Designing a Personal Fitness Program

Designing a Personal Fitness Program

The Lesson Activities will help you meet these educational goals:

• Exercise—You will participate in physical activities that get you moving.
• 21stCentury Skills—You will apply creativity and innovation and communicate effectively.

Directions

Please save this document to your desktop. Type your answers directly in this document for all activities.

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Self-Checked Activities

Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. Click the link to the Student Answer Sheet at the end of the lesson. Use the answers or sample responses to evaluate your own work.

1. DayOne of Your PersonalFitness Program

In this activity, you will design and participate in your own fitness program. To get started, answer these questions.

1. How fit are you? Do you exercise regularly? If so, how? Do you participate in any scheduled sports or activities? If so, which ones?

Sample answer:

I’m in pretty good shape for a person my age. I ride my bike to and from school, and I’m in a Pilates workshop two times a week. I occasionally hike with friends through the mountains. My flexibility is good, but I don’t do much to get my heart rate up. Sometimes I fall behind when we go hiking. The only regular schedule I keep is my Pilates class. Once in a while, I go to my brother’s basketball practices.

1. Do you have an established fitness plan that you’ve recorded? If so, what does it look like?

Sample answer:

No, I don’t have an established fitness plan. I just exercise whenever I feel like it.

1. In this activity, you will design a personal fitness program. The first part of any program is establishing goals. What are your goals for your fitness program?

Sample answer:

I want to build up my endurance so that I’m a stronger hiker. It would be nice to not fall behind the group. The last time I went hiking, I spent a large part of the hike walking by myself. That’s not too much fun.

1. The knowledge article for this lesson contains a sample fitness program and of exercises that you can include in your fitness program. Use the provided table to design an exercise program to match your personal fitness goals. Each day should include at least 60 minutes of physical activity. Once you’ve established a routine, perform the exercises in day 1 of your routine. Then answer the remaining questions for this activity.

Sample answer:

• 10-minute brisk walk to warm up
• 20-minute jog in the park
• 10-minute stretch to cool down

• strength after cardio
• two sets of 10 reps each:bicep curls, triceps dips, triceps extensions
• rest one minute between sets

• stretch for final cooldown
• focus on arms

• cardio after strength
• 15-minutes of skipping rope with a break in the middle
• 10-minute treadmill walk to cool down

• 10-minute jog in place to warm up
• two sets of 10 reps each: lunge, squat, step-ups, calf raises
• rest one minute between sets

• stretch for final cooldown
• focus on legs

• 10 minutes of stationary cycling
• 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill

• strength after cardio
• two sets of 10 reps each: bent-over row, reverse fly, back extensions
• rest two minutes between sets

• 30-minute Pilates class
• attend class after cardio and strength

• 5-minute jog around the racquetball court to warm up
• 30 minutes of racquetball

• strength after cardio
• two sets of 10 reps each: shoulder press, front raise, reverse fly, lateral raise
• rest one minute between sets

• 30-minute Pilates class
• attend class after cardio and strength

• cardio after strength
• 60 minutes of skateboarding(ramps)

• 30 jumping jacks to warm up
• 5-minute stretch
• three sets of 8 reps each: crunches, sit-ups, pull-ups
• rest two minutes between sets

• stretch for final cooldown
• focus on back and legs

1. Which exercises did you find most enjoyable during the day 1 workout? Which exercises did you find least enjoyable? Explain why.

Sample answer:

I enjoyed the triceps extensions and triceps dips the most. I used to work only on my biceps until I learned that the triceps muscle is actually bigger than the biceps muscle. When I work on triceps, I can really see the results. I didn’t enjoy the 20-minute jog in the park because it started to rain. I just wasn’t prepared for the rain.

1. FITT is an acronym for frequency, intensity, time, and type. Choose an exercise from day 1 of your fitness program. Explain how the exercise relates to each FITT component.

Sample answer:

I chose to jog for 20 minutes in the park. The time is 20 minutes and the type of exercise is cardio. The intensity was moderate. I plan to jog two times this week, so that is my frequency for jogging.

1. Two of the nine basic training principles are specificity and overload. Describe how these two principles relate to day 1 of your fitness program.

Sample answer:

My fitness goal is to increase my endurance. That means I must target my cardio by doing cardio activities. This is an example of specificity. The cardio that I chose was jogging. I overloaded my triceps muscles. Overloading helps build muscle mass, but does not hurt the muscle.

1. Think back to your personal fitness goals. Which exercises from day 1 are closely aligned with your goals? How do the exercises align? Explain.

