Therex Fitness is a complete fitness program that addresses the 3 Core Pillars of Fitness: Strength, Flexibility, and Cardiovascular endurance.
Therex Fitness allows the fitness beginner to embark on a complete fitness program, leaving out the guesswork.
Therex Fitness allows the experienced fitness enthusiast or athlete to compare their current fitness program to make sure it is complete. Very often, sports and fitness activities include some of the ingredients of a fitness program, but not all. The weight lifter doesn't do enough flexibility training. The yoga enthusiast doesn't do enough aerobic training and the biker doesn't do enough strength training.
Therex Fitness utilize's the physiological principles of:
1. PRE- progressive resistance exercise - The most widely accepted way to gain muscle mass and become stronger is to stress your body (workout). We call it " Do more than the time before." If you add stress each workout in the form of weights or reps you will grow stronger. Figueiredo
2. Exercise progressions - Once weight or reps is maximized on an exercise, progressing to a more stressful exercise will stimulate growth. Progressing from single joint movements to multi joint exercises will allow for return to sports specific patterns sooner. Gustafson/ d'Hemecourt
3. High rep training - Performing high repetition sets stimulates growth hormone and tendon joint healing. Studies also show that utilizing higher reps (15-20) is best for improving circulation at tendon attachments but can strengthen the overall muscles just as well as low reps. Grimsby We recommend you achieve reps of at least 15, but could progress as high as 20 before moving onto a more difficult exercise. Periodization of repetitions - Changing rep schemes through out the year can help to stimulate growth but allow for tendon/joint recovery during the high rep cycles. Matveyev, Delorme, Kovets, Grimsby
Note: Therex PT, Therex Fitness and Specialization Programs are only instructed in the high repetition phase. If you want to progress to a year long periodization schedule look to your health care provider or trainer for advice.
4. Circuit training- Studies show that doing your workout in a circuit ( run through one set of each exercise and then repeat complete circuit again) gives your muscles' creatine phosphate stores enough time to recover. This ensures having more stored energy for strength on your second or third sets. Waiting 3-5 minutes between sets of the same exercise is optimal for recovery. Willardson
A circuit example would : upper body day /chest and back exercises. Do a set of back rows, set of chest bench, do a set of abdominals, do a set of low back, take 1 minute rest, repeat 2-3 sets. Pick another back,chest, ab and low back exercise and do 2 circuits. Faster pace of doing this is regarded ad HIT ( High Intensity Training) work out.
5. Recording of workouts - Remember to document down your sets, reps and weights each work out under each exercise. You can reflect on your workout by way of work performed on the dashboard page. You can also "click" on the star on top of any strength, flexibilty or cardio exercise. This marks them a s favorite to keep track of what exercise you are currently performing.
6. Directional preference with cardio training - It is suggested to use a directional preference model with cardio workouts. This means spending more aerobic time in positions that are opposite of what you normally do. Sitting, flexed-forward occupation people may find greater benefit doing upright activities (walk, run, elliptical or swim) , while standing, upright occupation people may find greater benefit doing sitting activities (row or bike).McKenzie, Donnelson
Therex Fitness includes 111 videos of which 23 are strength progressions, 23 flexibility stretches , and 6 are aerobic choices for a complete step-by-step fitness program.
Strength exercises - Many exercise movements listed give you choices. (which will be clearly explained). They will start at the least level of stress and progress to more advanced levels. There are isolation exercises ( working only 1 muscle group and joint) but theses will progress to more advanced functional and sports specific patterns.
Flexibility exercises included make sure you regain and maintain overall flexibility and range of motion.
Cardio vascular exercises included make sure you continue to have overall cardio and body endurance.
**IMPORTANT: Always consult your physician or qualified health care provider before using any of the information or programs on this website. If you use any information or exercise programs on this page or web site, and experience any pain, fatigue, shortness of breath or other physical symptoms, you must immediately stop and call your physician or other qualified health care provider.
-Therex Fitness strength Training is broken down into 3 strength sections, Upper Body, Core and Lower Body.
- See to the right on your computer or below on your phone an example of one the strength video progressions that's included in the program.→
Within each section are specific muscle groups.
Upper body muscle groups are mid to upper back, chest, shoulders, arms.
Core muscle groups are abdominals and lower back.
Lower body muscle groups are calf, legs, hips and inner/outer thighs.
Each section you only need to do 2 days per week.
You can pick 2-3 exercises per muscle group to do on that work specific sections day.
- Each exercise progression starts with the easiest exercise and progresses to the more advanced. If the next exercise is more advanced if will be described as " a progression " from the previous exercise. If the next exercise is at the same level of difficulty it will be described as "an option" from the previous exercise.
