The clients groups that YMCA comes into contact with are:
- Untrained. Never used a gym before
- Trained. Has exercised and /or used gym equipment before
- Over 50+ This group may have trained, but may have contra-indications
- Medical This will be highlighted on their Pre-Exercise questionnaire. Must get clearance from their doctor.
The benefits can be broken down into three categories:
- First 6 weeks
- 4-6 weeks onwards
- Regular gym user.
First 6 weeks:
The client will experience muscle soreness, have more energy, sleep better and more confident, feel a sense of achievement, increased energy and concentration, hormonal balance and less stress.
4-6 Weeks Onwards
The client will see muscle development, see muscles toning and taking shape, a change in shape, look better in clothes, lose inches and lbs. Others will note difference in other areas depending on their goals and commitment.
Regular gym user
The client will have now increased their quality of life. Health and fitness will now be an important part of their lifestyle. They will avoid the “Yo-Yo” effect and be the best that they can be.
Fitness is made up of components; the four main components are;
- Cardio respiratory [Aerobic]
- Muscular Strength
- Flexibility
- Muscular strength.
Cardio-respiratory [Aerobic] fitness
To perform moderate activity over a period of time. It involves the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the muscles that are being put under stress/demand, for example, a marathon runner.
“The ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity”
Howley & Franks [1997] page 23
Muscular Strength
The ability of a muscle to exert maximum force at one time. For example, weight lifting, shot put
“The ability to exert maximum force, such as lifting the heaviest weight.
Muscular Endurance
The ability of a muscle to make repeated contractions of a given force, for example, supersets with the same muscle.
“Obtained by increasing the number of repetitions in resistance training”
Flexibility
To move a joint through a full range of motion without pain or discomfort. For example, Yoga.
All of these components are key in any exercise programme/prescription. These components will have a positive effect on the body. They can also be referred to as ‘Health Related’ components of fitness.
Performance or ‘Motor’ fitness components are power, speed and quickness, agility, balance and motor skill. These components of fitness are applicable to sports people, army etc.
The Client Scenario.
Structure used was:
- Pre-q [Pre Exercise Questionnaire]
- Needs Analysis
- Aims of the programme
- Programme designing
From the Needs Analysis, The client, 1, is a trained gym user. She has been attending YMCA for two years, but feels her goals, ie, weight loss, is not being achieved.
1 has highlighted that she is extremely determined and motivated to lose weight, has no health problems [see pre-q] and will be coming into the gym five times per week, Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday as rest/recovery days.
1 has identified that weight loss is her personal goal as well as general body conditioning / toning.
The aims of the programme design, will take all of the above into consideration. To keep 1 motivated, it is vital that she feels the benefits of this new programme almost immediately. Her programme will need to be varied and fun for her to do. Three sessions per week will be under supervision and two will be performed by 1 herself.
Programme Planning.
Before designing a training programme for 1, it is important to evaluate the information that 1 has given and the measurements that have been taken. These are all recorded on the Needs Analysis.
It is important to note what client category 1 falls into as the programme must suit her needs.
The programme will be prescribed based on FITT.
Frequency How often the client trains
Intensity How hard the client trains
Time How long they train
Type What type of training is performed, for example, resistance.
Frequency
This relates to how often the client is going to exercise and how often they train. Frequency levels will relate to intensity and time. These principles are interlinked when determining how high the Rate of Perceived Exercise is [RPE]. Another principle to keep in mind in addition to frequency is recovery.
Intensity.
This relates to how hard the client trains. It may be the speed at which they are running on a treadmill or heavy the weigh is that they are going to lift. It can also relate to what heart rate percentage they will work at.
To work out a clients maximum heart rate, minus their age from 220.
It is always better to start the client at the correct intensity. For example, an untrained client would not be able to sustain a run for a long period of time on a treadmill.
Time.
This relates to how long the client is going to train for. It can also be used to determine how long the client is going to do a particular exercise for.
Strength or resistance training, time, may be described as how many repetitions are going to be performed.
