There are a ton of fitness programs available for people to choose from and plenty of personal trainers to work with but only one program understands the muscle development of a horseback rider. Below are some basic fitness terms that every athlete needs to know whether or not you work with a professional!
” TERMS OF FITNESS” & WHAT IT MEANS TO A RIDER.
Rep Range: How many times the movement in the exercise is done. A muscle contracts then releases back to the starting spot. That is 1 repetition.
A Set: How many times you preform each exercise. One set is a groups of reps. Typically workouts will have 2-3 sets for each exercise.
Intensity: How fast you work between your reps & sets. The coordination and perfection of each exercise’s form is the main priority in fitness for equestrians, way before intensity.
Failure: This refers to when the athlete has trouble lifting the last couple of reps in the set. Let’s say the rep range is 15, and by the 12th lift, the athlete is having to work hard to finish the last 3 reps. Muscle fibers best develop strength when the lifter pushes the muscle to this “failure”. Beginner athletes, seek the assistance of a personal trainer before lifting weights in this manner. Proper use of this technique is good for those who want to be smarter about the muscle gained.
Sets for Video: Follow the recommended rep range ( 12-15 or 20-25) for each exercise in the video. Slowly run through the first set of each exercise, watching the demonstration carefully and the correcting your form or posture. The second or third set can be more intense.
Always lift in a controlled manner and maintain the form of each exercise, this is what develops core posture.