What is General Physical Preparedness?
Updated: Sep 7, 2021
What is General Physical Preparedness, and how does it form the base of the Fitness Pyramid? Why is it essential for everyone and not only athletes? Here is an article that will help understand General Physical Preparedness and its components or elements.
General Physical Preparedness or GPP is defined as a component of training that is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning concerning the following elements of fitness:
Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Muscular Endurance
Musculoskeletal Strength
Flexibility
Ideal Body Composition
#1 Cardiorespiratory Endurance:
It can be described as the ability of the lungs and heart to supply oxygenated blood to the working skeletal muscle for an extended period without fatigue. Finally, endurance can be defined as the ability to tolerate.
Activities like swimming, cycling, running, skipping, rowing etc., are great for increasing cardiorespiratory endurance (and, many times, muscular endurance too). These activities typically involve repeating an action numerous times.
#2 Muscular Endurance:
It’s the ability of skeletal muscles to contract with low intensity for a prolonged period without fatigue.
Activities like running, swimming, stair climbing, cycling etc., help you increase your muscular endurance. However, it is essential to note that muscular endurance is activity-specific. So, for example, if we practise cycling, we may not get better at swimming.
#3 Musculoskeletal Strength:
It’s the ability of a skeletal muscle to generate force in one maximal contraction. Therefore, all one rep maxes are perfect examples of activities that help you increase musculoskeletal strength.
#4 Flexibility:
It’s the ability of the human body to maintain a full range of motion around joints. It depends on the elasticity of skeletal muscles. Yoga is a perfect example of increasing flexibility.
#5 Ideal Body Composition:
It’s the ability to maintain the ideal ratio of lean body mass and fat mass. It is influenced by various factors like – gender, hormones, genetics, diet, muscle mass, metabolic rate etc.
General Physical Preparedness or GPP is the base of our physical and mental performance.
Key takeaways:
General Physical Preparedness or GPP applies to everybody and not only athletes.
It is the component of training that is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning.
It relates to the five Components of Fitness and forms the basis of Sports Specific, Skill Specific & Mental Preparedness.
#GPP #generalphysicalpreparedness #fitness #fitnessscience #cardiorespiratoryendurance #muscularendurance #musculoskeletalstrength #flexibility #idealbodycomposition #exercise #nutrition #training #balancedphysicalconditioning #physicalpreparedness