Personal exercise program.

My 6-week program is to improve on these areas:

WEEK 1:

2 circuits:

. 10 press-ups

2. 15 sit-ups

3. 15 burpees

4. 10 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 20 squat thrusts

6. 6x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

WEEK 2:

2 circuits:

. 12 press-ups

2. 20 sit-ups

3. 20 burpees

4. 12 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 25 squat thrusts

6. 8x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

WEEK 3:

3 circuits:

. 12 press-ups

2. 20 sit-ups

3. 20 burpees

4. 12 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 20 squat thrusts

6. 6x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

WEEK 4:

3 circuits:

. 15 press-ups

2. 20 sit-ups

3. 25 burpees

4. 15 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 25 squat thrusts

6. 8x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

WEEK 5:

4 circuits:

. 15 press-ups

2. 20 sit-ups

3. 25 burpees

4. 15 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 25 squat thrusts

6. 8x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

WEEK 6:

5 circuits:

. 15 press-ups

2. 20 sit-ups

3. 25 burpees

4. 15 opposite leg/arm lifts (hold each for 10secs)

5. 25 squat thrusts

6. 8x20m shuttles sprints (5secs between each)

Press-ups - works on shoulders, chest and upper arms.

Sit-ups - works the abdominal muscles.

Burpees - works on the shoulders, chest, upper arms and thighs.

Leg/arm lifts - works on thighs and shoulders.

Squat Thrusts - works the thighs and abdominals.

Shuttles - work on power and aerobic fitness.

It is essential to do a warm-up and warm-down before and after training. A warm-up should consist of some steady cardiovascular exercise and some light stretching to prepare your body for the work ahead. The warm down should contain stretching and again some cardiovascular exercise. This is to disperse the lactic acid built up during exercise so that you will not feel stiff later.

After finishing the circuits each week I will take my pulse rate immediately after doing the exercises, and every minute for five minutes to show my recovery rate. I will take my pulse rate by placing 2 fingers on the left side of my throat over the carotid artery and count the beats in 6 seconds, add a zero and you get the bpm.

Here are the figures that I collected over the six weeks:

Pulse Rate

WEEK

0 mins

min

2 mins

3 mins

4 mins

5 mins

6 mins

Recov. Rate

200

70

30

00

90

80

70

6 mins +

2

90

60

20

90

80

70

70

6 mins +

3

210

70

20

80

80

70

60

5-6 mins

4

90

50

10

80

70

70

60

5-6 mins

5

200

50

10

80

70

60

60

4-5 mins

6

200

40

00

70

60

60

60

3-4 mins

The time I set as my marker for 100 meters front crawl was 58.69 seconds, after the 6 weeks it had decreased to 57.93 seconds, which in swimming is quite a large difference.

The recovery rates have also progressed immensely. In the first session, after 4 mins my heart rate was still up at 100 bpm but after the sixth week it was down to my resting heart rate of 60 bpm.

Generally I was quite fit before the program but after completing the six weeks I have become stronger and fitter and my times in the pool are falling rapidly.