Type
This relates to being specific to the clients needs. Determing what fitness components are required. For example, marathon runners mainly need good endurance.
“Exercise intensity appears to be the most important of these factors. For most people intensity should be at least 60% VO2 max. However health benefits occur at lower intensities than those needed for aerobic conditioning.”
Wilmore/Costill [1999] page 620
Other principles that need to be considered when designing a programme are:
- Adaptation
- Reversibility
- Overload
- Recovry
- Progression
Adaptation
A body system can enhance its function by being exposed to workloads greater than they are used to. Muscles can adapt by increasing strength if they are subject to overload.
NIIC Fitness Instructor’s Manual [1998]
Reversibility
This applies when training stops. For example, if the clients suffers an injury and therefore is unable to train for 2 weeks or more.
“A corollary to the principle of overload; loss of a training effect with disuse.
Howley /Franks [1997] page 269
Overload
“ It is necessary to provide a progressive heightening of the stressor to oblige the body to seek a higher status of adaptation.
Dick [1997] page 187
Overload is when the muscles are put under more stress than they are accustomed to.
Recovery
Following overload, the body needs to recover to allow adaptation to occur. This can also be referred as rest.
Progression.
Continually change training programme. For example, overload to increase / improve fitness levels.
All the above principles need to be applied when designing a programme for Katrina.
F 5 times a week
I heart rate of 70% to begin
T sessions will last 1 hour
T Programme will be a mixture of cardiovascular resistance training with flexibility.
The Exercise Programme.
The exercise programme will consist of the following;
- Weigh in & Body fat measurement
- Warm up & Joint mobility exercises
- Main Programme
- Cool down
- Evaluation of programme.
Warm Up
This will be low intensity cardiovascular exercise [ pulse raiser] for 5 minutes, followed by joint mobility exercises. The purpose of a warm up is to prepare the muscles for exercise that is going to follow.
“An exercise session should begin with a warm-up of low intensity, callisthenic-type and stretching exercises to prepare the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscle systems to work more efficiently/
Wilmore & Costill [1999] page 629
The warm up will consist of joint mobility exercises. This is to stimulate secretion of synovial fluid into the cartilage therefore increasing efficiency.
Main Programme
This will vary depending on the day of training. The purpose of this method is to allow sufficient recovery time. For example, lower body workout on Monday, CV on Tuesday, upper body workout on Wednesday.
Cool Down.
The purpose of a cool down is to return the body to its resting state gradually. Too gradually lower the heart rate, reduce DOMS [Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness] and encourage relaxation.
“Every endurance exercise session should conclude with a cool-down period. Cool-down is best accomplished by slowly reducing the intensity of endurance activity during the last several minutes of the workout.”
Wilmore & Coshill [1999] page 627
Evaluation
To review the session with the client. This is particularly important as it builds a rap pore with the client. It reviews the objections of the session and allows the client to give feedback, i.e., did they enjoy it, that was a difficult session etc.
Programme for Katrina 1, age 34
Heart Rate Zone 70% of MHR
Monday
Weight -10st 9lb Bodyfat 37.5%
Warm Up Glidex for 5mins followed by joint mobility exercises
Main Programme
Dumbbell Squat 3kg dumbbells in each hand x 3 sets of 12
Stationary Lunge 3kg dumbbells in each hand x 3 sets of 12
Front Raiser 3 sets of 12
[block built to 3 raisers high]
Side step ups on raiser 3 sets of 12
Cable cross kick backs
[each leg] 10kg / 30sets of 12 reps
Bum work on floor 3 sets of 12
Treadmill for 10mins / grad 1.5, speed to reflect Heart rate.
Abdominals
The plank 3 sets of 10 seconds
Ab Curl 3 sets of 12
Bent Russian twist 3 sets of 12. [knees only bent]
Tuesday
20 minute jog followed by 10 minutes yoga stretching
Speed on treadmill to reflect heart rate zone.
Make sure you keep hydrated!
