Exercise is defined as activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Exercise should be challenging to the body such that some type of improvement is attained.
Endurance
Endurance is related to the ability to perform work over an extended period of time. Endurance can be affected by an individual muscle, a muscle group, or the total body. Total body endurance usually refers to cardiopulmonary endurance, reflecting the ability of the heart to deliver a steady supply of oxygen to working muscle (i.e. running, swimming, cycling). Muscle endurance reflects the ability to sustain repeated muscle contraction and is related to muscle strength (i.e. heavy construction work, extended (sub-)max weight training sessions). These two modalities require different types of training, but they can and do enhance each other.
Guidelines for endurance training
Strength
Generally speaking, strength is the ability to move a mass from a resting state; this is the production of muscular force. Physiologically, strength is the ability to activate muscle motor neurons and their attached muscle fibers (a motor unit) to generate a force adequate for achieving a specific outcome. Normal muscle strength is associated with general health benefits, increased life expectancy, psychological benefits, prevention of illness, and reduction of disability in older adults. There are several types of strength that the body can generate. Agile Strength, Endurance Strength, Explosive Strength, Maximum Strength, Relative Strength, Speed Strength, and Starting Strength. Each has specific benefits and require a specific training scheme to develop.
Guidelines for strength training
Flexibility / Stability
The physiologic parameters of flexibility, and stability are associated with health-related physical fitness. They affect health (in general), the risk of injury, how an injury is treated, and performance in activities of daily living and sports. They are affected by individual body type, age, deconditioning, occupational activity, and formal exercise. Deficits or loss of . . . flexibility, and stability can be prevented or reduced with exercise programs. Static flexibility programs have been shown to improve joint range of motion and tolerance to stretch but do not appear to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury and may impair muscle performance immediately after a static stretch. Dynamic flexibility, on the other hand, may enhance power and improve sports-specific performance. Stability training leads to improved balance and neuromuscular control, may prevent injury to the shoulder, knee, and ankle joints, and can be used for treatment of patients with low back pain.
Guidelines for flexibility training
Each of these health components is very beneficial for the well being of the individual. They can be approached individually; however, the utilizing of one component to the exclusion of others will hinder one’s overall health potential. Programming for all three components can provide the body with improved functional capacity and make it less prone to injury. The inclusion of all three components need not reduced the specific focus of one’s focus. A strength athlete need not run marathons, a distance athlete need not be able to bend backwards to grab their ankles nor yogi / yogini need not lift atlas stones.
Balancing workouts takes resolve and some imagination. Exercise must not be stagnant. The body moves objects, the body bends, twists, squats, the body must have and benefits from endurance. Each of these components can be integrated into a well-rounded routine. The base activity should be the major activity and the other aspects of fitness can support the overall directive.
Balance . . .
For advice on balancing your primary activity within the sphere of the three aspects of fitness contact the trainers at Ab-Sutra Wellness and Fitness. Sessions in the North Austin area.
REFERENCES
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/endurance
https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5495/7-different-types-of-strength-and-their-benefits/
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