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Self-discipline fitness does not mean efficient fitness - Huxiu.com#
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Self-discipline fitness does not mean efficient fitness#
This article points out that self-discipline fitness does not necessarily mean efficient fitness, because those who consistently participate in group fitness classes cannot trigger additional stimulation to their bodies, while avid bodybuilders may overtrain and have difficulty recovering. The article introduces the concept of supercompensation in sports science and emphasizes the importance of designing a reasonable training plan and scheduling adequate rest.
• Self-discipline fitness does not necessarily mean efficient fitness, additional stimulation to the body is needed
• Supercompensation is the body's response to training stimulation and requires proper rest time
• Well-designed training plans should consider individual factors, and the principle of supercompensation is one of the important design foundations
From disciplined runners to weightlifting experts, even with daily high-intensity training, the results may not be as expected.
Because self-discipline fitness does not mean efficient fitness.
- Those who consistently participate in group fitness classes have a constant intensity of training that cannot trigger additional stimulation to their bodies, making it difficult to build muscle, reduce fat, and improve athletic performance.
- Avid bodybuilders may have too short rest periods or too high training intensity, leading to difficulty in recovering their body's functions.
In simple terms, if you engage in self-discipline fitness every day but maintain a consistent intensity, it is highly likely that you will not achieve significant results.
In China, there are users on Weibo and Xiaohongshu who experience significant weight rebound after dieting and exercising, and HIIT group fitness class participants find it difficult to improve their physique and physical fitness through intense training.
Even internationally, there are fitness bloggers on Instagram who are being resisted and even facing criminal lawsuits for plagiarism and providing ineffective fitness plans.
The difficulty in achieving fitness results is largely due to encountering a fitness plateau.
Brittany Dawn accused of ineffective fitness plans
To break through this plateau, ideally, it often requires following the sequence of: adapting to training stimulus → body adaptation → increasing training stimulus → body adaptation → increasing training stimulus → body adaptation...
Therefore, to achieve efficient fitness, new training stimuli need to be introduced, and rest should also be scheduled properly. To summarize, there is the concept of "supercompensation" in sports science.
The theory of supercompensation was first applied in the supertraining program by Bompa, a pioneer in periodization training theory, in 1983. The earlier invention can be traced back to the 1950s by sports scientist Yakovlev.
The following chart shows the basic model of supercompensation. For example, after training at the gym for several weeks, the body's functions gradually decline, resulting in a decrease in strength, agility, and mental state. However, when entering the recovery phase, the body's functions start to improve and may even exceed the training level when first entering the gym several weeks ago.
Four stages of body training experience: initial adaptation, mid-training (pink), recovery (red), and supercompensation (yellow). Source: Defining supercompensation training
Supercompensation is the body's response to training stimulus, and two important factors are related to it: fitness level and rest time.
The body is an adaptable organism that immediately enters the recovery phase after training and not only restores to the initial level but even surpasses the initial level of fitness. However, if no new exercise stimulus is applied during this phase, the adaptation level will slowly return to the initial level of adaptation.
The process and duration of supercompensation are closely related to the amount of exercise: the greater the exercise volume, the more substances are consumed, the more obvious the supercompensation, and the longer the process takes. The opposite is also true.
In the past, many classic training plans could not be popularized among the general fitness population because they did not perfectly align with the principle of supercompensation. For example, the "classic linear periodization" model of physical training proposed by Russian scientist Leo Matveyev, which was used as a sprint plan for Olympic weightlifters. It was only used for short-term training because it was difficult to control the periodic parameters.
Designing a good training plan is a fundamental theoretical knowledge that every fitness coach must possess. However, the design of a training plan often needs to consider individual factors and varies from person to person. Among all factors, the principle of supercompensation is one of the most important design foundations.
Self-discipline training can be ineffective
Self-discipline training can be ineffective because without new stimuli, it is impossible to continuously optimize body shape and even improve physical fitness.
In other words, true training needs to trigger a body's alarm response. For example, by depleting energy reserves and causing muscle fatigue. If you always stay in the comfort zone, the body will not have an alarm response.
From Zhouluye to Pamela, the evaluations of training videos are often mixed. It is not that the training videos are ineffective, but the training plans do not meet the weight loss goals of specific groups.
Because the training plans are suitable for people with low exercise intensity and low body fat content, if the goal is just to shape the body and achieve smooth lines, Zhouluye's videos may be a good choice. But they cannot provide a new stimulus in the long term to avoid reaching a plateau.
Zhouluye's most popular videos are rarely longer than 20 minutes. Source: Bilibili @Zhouluye Zoey
On the other hand, if you engage in too long and intense exercise, it will be difficult to recover easily from physical fatigue and may even reduce physical performance.
Sports training usually aims to improve performance. However, up to 10% of elite endurance athletes and 10% of American college swimmers are affected by overtraining syndrome.
One of the most famous running coaches internationally, Jack Daniels, explained in an article about overtraining that the simplest recovery method is to reduce training.