Wednesday
Upper Body Workout
Warm Up Jog on treadmill for 5mins Speed 6.5 km/ph
Joint Mobility Exercises
Session
Superman over stability ball 3 sets of 10
Seated row 10kg / 3 sets of 12
Lat pull down 15kg / 3 sets of 12
[wide grip of bars]
Lying Tricep Extension 4kg dumbbell / 3 sets of 12
Barbell Bicep curl 10kg / 3 sets of 12
Seated shoulder press 4 kg / 3 sets of 12
Incline dumbbell pec flyes 3kg /3 sets of 12
Glidex for 7 minutes – speed to reflect heart rate level.
Stability ball sit ups 3 sets of 10
Cycle crunches 10/12/14 seconds
Leg raisers 3 sets of 10
Thursday
40min walk – keeping within HR zone. Follow Mondays yoga stretching
Friday
Attend 1hour Bodypump class
Adaptations
From the programme, 1 body has made several adaptations.
- Her weight dropped from 10st 9lb to 10st 5lb. Total weight loss in 4 weeks 4lb
- Bodyfat has dropped from 37.5 % to 34.5%. Total loss 3% in 4 weeks.
- The RPE has increased so that she now begin to wotk @ 75% of MHR
- Muscle toning / conditioning is visual.
1 was delighted with the initial adaptations and was surprised at the amount of weight and body fat loss in only 4 weeks.
There is still a while to go but progression is now the key to achieve 1 goals.
Conclusion
Fitness is a key to a person’s health and well being. As the media and government have increased awareness of health and fitness, i.e., the walking, cycling and healthy eating adverts on the television, have seen an increase in member numbers in gyms, throughout the UK.
La Fitness in Armagh, for example opened with 800 members in January 2002 and to date have 2166.
It is vital that a fitness instructor has relative and up to date qualifications to offer the best service to the members. Members are individuals, they have different wants and needs and it is crucial that the instructor has the skills and knowledge to cope with such diversity.
The Pre-q and Needs Analysis are an important tool for the fitness instructor but also for retention purposes. The Pre-q will identify the ‘health’ state of the client and flag up any medical problems which may need a doctor’s clearance.
The Needs Analysis is just as important as the Pre-q as this will identify the clients fitness background and determine any goals that they may have. This will also record the client’s vital measurements which will highlight progression that is made while attending the gym.
The client, 1, that was used for this assignment was a trained member and who achieved significant results in the initial four weeks of her programme.
To progress 1, I recommend that intensity of her programme is progressed weekly. For example, add 1kg of weight to the load she is currently lifting, add 2-3 more repetitions per exercise & increase the speed of treadmill by 5km/ph
From week 12 of her programme, resistance training could be performed on a stability / swiss ball. This ball will help improve posture but also develop core muscles faster.
It is crucial that the above progression is gradual and that the instructor record and monitors results, posture to ensure correct technique.
Bibliography
Books
Dick F. W, [1997] Sports Training Principles, A &C Black, London
Howley & Franks [1997], Health Fitness Instructors Handbook, Human Kinetics, USA
Wilmore & Costill, [1999] Physiology of Sport & Exercise, Human Kinetics, Champaign, USA
Manuals
NIIC Fitness Instructors Manual 1998
Websites
www.polarusa.com/consumer/fitness/hrm.asp
net.com
Appendics
Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to thank L A Fitness and 1.
L A Fitness for all their training that they have given me over the years and to 1 for allowing me to use her success for this assignment and for her commitment and dedication in the past four weeks,
Thank you.
Unit Name Fundamentals of fitness
Unit no 20
Year HNC Sport Science year one
Assignment number one
Student Name Julie Lappin
Student no: LAP05118632
Submission date 8th December 2005.
Signed __________________________ Date__________________
Contents
Introduction Page 1
Definitions of Health & Fitness Page 2
Clients Groups Page 3
Components of Fitness Page 3
Client scenario Page 4
Programme Planning Page 5
The Exercise Programme Page 6
Actual Programme Page 8
Adaptations Page 9
Conclusion Page 10
Bibliography Page 10
Acknowledgements Page 11
Appendices 1 Page 12
Appendices 2 Page 13
