Getting “fit” doesn’t have to be complicated
Being “fit” has a different meaning to everyone. It could mean having the ability to run a marathon, shave a few minutes off your local mountain bike trail, or just being able to keep up with your kids. There’s no single definition, but in most cases athletes want to be more “fit” than they are today.
If you search the internet and book stores you’ll find thousands and thousands of articles and books with plans to increase your fitness. But let me tell you a secret. There’s a simple formula that works for almost anyone wanting to improve their “fitness” (however they’re measuring it).
It goes like this:
First, start with whatever activity you’re doing today and increase the frequency. If you’re doing three workouts a week, increase to four, but don’t change the length or intensity. Do that for a few weeks (with appropriate rest) and then increase again. Repeat until you’ve reached the maximum number of days you’re willing to invest in exercise each week. By just doing this, you are virtually guaranteed to get more fit than you are today. However, eventually you will hit a plateau in your progress. If at that point you’ve reached your goal, great! Otherwise, move on to the second phase.
In the second phase, start increasing the duration of your workouts. If you were doing 30 minutes a day before, start by making one day a week 40 minutes. Then make a second day 40 minutes and so on. Again, continue to increase until you’ve reached the maximum time you can spend on working out each week. Doing this will increase your fitness further. Eventually you’ll hit another plateau or reach your fitness goals. If you’re still not where you want to be, move on to the third phase.
The third phase is all about intensity. This is when you get to add fun things like intervals, speed work, and tempo runs or rides. The variation here is endless, but in the beginning simply take one workout per week and spend a minute or two at a higher effort than you did before, recover for a few minutes and then repeat. Over time, increase the number of intervals, change their length, or add a second or third workout each week. It doesn’t have to be overly structured, but keep the high intensity a relatively small part of your overall exercise routine. Less than 20% is all you need.
If you follow this structure, you will get more fit. Is it the most efficient way to gain fitness? No, probably not, but it will work unless you’re already performing at a very high level. The key is to build slowly and take a lower intensity rest week every 3-4 weeks (cut back your effort by 25%-50%) to give your body enough time to recover. Also make sure to mind any aches and pains and back off to prevent injuries.
If you desire even more performance or a plan tailored for a specific result, that’s when the books and articles or a coach will be helpful. There are endless variations on the simple formula and it will look different for a marathon runner and a 5K specialist. A coach can listen to your goals, your experience, and your feedback to design a program that gives you the greatest likelihood of success. A good coach will also know how to make sure the program progresses fast enough to gain maximum results while also avoiding overtraining and injury.
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