ADAPTATION
Diversity of Movement and Energy
The major components of the body beyond the brain and nervous system are the skeleton, muscle groups, organs and circulatory system. All four of these elements must be used as if they are a privilege as opposed to a right. Abuse through neglect of any of these elements will severely detriment the person. If any of these elements fail, then the entire system becomes worthless. All four of these elements can be maintained and strengthened through movement. There is a spectrum of movement measured by perceived strain (stress). High stress movement causes the anaerobic bioenergetics system to function. The low stress movement causes the aerobic bioenergetics system to function. The more each system is used, the better it becomes. There is no known limit to how improved both systems can become. What is known is that degradation (entropy) increases with time. It is also known that stress causes adaptation against the stress therefore increased movement (stress) causes adaptation (fitness) which slows the effects of time (entropy).
Both of the systems continuously adapt and cause the body elements to adapt along with them but each is better at adapting certain body elements. Therefore, it is important to diversify the movement to allow all systems and elements to benefit. This includes resistance training (weighted movement), cardiorespiratory training (endurance movement) and isometric training (attempt to resist movement).
Manipulation of the Body Within the Anaerobic Bioenergetic System
The body stores energy in three different reserves. One of them is the fast-acting reserve which is available at any given moment. This is the first reserve used when movement occurs. Generally there is about two minutes worth of fast energy (anaerobic) that can be called upon. The original purpose for this reserve is most likely to supply a highly concentrated dose of energy to the system to power the moments of extreme stress (hunting or being hunted). Therefore, the anaerobic bioenergetic system is designed to handle extreme stress. This gives us a window of opportunity to adapt the body. This two minutes can be used to push the limit of the body to perform certain tasks. The general tasks that the body is capable of are pushing and pulling. By performing tasks that require either pushing or pulling while making the tasks as difficult as tolerable, the body will adapt itself over time to be able to perform those tasks with increasing efficiency (it will get easier to accomplish). This is known as progressive overload and it should be done as often as possible throughout a day but for short bursts so as to remain within the anaerobic state.
Manipulation of the Body Within the Aerobic Bioenergetic System
The other two energy reserves used by the body are meant as true back-ups, a type of battery that stores excess energy that is consumed. This reserve is not used by the body unless the first reserve (anaerobic) is exhausted. At that time, the aerobic energy will begin to be utilized to continue to power the movement. The aerobic system has a higher ratio of power output to energy expenditure (as high as 100:1) than the anaerobic (closer to 3:1). This means that when the aerobic system is turned on, movement can be performed for a long period of time without exhausting. The original purpose of this reserve is to maintain the body through the long periods of movement such as migrating from place to place or performing long-lasting tasks (building or collecting). Again, this gives us an opportunity to adapt the body. We can extend the limit to which we can perform tasks without exhaustion by progressively performing the actions for increasingly longer periods of time. The difference between aerobic and anaerobic action is that you will still need to exhaust the anaerobic system before the aerobic system takes over. This is what is referred to as "hitting the wall" After about two minutes of sustained movement, the body experiences a drop in energy supply. This is the energy system switching over. It is something that has to be acknowledged so that when a person enters this lull, they know to press onward and that the aerobic system will turn on shortly. Progressively increasing the amount of movement and extending the time will cause the body to adapt by increasing the efficiency of the heart and lungs (to supply oxygen) as well as the ability of the body to tolerate the build up of waste by-products created by the burning of the energy. Aerobic actions should happen frequently in order to maintain the body in a state of high efficiency.
The third energy reserve within the body is the potential energy storage system. This is the back-up to the back-up. This is the reserve that can refill both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems without the need for ingestion of new energy (food). This potential energy is stored in the body in the form of fatty acids. The potential energy storage is very rarely burned as a readily available energy source and only if all other systems are exhausted first (extremely rare and unhealthy situations such as chronic starvation or rampant disease). Instead, this system carries out energy refills while the body is in a rested state (sleep) in order to re-energize the systems for the next bout of activity. Thus, to optimally maintain the storage system, it needs to be granted the ability to perform its task and this requires the body to enter a rested state and remain in the rested state long enough for the storage system to apply the recharge effect to the active systems. How long the rested state should be maintained is dependent upon the individual. You will know you have received the proper amount of rest (not too short or too long) when you return to an active state without lethargy or diminished work capacity.
The major components of the body beyond the brain and nervous system are the skeleton, muscle groups, organs and circulatory system. All four of these elements must be used as if they are a privilege as opposed to a right. Abuse through neglect of any of these elements will severely detriment the person. If any of these elements fail, then the entire system becomes worthless. All four of these elements can be maintained and strengthened through movement. There is a spectrum of movement measured by perceived strain (stress). High stress movement causes the anaerobic bioenergetics system to function. The low stress movement causes the aerobic bioenergetics system to function. The more each system is used, the better it becomes. There is no known limit to how improved both systems can become. What is known is that degradation (entropy) increases with time. It is also known that stress causes adaptation against the stress therefore increased movement (stress) causes adaptation (fitness) which slows the effects of time (entropy).
Both of the systems continuously adapt and cause the body elements to adapt along with them but each is better at adapting certain body elements. Therefore, it is important to diversify the movement to allow all systems and elements to benefit. This includes resistance training (weighted movement), cardiorespiratory training (endurance movement) and isometric training (attempt to resist movement).
