The Army Training System - AskTOP

day” approach is used. For example, ifa unit has a hard run on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, it may alsochoose to run on Tuesday and Thursday.However, on Tuesday and Thursdaythe intensity and/or distance/timeshould be reduced to allow recovery.Depending on the time available foreach session and the way trainingsessions are conducted, all componentsof fitness can be developed using athree-day-per-week schedule. However,a five-day-per-week program ismuch better than three per week. (SeeTraining Program in Chapter 10.)Numerous other approaches can betaken when tailoring a fitness programto meet a unit’s mission as long as theprinciples of exercise are not violated.Such programs, when coupled withgood nutrition, will help keep soldiersfit to win.!NTENSITYTraining at the right intensity is thebiggest problem in unit programs. Theintensity should vary with the type ofexercise being done. Exercise for CRdevelopment must be strenuous enoughto elevate the heart rate to between 60and 90 percent of the heart rate reserve(HRR). (The calculation of percentHRR is explained in Chapter 2.) Thosewith low fitness levels should startexercising at a lower training heartrate (THR) of about 60 percent ofHRR.For muscular strength and endurance,intensity refers to the percentageof the maximum resistance that is usedfor a given exercise. When determiningintensity in a strength-trainingprogram, it is easier to refer to a“repetition maximum” or “RM.” Forexample, a 1O-RM is the maximumweight that can be correctly lifted 10times. An 8-12 RM is the weight thatcan be lifted 8 to 12 times correctly.Doing an exercise “correctly” meansmoving the weight steadily and withproper form without getting help fromother muscle groups by jerking, bending,or twisting the body. For theaverage person who wants to improveboth muscular strength and endurance,an 8-12 RM is best.The person who wants to concentrateon muscular strength should useweights which let him do three to sevenrepetitions before his muscles fatigue.Thus, for strength development, theweight used should be a 3-7 RM. Onthe other hand, the person who wantsto concentrate on muscular enduranceshould use a 12+ RM. When using a 12+RM as the training intensity, the morerepetitions performed per set, overtime, the greater will be the improvementin muscular endurance. Conversely,the greater the number ofrepetitions performed, the smaller willbe the gains in strength. For example,a person who regularly trains with aweight which lets him do 100 repetitionsper exercise (a 1OO-RM) greatlyincreases his muscular endurance butminimally improves his muscularstrength. (See Chapter 3 for informationon resistance training.)All exercise sessions should includestretching during the warm-up andcool-down. One should stretch sothere is slight discomfort, but nopain, when the movement is takenbeyond the normal range of motion.(See Chapter 4 for information onstretching.)TIMELike intensity, the time spent exercisingdepends on the type of exercisebeing done. At least 20 to 30 continuousminutes of intense exercise must beused in order to improve cardiorespiratoryendurance.For muscular endurance and strength,exercise time equates to the number ofrepetitions done. For the averagesoldier, 8 to 12 repetitions with enoughresistance to cause muscle failureimproves both muscular endurance andstrength. As soldiers progress, theyAll exercises sessionsshould includestretching duringthe warm-up and cooldown.1-6