Sample answer:

My goal is to increase my stamina, or endurance,so I have to pick good cardio exercises to meet this goal. For day 1, I picked brisk walking and jogging. Both of these get your heart rate up and increase blood flow to the muscles.

1. Classify the intensity of your day 1 workout as low, moderate, or high. If you wanted to increase the intensity level, what would you do? What would you do to decrease it? Choose one or the other.

Sample answer:

The intensity of my day 1 workout was moderate.To increase the intensity, I could do sprinting and jogging intervals instead of just jogging. For example, I could sprint for 15 seconds, jog for a few minutes, and then sprint again.

1. Day Two ofYour Personal Fitness Program

Perform the exercises in day 2 of your personal fitness program. Then answer these questions.

1. Which exercises did you find most enjoyable during theday 2 workout? Which exercises did you find least enjoyable? Explain why.

Sample answer:

I enjoyed my cooldown, which was walking for 10 minutes on a treadmill, the most. The pace was right for me and I listened to music as I walked. I didn’t enjoy the lunges or the squats very much. They make my legs burn. They make for a tough workout.

1. FITT is an acronym for frequency, intensity, time, and type. Choose an exercise from day 2 of your fitness program. Explain how the exercise relates to each FITT component.

Sample answer:

I chose to jump rope for 15 minutes at home. Time: 15 minutes. Type: cardio. Intensity: high. Frequency: one rope-jumping activity this week.

1. Two of the nine basic training principles are progression and recovery. Describe how these two principles relate to day 2 of your fitness program.

Sample answer:

Today was the first time I did lunges, so I did them without holding free weights. When I repeat this day of my exercise plan next week, I’ll use 5-pound dumbbells to increase the difficulty of the lunges, which is what progression is all about. Day 2 of my plan really worked my legs, and they’re kind of sore. I’ll take it easy on my legs for the next couple of workouts. That recovery time will allow the micro tears in my leg muscles to repair, which builds muscle and strength.

1. Think back to your personal fitness goals. Which exercises from day 2 are closely aligned with your goals? How do the exercises align? Explain.

Sample answer:

My goal is to increase my endurance through cardio. Better cardio will help me during my hiking excursions. Skipping rope on day 2 was a high-intensity cardio workout that aligns with my goals.

1. Look back on the exercises in day 2 of your fitness program. Did you have to do any additional research to locate, understand, or perform the exercises? If so, describe the type of research you did. If not, describe a topic related to your day 2 workout that you’d like to learn more about. Why does it interest you?

Sample answer:

I did not have to do any additional research. All the information that I needed was in the course. I’d like to learn more about speed jumping with ropes. I saw speed jumping on a talent show on TV. I don’t want to do it necessarily; I just like watching it for entertainment.The people who do it are really talented.

1. DayThree of Your Personal Fitness Program

Perform the exercises in day 3 of your personal fitness program. Then answer these questions.

1. Which exercises did you find most enjoyable during theday 3 workout? Which exercises did you find least enjoyable? Explain why.

Sample answer:

I enjoyed the 30-minute Pilates class the most. I’m new to it, but I like Pilates because I learn something new every time I go. During the workout, we worked with stretchy bands. I least liked doing bent-over rows in the strength-training section. The rows make my back sore. I wasn’t even holding any free weights, so I don’t think my back should have been sore.

1. FITT is an acronym for frequency, intensity, time, and type. Choose an exercise from day 3 of your fitness program. Explain how the exercise relates to each FITT component.

Sample answer:

For bent-over rows, I chose to do two sets of 10 reps each. That’s 20 reps in all and that represents my time. Rows are a type of strength training. The intensity was moderate. I plan on lifting weights each of the five days, but I only plan on doing rows one time. That’s the frequency.

1. Two of the nine basic training principles are variation and transfer. Describe how these two principles relate to day 3 of your fitness program.

Sample answer:

For variation, I chose to do different strength-building exercises in each workout. Today I focused on my back and did reverse flies, bent-over rows, and back extensions. Walking on the treadmill is a good example of transfer. Not only do I walk every day, but my goal is to improve my hiking abilities. Walking is a motion that transfers to many different activities.

1. Think back to your personal fitness goals. Which exercises from day 3 are closely aligned with your goals? How do the exercises align? Explain.

Sample answer:

My goal is to have better cardio over longer periods of time.I did 10 minutes of stationary cycling, which doesn’t sound like much, but I turned up the resistance on the bike. Not only that, I pedaled in intervals of changing speeds—slow to fast and fast to slow.