Manipulation of the Body Within the Anaerobic Bioenergetic System
The body stores energy in three different reserves. One of them is the fast-acting reserve which is available at any given moment. This is the first reserve used when movement occurs. Generally there is about two minutes worth of fast energy (anaerobic) that can be called upon. The original purpose for this reserve is most likely to supply a highly concentrated dose of energy to the system to power the moments of extreme stress (hunting or being hunted). Therefore, the anaerobic bioenergetic system is designed to handle extreme stress. This gives us a window of opportunity to adapt the body. This two minutes can be used to push the limit of the body to perform certain tasks. The general tasks that the body is capable of are pushing and pulling. By performing tasks that require either pushing or pulling while making the tasks as difficult as tolerable, the body will adapt itself over time to be able to perform those tasks with increasing efficiency (it will get easier to accomplish). This is known as progressive overload and it should be done as often as possible throughout a day but for short bursts so as to remain within the anaerobic state.
Manipulation of the Body Within the Aerobic Bioenergetic System
The other two energy reserves used by the body are meant as true back-ups, a type of battery that stores excess energy that is consumed. This reserve is not used by the body unless the first reserve (anaerobic) is exhausted. At that time, the aerobic energy will begin to be utilized to continue to power the movement. The aerobic system has a higher ratio of power output to energy expenditure (as high as 100:1) than the anaerobic (closer to 3:1). This means that when the aerobic system is turned on, movement can be performed for a long period of time without exhausting. The original purpose of this reserve is to maintain the body through the long periods of movement such as migrating from place to place or performing long-lasting tasks (building or collecting). Again, this gives us an opportunity to adapt the body. We can extend the limit to which we can perform tasks without exhaustion by progressively performing the actions for increasingly longer periods of time. The difference between aerobic and anaerobic action is that you will still need to exhaust the anaerobic system before the aerobic system takes over. This is what is referred to as "hitting the wall" After about two minutes of sustained movement, the body experiences a drop in energy supply. This is the energy system switching over. It is something that has to be acknowledged so that when a person enters this lull, they know to press onward and that the aerobic system will turn on shortly. Progressively increasing the amount of movement and extending the time will cause the body to adapt by increasing the efficiency of the heart and lungs (to supply oxygen) as well as the ability of the body to tolerate the build up of waste by-products created by the burning of the energy. Aerobic actions should happen frequently in order to maintain the body in a state of high efficiency.
The third energy reserve within the body is the potential energy storage system. This is the back-up to the back-up. This is the reserve that can refill both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems without the need for ingestion of new energy (food). This potential energy is stored in the body in the form of fatty acids. The potential energy storage is very rarely burned as a readily available energy source and only if all other systems are exhausted first (extremely rare and unhealthy situations such as chronic starvation or rampant disease). Instead, this system carries out energy refills while the body is in a rested state (sleep) in order to re-energize the systems for the next bout of activity. Thus, to optimally maintain the storage system, it needs to be granted the ability to perform its task and this requires the body to enter a rested state and remain in the rested state long enough for the storage system to apply the recharge effect to the active systems. How long the rested state should be maintained is dependent upon the individual. You will know you have received the proper amount of rest (not too short or too long) when you return to an active state without lethargy or diminished work capacity.
Timing of Movement
The body is a marvel. It is a machine that is capable of self-healing. This means that the body is able to recover from any situation it may be placed in given appropriate time. If the body is made to perform exerting movement, it will begin to recover afterwards in an effort to regain homeostasis. This means that the body will try to return to the pre-exercise state when given the adequate amount of time. Since the goal of physical exercise is optimization, the body needs to be kept moving as much as possible before it has the opportunity to return to the base state. To achieve this goal, exercise of varying types should be performed more with a ratio that exceeds the amount of rest time. Put simply, use it or lose it. To an even further degree, use it more and lose it less.
The body is a marvel. It is a machine that is capable of self-healing. This means that the body is able to recover from any situation it may be placed in given appropriate time. If the body is made to perform exerting movement, it will begin to recover afterwards in an effort to regain homeostasis. This means that the body will try to return to the pre-exercise state when given the adequate amount of time. Since the goal of physical exercise is optimization, the body needs to be kept moving as much as possible before it has the opportunity to return to the base state. To achieve this goal, exercise of varying types should be performed more with a ratio that exceeds the amount of rest time. Put simply, use it or lose it. To an even further degree, use it more and lose it less.
Adaptation
The body elements and bioenergetics systems both adapt with movement but they can also adapt to movement. This means that the body can achieve something known as plateauing. That is the point in which the body and systems become accustomed to the degree of exercise and fall into a situation of maintenance (the “new normal”). Once a plateau is reached, one can choose to remain at this level but if higher levels of achievement are the goal then the plateau must be surpassed. This can be achieved through dynamic movement or ever changing routine. At the point of plateau, the routine can be reversed, inverted or varied in any means necessary so that the routine is not distinguishable to the body. The new paradigm will demand a new plateau. This is also where progressive overload can occur to continue adaptation. Increasing load and modifying repetition of movement will also demand a new plateau.
The body elements and bioenergetics systems both adapt with movement but they can also adapt to movement. This means that the body can achieve something known as plateauing. That is the point in which the body and systems become accustomed to the degree of exercise and fall into a situation of maintenance (the “new normal”). Once a plateau is reached, one can choose to remain at this level but if higher levels of achievement are the goal then the plateau must be surpassed. This can be achieved through dynamic movement or ever changing routine. At the point of plateau, the routine can be reversed, inverted or varied in any means necessary so that the routine is not distinguishable to the body. The new paradigm will demand a new plateau. This is also where progressive overload can occur to continue adaptation. Increasing load and modifying repetition of movement will also demand a new plateau.