Getting going, the aerobic phase

Getting going, the aerobic phase The initial conditioning phase of any athletic program is perhaps the most important one that an athlete should focus on. The base aerobic level of fitness you have for your sport is the building block for all further levels of performance. It is responsible for how long, how high, and how fast you go. The more predictably stable the base of any structure, be it a building or your body, the longer and stronger or faster it will be. Preventing injury is maybe one of the most important benefits of a strong aerobic conditioning base. The main questions are how do you get there? How long of a base do you need? When do you start strength or anaerobic training? The answers to these questions are different for everybody. The use of coaching advise or self learning is the key to evaluating your individual training plan. There are some very reasonable guidelines to go by, though, and with the high demands of most athletes lives, the simpler the better. Because everyone is going to start a program with a different level of base fitness and have different goals, the first place for you to start is to get an initial level established. Because this will be such an important evaluation, hiring a fitness expert might be a good idea. It will also be important to get well rested and avoid stress before your initial evaluation. When you define your current level of fitness, it will be the basis for your entire year plan. So to get it right, no hard workouts before hand, no sleepless nights and be sure your well hydrated and full on fuel. Conditioning does not have to be sport specific, but there are some clear advantages to some sports. Runners run, cyclist get on their bikes, swimmers swim. For the rest of you, it may be hard to get sport specific conditioning as much as you need. A good place for anybody to start is the gym. No big weights but resistance training. Applying some workload to your sport specific musculature and supporting systems is key. You really don’t need a gym, because this phase should consist of high repetition exercises. Whatever the exercise, be sure you have the ability to repeat at least 15 moves and no more than 30 for each set times 3 on each exercise separated by no more than 5 minutes each. Doing this 3-4 times per week for 4 weeks will give a good conditioning base. Continuing to strength train 1-2 times per week is great to maintain strength and prevent injury. Core strength and conditioning exercises good for any athlete are; push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, lunges, leg extensions, bicep curls, and military press. Adding weight to maintain the appropriate reps is key. Pilates and Yoga are also great ways to get the necessary core strength and conditioning along with the advantage of keeping your muscles long and stretched. For the aerobic athlete, defining what is aerobic for you can be the most difficult thing. It is also one of the most important. Several tools are available to help you determine your aerobic level. Science has provided the athlete the capability to look inside themselves and make decisions about training that were not available just a few decades ago. Over the next several months, AthleteInYou.com, will be exploring what these tests are all about. We will also offer a forum each month so members can comment, ask and share information related to the science of exercise. All the articles will be compiled in a library database that will be available to our members. So go forth and train, but train smart. Ted Rasoumoff, MD