1. Do you have a workout partner? If so, who is it and how doesyour partner help you? If not, look back on your day 3 workout. Where might a partner help you? How can a partner help? What would your partner do?

Sample answer:

I use a spotter during my strength training. I just ask random people at the gym to help me. They don’t mind, and it’s a good way to meet new people. A spotter can support some of the weight on my last few reps so I can really push myself. This helps me use heavier weights safely without dropping them on my foot or worse.

1. DayFour of Your Personal Fitness Program

Perform the exercises in day 4 of your personal fitness program. Then answer these questions.

1. Which exercises did you find most enjoyable during theday 4 workout? Which exercises did you find least enjoyable? Explain why.

Sample answer:

I enjoyed my racquetball game the most, even more than my Pilates class. I like racquetball because I have company during my workout and it’s a healthy competition. Today, I actually liked my Pilates class the least. We didn’t use any of the specialized equipment, only mats. I like it better when we get to use the chairs, balls, and bands.

1. FITT is an acronym for frequency, intensity, time, and type. Choose an exercise from day 4 of your fitness program. Explain how the exercise relates to each FITT component.

Sample answer:

I went to a 30-minute Pilates class. That’s my second Pilates class this week, so my frequency is two times, and my time is 30 minutes. The intensity was low because it’s a lot of stretching. The type of workout is flexibility.

1. Two of the nine basic training principles are balance and individualization. Describe how these two principles relate to day 4 of your fitness program.

Sample answer:

To me, balance means working all your muscles and not just one kind of muscle. Today, I chose to lift weights with a focus on my shoulders rather than my legs or arms, because I did legs and arms on a different day. Individualization is designing a workout plan that is just right for you. Today, I played racquetball because racquetball is a sport that I love. I did it for my own personal enjoyment.

1. Think back to your personal fitness goals. Which exercises from day 4 are closely aligned with your goals? How do the exercises align? Explain.

Sample answer:

I played racquetball for 30 minutes with my buddy. Racquetball is a serious cardio workout, and that ties to my goals. I want to have better cardio overall so I can keep up with my friends when we do things together, especially active things.

1. Eating right and exercising can be hard work. How have you rewarded yourself as you’ve progressed through the fitness program? You might be rewarding yourself in certain ways and not even realize it. What would a valuable reward look like to you? Why is a reward important?

Sample answer:

A good reward is resting in front of the TV. After a long workout, that’s usually what I like to do. Rewards are important to show that you’re human. Nobody can exercise 24-7, so it’s nice to be reminded that it’s OK to take a break and treat yourself once in a while. Giving yourself a reward means that you’re making an effort to have balance in your life.

1. DayFive of Your Personal Fitness Program

Perform the exercises in day 5 of your personal fitness program. Then answer these questions.

1. What were your goals when you designed your fitness program? Did you reach your goals? Why or why not?

Sample answer:

My goal was to improve my cardiorespiratory fitness so I can continue to go on long hikes in the mountains. I haven’t been on a hike since I started my program, but I know for sure that my endurance has gotten better. My apartment is on the fourth floor of our building, and I have to take the stairs to get there. I can go up and down without any problems. That hasn’t always been the case. I would say I am well on my way to reaching my goal.

1. How did you feel about exercise before beginning this program? Have your feelings toward exercise changed? Explain.

Sample answer:

Before the program, I liked exercise. I’ve been doing Pilates for a few months, and I enjoy it. After this program, I still enjoy exercising. My feelings haven’t changed much. The program has helped me see that I need to be doing more than one kind of exercise. Before, it was all Pilates. Now I can see the benefits of building muscle and endurance through other ways. Weight lifting is still my least favorite part of most workouts.

1. How could you change your program to make it more fun?

Sample answer:

For fun, I can continue doing my Pilates and incorporate more sports into my exercise routine. I loved playing racquetball, so I need to do more of that. My fitness program would also be more fun if I had a friend or a relative to do things with. Any time that I can do a variety of activities, it seems more fun. I’m finding out that variation is important to me.

1. Are you going to continue with the fitness program that you designed? Why or why not?

Sample answer:

I'm going to continue with the basic chart that I used to build the program, but I’m going to enter some different exercises. The format is easy for me to understand. I need different exercises week to week so I don’t get bored. One thing that my chart needs is a column for time of day. I think I’ll add that so I have a general idea of when my workouts will start and stop during the day. Other than that, I see no problem with continuing to exercise.

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