AFH 1 · Chapter 22 · Section 22.10

Additional Fitness Concepts and Principles

Part of Force Development · 2 sections · ~919 words · WAPS PFE study material

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Warm-up, Cool-down, Flexibility, and Stretching

Pre-Workout Warm-up

Warm-up Benefits

Warm-ups help increase body temperature and blood flow and guard against muscle, tendon, and ligament strains.

Recommended Warm-up Duration

5-7 Minute Warm-up

A five to seven minute dynamic warm-up increases the flow of blood to the muscles and tendons, helping reduce the risk of injury and increasing the joint's range of motion, positively affecting the speed of muscular contraction.

Recommended Warm-up Sequence

A recommended sequence of dynamic warm-up activities before vigorous exercise:

Slowly jog in place or walk to generate a gradual increase in heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, and temperature of the active muscles
Slowly rotate joints to gradually increase their range of motion
Slowly mimic the activities to be performed

Warm-Up for Lifting

When warming up for weight lifting, lifting lighter weights helps prepare the neuromuscular pathways.

Post-Workout Cool-down

Cool-down Benefits

Cool-downs provide a gradual reduction in activity to:

Prevent blood pooling
Hasten recovery
Avoid injury

How to Cool Down

After a workout, take a few minutes to gradually bring your body back to its normal resting state by slowly decreasing the intensity of your activity.

Cool-down Examples

After a run — jog slowly and then walk for 1 to 2 minutes. Do this while rehydrating.
Repeat warm-up activities to help ease muscle tension and soreness.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility Definition

Flexibility is considered to be the maximum ability to move a joint freely, without pain, through a range of motion.

Not on PFA

Although flexibility is not assessed during the fitness assessment, it is an important aspect of overall health and should be part of a well-balanced physical activity routine.

Two Aspects of Flexibility

Flexibility Aspects.

Stability — deals with maintaining non-movement functional positions, including postural stability
Mobility — deals with controlled, functional movement through an active range of motion in the various planes of motion

Stretching

Stretching Time-Benefit

Stretching is one form of exercise that takes very little time relative to the benefits gained and may be done easily at home or work.

When and How to Stretch

Stretch Warm Muscles

Stretch when the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue are warmer (above normal body temperature).

Stretch Hold Time

Hold stretches for 10 to 30 seconds.

Stretch Repetitions

Repeat each stretch 3 to 4 times.

Avoid Bouncing

Ballistic stretching (bouncing) is not recommended.

Post-Workout Caution

After a workout, the muscles are warm from activity and should not be over-stretched.

Five Fitness Principles — Specificity, Regularity, Recovery, Balance, Variety

Principle of Specificity

Specificity

Target specific muscle groups or target areas by doing a simple assessment of functional movement.

By incorporating specific moves into a strength training program, Airmen can:

Improve strength
Improve work-related tasks
Reduce injuries by conditioning muscles needed to perform on the job

Specificity Example

An Airman whose job requires lifting objects from the ground and moving them to overhead locations has a work-related task equivalent to the functional movement of a squat and an overhead press with a weight.

Principle of Regularity

Regularity Required

Exercise routinely to produce a training effect.

Optimal Frequency

Establishing a routine of 3 workouts per week is best for optimal gains.

All Muscle Groups

Airmen should strive for exercising all target muscle groups at least twice each week.

Maintenance Mode

Some Airmen may maintain a moderate level of strength by doing proper strength workouts once a week for a short period of time after a strong baseline level of muscular fitness is established.

Principle of Recovery

48-Hour Recovery

Allow at least a 48-hour recovery period between workouts for the same muscle groups.

Sample Split Schedule

A way to maintain an active fitness routine:

Train leg muscles with weights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Train upper body muscles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday

Within-Workout Recovery

Set Recovery Range

Consider recovery times during a workout. The recovery time between different exercises and sets depends, in part, on the intensity of the workout.

Set Rest Range

Normally, the recovery time between sets should range from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

Principle of Balance

Balance Importance

When developing a strength training program, remember the importance of including exercises to work all the major muscle groups — in both the upper and lower body.

Opposing Muscle Pairs

Opposing Pairs

Most muscles are organized into opposing pairs:

Activating one muscle results in a pulling motion
Activating the opposing muscle results in the opposite or pushing motion

Push-Pull Training Technique

Push-Pull Pattern

When planning a training session, one training technique is to follow a pushing exercise with a pulling exercise resulting in movement at the same joints.

Push-Pull Example

Following an overhead press with a lateral pull-down exercise helps ensure good strength balance between opposing muscle groups, which may reduce the risk of injury.

Principle of Variety

Variety Methods

Using different equipment, changing the exercises, and altering the volume and intensity of workouts are good ways to add variety, and may also produce better results.

Practical Variety Tips

Periodically substitute different exercises for given muscle groups
Do squats with a barbell instead of leg presses on a weight machine
For variety or when workout equipment is limited, switch to partner-resisted exercises or another form of resistance training

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