“I want to build more physical fitness.”
When you think that, what comes to mind?
Go for a run.
Do strength training.
Improve endurance.
Of course, these are important for improving physical fitness.
However, when watching athletes move in sports settings, there are situations that cannot be explained by just “having physical fitness = being able to move for a long time.”
Even among athletes with the same muscle strength and endurance, there are differences such as:
* Why they don’t get tired easily
* Why their movement doesn’t drop off in the second half
* Why they have energy left even after repeating the same movements
* Why they recover quickly after a match
Such differences can arise.
That is why I want to consider the perspective of “viewing physical fitness more broadly.”
—
Thinking about physical fitness from “three perspectives”
In the approach introduced here, physical fitness is viewed from three broad perspectives:
1. Capacity2. Energy efficiency3. Recovery ability
If you visualize it, it is: Physical fitness = Capacity × Energy efficiency × Recovery ability.
This is not the general definition of physical fitness itself, but one way of organizing thoughts for sports and body building.
In fact, physical fitness includes multiple elements such as muscle strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.
Thinking from these three perspectives changes your view on training and conditioning a little.
—
1. Capacity
“How much can the body move?”
First is “capacity.”
This is the image of how much work the body can do.
For example:
* Muscle strength
* Muscular endurance
* Whole-body endurance
* Explosive power
* Ability to repeat high-intensity exerciseetc.For an athlete, this leads to abilities like being “strong,” “fast,” or “able to move for a long time.”
For example, in soccer, it is not just the ability to keep running for 90 minutes, but also the ability to repeat high-intensity movements like sprinting → decelerating → changing direction → sprinting again.
In fact, the JFA also lists endurance and the ability to repeat high-intensity exercise as physical fitness elements for soccer.
In other words, “how much workload can you withstand” is capacity.
—
2. Energy efficiency
“How efficiently can you perform the same movement?”
This is the part that I personally feel is particularly important.
For example, if two athletes run the same 100m:
Athlete A → runs with more tension than necessary
Athlete B → runs using force only where necessary
Even though these two are running the same distance, the burden on their bodies will differ.
In sports, it is important not only to “have strong force” but also to “be able to use the necessary force at the necessary timing.”
For example:
* Points to apply force
* Points to release force
* Center of gravity movement
* Loading
* Body coordination
* How to use joints
* Use of ground reaction force
* Coordination between upper and lower body
These elements relate to movement efficiency.
Therefore, simply saying “I should just build more muscle strength” may not solve the problem.
Increasing muscle strength is also important.
But at the same time, you need to think about “how to use that muscle strength.”
—
3. Recovery ability
“How much can you restore a tired body?”
And the third is recovery ability.
This is slightly different from a “body that doesn’t get tired.”
In sports, you cannot completely eliminate fatigue.
What is important is how efficiently you can recover from a fatigued state.
Various changes occur in the body after practice, such as:
* Energy depletion
* Load on muscles
* Fatigue to the nervous system
* Loss of fluids
Therefore, recovery including nutrition, hydration, sleep, and rest becomes important.
Especially in competitive sports, just “getting through today’s practice” is insufficient.
For example, if the schedule is:
Monday: Practice
Tuesday: Practice
Wednesday: Practice
Thursday: Practice
Friday: Practice
Saturday: Match
Then, “how well you can return to a state where you can move the next day” also becomes part of performance.
—
Try thinking of physical fitness as “multiplication” rather than “addition”
There is something interesting when you consider these three.
For example, suppose:
Capacity is 100
Energy efficiency is 50
Recovery ability is 50
No matter how much you increase only capacity to 120 or 130, if movements are inefficient or recovery cannot keep up, actual performance cannot be fully demonstrated.
Conversely, even if capacity is not that large, if the body is one where:
* Movements are efficient
* There is little wasted tension* Recovery is fastThen you can continue to use the abilities you have for a long time.
That is why the perspective of “efficiently using and recovering the abilities you have” is also necessary, not just “improving physical fitness” = increasing muscle strength or endurance.
—
Look at “getting tired easily” in a little more detail
In the field, I often hear the phrase, “I’ve been getting tired easily lately.”
I believe it is important not to just end it with “Then let’s build up your physical fitness.”
For example, is it a capacity problem?
* Lack of muscle strength
* Lack of endurance
* Cannot repeat high-intensity exercise
Is it an energy efficiency problem?
* Tensing up more than necessary
* Low movement coordination
* Center of gravity movement is not being used well
* Inefficient force transmission
Is it a recovery ability problem?
* Lack of sleep
* Lack of nutrition
* Not enough rest for the amount of practice
* Fatigue is accumulating
Even with the same complaint of “getting tired easily,” the points to consider as causes are different.
Therefore, evaluation → hypothesis → intervention is important.
—
Training is also not just about “what to train”
When thinking about training, there are times when we think only about parts or abilities, such as “today I’ll train legs,” “today is core,” or “today is endurance.”
Of course, that is also necessary.
But beyond that, try thinking about “how to use that in competition?”
For example, increase muscle strength with squats.
↓
Use that force for jumping.↓Absorb it upon landing.
↓
Connect it to a change of direction.
↓
Maintain the same movement even when fatigued.
When you think this far, training becomes not just “time to build muscle,” but time to connect physical abilities to competitive movements.
—
From a “strong body” to a “usable body”
The purpose of body building is not simply to make muscles bigger or to increase the distance you can run.
What is important is a body that has the necessary abilities, uses them efficiently, and can recover when needed.
And being able to use that body in competition and daily life.
I believe this is one of the essences of “enhancing performance.”
—
Summary
When thinking about physical fitness, don’t just ask “do I have muscle strength?” or “do I have endurance?” but try having these three perspectives:
1. Capacity: How much workload can you handle?
2. Energy efficiency: How efficiently can you use your body?
3. Recovery ability: How quickly can you return to the next activity?
And, think not only about “what to train,” but also “how to use it” and “how to recover.”
I think that leads to body building that considers everything from rehabilitation to performance.
The body cannot be described by simple “muscle strength” alone.That is precisely why we explore the body more.Beyond that, there is performance that can still be improved.