- Each exercise you are striving to build up to 2 -3 sets of 20 repetitions. If you successfully do that for 2 workouts you can either add more resistance or progress to a more difficult exercise. Doing 2 or 3 sets is completely up to you. Studies show that if you are moving up with your repetitions and weights 2 sets is just as productive as 3 sets.
- Each time you progress an exercise by adding more resistance or a progress to a more difficult exercise you may not be able to complete 20 repetitions per set. You may only be able to do as little as 10 repetitions. That's ok. Build to 2 sets of 20 repetitions .
- If you can't get at least 10 repetitions when you progress to the next weight or new exercise, then don't progress to that weight or exercise. Stay at the previous exercise and build up in repetitions even if its greater than 20 repetitions.
- Each section you only need to do 2 days per week.
-Examples of Workout Schedule Monday - Upper body, Tuesday - Core, Wednesday - Lower Body ,then take a day of and repeat sequence.
Monday - Upper body and Core - Tuesday- Lower Body, Wednesday off ,Thursday -Upper Body and Core - Friday - Lower Body, and Saturday, Sunday off.
It all depends on your time frames. Most importantly before you do the workout again you want to feel like you recovered from the previous workout.
- Remember to document down your sets, reps and weights each work out under each exercise. You can reflect on your workout by way of work performed on the dashboard page. You can also "click" on the star on top of any strength, flexibilty or cardio exercise. This marks them a s favorite to keep track of what exercise you are currently performing.
- Do clients ever do less than 10 - 20 repetitions in their sets? Yes, it's call periodization. This is changing your repetitions throughout the year. Read more on the " Exercise Rationale and Instruction" page to get more information on periodization.
Overlapping days
- If you build up to 5 days of cardio, 3-5 days of stretching and 2-3 days of lifting your workouts may overlap on the same day. That's ok.
Lift or Cardio 1st?
- Studies show doing aerobic exercise first helps you to warm up your tendons and joints. This makes your strength and flexibility exercises, afterward, feel more comfortable.
However studies also show doing your strengthening first helps you deplete all your carbohydrates so when you do your aerobic exercises at the end you burn more fat.
Improving flexibility comes from stretching your muscles, tendons and joints. Our jobs and hobbies tend to make certain muscle groups be more overdeveloped and less flexible. Ironically, most sports reinforce these same postures. Stretching on a regular basis can help to make sure that certain inflexibilities do not develop.
Studies show that doing your stretches after you have warmed-up is optimal. However, if you're pressed for time stretch when you can. More people strain themselves from never stretching more than stretching at the wrong time.
< See to the left on your computer or below on your phone an example of one of the flexibility videos included in the program.
Studies show that stretching should be done 3-5xs per week. Each stretch is held for 30 seconds 2x's. Davis DS1, Ashby PE, McCale KL, McQuain JA, Wine JM.
Overlapping days
If you build up to 5 days of cardio, 3-5 days of stretching and 2-3 days of lifting your workouts may overlap on the same day. That's ok.
See to the right on your computer or below on your phone an example of one of the cardio exercise videos included in the program →
Cardiovascular training Is strengthening your heart and endurance muscles. Cardiovascular training is typically done 3-5x's per week, striving for 20-30 minutes. Pick an activity you enjoy, walking, biking, dancing, etc.
Start with a time that you can tolerate and build up to 30 minutes over time.
You could progress each cardio workout up to 60 minutes.
Studies show, cardio training is optimally 5x's per week for 30 minutes. CDC
Initially doing something 3x's per week is a great place to start. Build to 5 days per week.
It is suggested to use a directional preference model. This means spending more aerobic time in positions that are opposite of what you normally do. Sitting, flexed-forward people could do more upright activities (walk, run, elliptical or swim), while standing, upright people could do more flexed activities (row or bike).
Last, Cross-training means doing a multitude of different aerobic events. This way you raise your heart rate, but your muscles, posture, and mind engage in different activities. A typical Cross Training Schedule Monday - Bike, Tuesday - Swim, Wednesday - Run, Thursday off, then repeat.
**Intensity of training or heart rate should to be determined by your MD,
Overlapping days
If you build up to 5 days of cardio, 3-5 days of stretching and 2-3 days of lifting your workouts may overlap on the same day. That's ok.
Lift or Cardio 1st?
Studies show doing cardio exercise first helps you to warm up your tendons and joints. This makes your strength and flexibility exercises, afterward, feel more comfortable.Hanrahan
However, studies also show doing your strengthening exercises first helps you deplete all your carbohydrates (sugar), so when you do your cardio exercise at the end of your workout you burn more fat. US Milatary
