Losing Weight and Staying FITT

Recently, I was chatting with someone about my personal training business, and they asked me how I came up with the name FITT Fitness Personal Training.  “Did you misspell fit on your business cards?”  The answer is nope, it actually stands for something:  the F.I.T.T. principle.  Most people who exercise regularly use this principle, but they may not be aware of it.  These are the components that consist of how a workout comes together and how each workout varies from one to the next.  Here’s what each letter stands for:

F: Frequency.  How often do you work out?  Is it every day, some days, rarely?

I: Intensity.  How hard are you working out?  This might (and should) vary from workout to workout.  For example, doing cardio intervals on the stairmill would be different than, say, a casual bike ride on the Highline Canal.  This can also be applied to weight lifting – are you lifting your max weight with a small number of reps, or a challenging weight for 10-15 reps.

T: Time.  How long do you exercise?  Is it a consistent amount of time, or does it change based on your goals for that particular workout?

T: Type.  What all does your workout consist of?  Some people do a blend of cardio and weight lifting.  Some take a Zumba or boot camp class.  Others will run the track at a local school.  There are many different types of exercise.

Now, how does this apply to weight loss?  Variety is the key for each component.  Performing the same workout over and over again and the body will eventually adapt to it, and you will cease to see the same results you did when you started.  Even altering one of the above principles will change your routine enough to see a change.  I challenge you to examine your workouts and see how they might be altered, based on one of these principles, to see increased results.  It works, I promise!

Stay cool, and see you at the gym!