If you want to achieve muscle gain or weight loss through fitness, stepping out of the comfort zone is a necessary condition, but attention should also be paid to recovery. From the initial level to high-performance level, it requires going through two stages:
- Stage 1, training. By training, the body becomes fatigued, leaves the comfort zone, and takes on a greater burden, such as increasing the number of repetitions of strength exercises compared to last week or running an additional 3 kilometers.
- Stage 2, recovery. After training, the body immediately starts to repair muscles, tendons, joints, and enzymes. This kind of recovery not only restores the body to the initial state but even surpasses the initial state, forming supercompensation.
And in overtraining and moderate stimulation, it is important to find a suitable balance.
The effectiveness of fitness requires a well-planned approach
A good fitness plan, in addition to following the FITT principle, which includes frequency, intensity, sufficient exercise time, and diverse types of exercises, also needs to consider the individual's physical fitness level and proper rest time.
Fitness training can be divided into four stages: initial training, mid-training, recovery, and supercompensation. Supercompensation is the body's response to training stimulus, and two important factors are related to it: physical fitness level and proper rest time.
The general adaptation syndrome, invented by Hungarian medical doctor Selye, explains how the body responds to training intensity through three stages of processing.
The first stage is called the alarm/reaction stage, during which athletes may feel stiffness, soreness, or a decrease in performance due to fatigue after training.
The second stage is called the resistance stage, during which the body adapts to the new training intensity, reduces soreness and stiffness, improves tolerance to activity, and enhances performance, thus responding to the stressor and even exceeding the original near-maximal physical function, known as "supercompensation".
If the stressor persists beyond the body's adaptability, it will enter the final stage and lead to exhaustion, causing the athlete to experience a decline or plateau in performance during training.
The body's response to performance changes due to different recovery times and training intensities. a stage shows performance improvement, b stage shows performance decline, c stage shows performance plateau. Source: All things Sports Physiotherapy
Training intensity stimulus and rest time should always be considered as a whole. The higher the intensity, the longer the rest time should be, and trying to engage in high-intensity exercise in a short period of time to improve physical fitness may actually lead to a decline in physical fitness.
Sports science believes this is the principle of supercompensation. Supercompensation prepares the body for the next training unit, allowing the body's functions to not only recover to the initial training level but even surpass it.
Many classic training models could not be widely used because they did not meet the law of supercompensation.
For example, the "classic linear periodization" model of physical training proposed by Russian scientist Leo Matveyev was based on multiple periodic exercise volumes and intensities. Later, the training process was divided into different modules and named according to the time range.
One-week lower body classic model training plan. Source: International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
In contrast, most rehabilitation programs follow this model to design exercise therapy plans. For example, for athletes recovering from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, different emphasis can be placed on exercise training based on different training plan arrangements, and further refinement can be made.
Designing a good training plan is a fundamental theoretical knowledge that every fitness coach must possess. However, the design of a training plan often needs to consider individual factors and varies from person to person. Among all factors, the principle of supercompensation is one of the most important design foundations.
Guidelines for designing a training plan
If the goal is to shape the body and improve health, a good fitness plan often needs to consider many factors for the general population.
"Working out but not gaining muscle, gaining weight even by drinking water" is a complaint from some fitness users on social media, and personal training courses have no actual effect and have become the focus of various consumer rights news. In addition, the "flat belly, slim legs plan" on Xiaohongshu and Douyin contradicts the scientific principles of fitness but has gradually become a popular "educational" trend.
The duration of recovery depends on various factors. The most important ones are: exercise time, exercise intensity, training conditions, and age. The difficulty lies in: when will the next stimulus appear? Is the body recovering well enough?
Therefore, regular self-assessment and analysis of the body's condition are necessary.
Regularly measure resting heart rate before getting up in the morning: If the value is within the normal range, it indicates that the body has reached a recovery state. If the resting heart rate suddenly increases by more than 10%, it indicates that the body needs rest and relaxation.
More importantly, finding a balance between body training and regeneration. Accepting the possibility of a decline in physical fitness, sometimes a temporary plateau is necessary to prepare for the next progress.
Because true physical fitness improvement does not occur during the training phase but during the recovery phase.
The highly individualized nature of supercompensation also brings uncertainty. For example, some people stay up late, eat junk food, drink alcohol, or smoke, but still make progress in training. While others may only stay up until 2 am, and the training effect the next day is almost zero.
Therefore, the purpose of a fitness plan should be to combine the optimal recovery phase with individually tailored training loads. This promotes the body's adaptation and improves performance.
To meet the necessary interruption time between various loads as accurately as possible, German sports scientist Volker Höltke's advice in his book "Sports Training Basics and Principles" suggests that for beginners in fitness training, the body's regeneration phase is 48-72 hours, intermediate level individuals require 24-48 hours, and high-level athletes require 12-24 hours.
In addition, the following factors affect the body's recovery:
- Adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, physical therapy, mental relaxation and balance, personal environment.
- And other factors.
Due to the huge differences between individuals, it is most important to have a clear understanding of one's own body condition.
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