Three key phases to exercise are the warmup, training, and the cool down.
During the warmup you ready the body for what’s to come. In the middle phase, you perform the strenuous work. And in the cool down period, you bring your body back to a resting state.
Including the "3 Essential Phases" in your workouts not only produces better results, but it also helps stave off injuries.
Be sure to perform a:
- "Warm up"
- "Conditioning" and
- "Cool Down"
phase for any type of workout too, i.e. cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, yoga, Pilates etc. Warm ups and cool downs weren't designed solely for "cardio" workouts. They should be a part of any activity or sport that you do.
Even though warm ups and cool downs might not be as exciting as just getting after it, including all the essential phases guarantees you a better workout and the prevention of possible injuries that could sideline your progress.
Phase 1: Stabilization- This level of training is designed to increase muscular endurance, enhance joint stability, flexibility, control of posture and neuromuscular efficiency (balance).
Phase 2: Strength- This level is to increase prime mover strength. Increase lean body mass, and muscular hypertrophy (increased muscle size).
Phase 3: Power- This level is designed increase rate of force production (power) and enhanced speed strength using supersets (one strength and one power exercise per body part). Perform all power exercises as fast as can be controlled.
The OPT Model includes the warm-up, resistance exercise and cool-down phases for each level of the training model. I hope this helps and have fun!
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.