The Army Training System - AskTOP

through sound, progressive, missionspecificphysical training for individualsand units.Principles of ExerciseAdherence to certain basic exerciseprinciples is important for developingan effective program. The principlesof exercise apply to everyone at alllevels of physical training, from theOlympic-caliber athlete to the weekendjogger. They also apply to fitnesstraining for military personnel.These basic principles of exercisemust be followed:● Regularity. To achieve a trainingeffect, a person must exercise often. One should strive to exerciseeach of the first four fitness componentsat least three times a week.Infrequent exercise can do moreharm than good. Regularity isalso important in resting, sleeping,and following a good diet.● Progression. The intensity (howhard) and/or duration (how long)of exercise must gradually increaseto improve the level of fitness.e Balance. To be effective, a programshould include activities thataddress all the fitness components,since overemphasizing anyone of them may hurt the others.● Variety. Providing a variety of activitiesreduces boredom and increasesmotivation and progress.● Specificity. Training must begeared toward specific goals. Forexample, soldiers become betterrunners if their training emphasizesrunning. Although swimmingis great exercise, it does notimprove a 2-mile-run time asmuch as a running program does.● Recovery. A hard day of trainingfor a given component of fitnessshould be followed by an easiertraining day or rest day for thatcomponent and/or muscle group(s)to help permit recovery. Another●way to allow recovery is to alternatethe muscle groups exercised everyother day, especially when trainingfor strength and/or muscle endurance.Overload. The work load of eachexercise session must exceed thenormal demands placed on the bodyin order to bring about a trainingeffect.FITT FactorsCertain factors must be part of anyfitness training program for it to besuccessful. These factors are Frequency,Intensity, Time, and Type.The acronym FITT makes it easier toremember them. (See Figure 1- 1.)FREQUENCYArmy Regulation 350-15 specifiesthat vigorous physical fitness trainingwill be conducted 3 to 5 times perweek. For optimal results, commandersmust strive to conduct 5 days ofphysical training per week. Ideally, atleast three exercise sessions for CRfitness, muscle endurance, musclestrength, and flexibility should beperformed each week to improve fitnesslevels. Thus, for example, toobtain maximum gains in muscularstrength, soldiers should have at leastthree strength-training sessions perweek. Three physical activity periodsa week, however, with only one sessioneach of cardiorespiratory, strength,and flexibility training will not improveany of these three components.With some planning, a training programfor the average soldier can bedeveloped which provides fairly equalemphasis on all the components ofphysical fitness. The following trainingprogram serves as an example.In the first week, Monday, Wednesday,and Friday are devoted to CRfitness, and Tuesday and Thursday aredevoted to muscle endurance andstrength. During the second week, theFactors for a successfultraining program areFrequency, Intensity,Time, and Type;"FITT".1-4