How to maintain exercise progression using FIIT

FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise.

FITT principles will help you to create a training plan that will always keep you hitting progressive overload: manipulating FITT variables will enable you to make sure that you are always pushing yourself harder, always doing more today than you did yesterday.

The first variable is frequency- how often you train. If you want to overload by putting in more work, simply add an extra session per week. This represents added stimulus for your body to adapt to.

After this, we have intensity. Instead of training more often, train with greater intensity. Add a couple of extra sets to each session, work in some super- or drop- sets, sprint rather than running. Once more, it will give your body something to adapt to.

Then there is time- the amount of time you train for. If you're not progressing as a swimmer, spend an extra ten minutes in the pool doing lengths. If your lifts aren't coming on, spend some extra time practicing them.

Then there is type of exercise. This is easy to manipulate and will be very useful in avoiding plateaus. If your cardiovascular fitness has flatlined on the cardio machines, try working a punch bag or going for a hike.

Once more before the end: it's all about giving your body something to adapt to.

With the best will in the world, it's hard to stick to something you don't enjoy. Either it's actively unpleasant or, perhaps worse for long-term growth, it's just boring. Maybe it used to be fun but has grown stale, or maybe it's something you never really loved… change is needed, either way.

It's common to hear trainers tell you the optimum way to train. There is some truth to this: some forms of exercise are far more efficient and physically rewarding than others. There is no longevity to them, though, if you don't enjoy them.

Yes, HIIT followed by swimming sprints with a dash of yoga on recovery days will get you into fantastic shape, but if you enjoy hiking… go hiking.

You will be far more likely to stick to it, which means you will take it more seriously and keep it up long-term. Exercise isn't just about short-term goals- keeping up an active lifestyle means keeping it up. Find what makes you tick, schedule it into your life on a regular basis, and enjoy the moment. Enjoy training, be satisfied by it, and the rewards will be far greater than slogging away miserably at something you hate