Step 4: Design Your Fitness
Plan
Designing a Resistance Training Program
- Preplan your workouts. Know what you want to accomplish upon entering
the Fitness Center.
- Include a complete warm-up and cool-down in your program.
- Beginners should design a total body circuit consisting of 8–12
exercises. The program should take no longer than one hour to complete.
- Start the workout with large muscle groups first (legs, chest and back),
followed by small muscle groups (arms, shoulders and calves). Finish
the workout with exercises that target the core (abdominal and lower
back).
- Perform heavy lifts first.
- Execute compound exercises (multiple joint movements) first.
- Balance the workout with opposing Muscle Groups.
- Perform 1–3 exercises with each muscle group.
- The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that novice and
intermediate students train each muscle group 2–3 times per week
on non-consecutive days. Allow 48–72 hours recovery time between
workout sessions.
- Only experienced athletes under the supervision of a coach should train
with weight so heavy that 4 or less repetitions can be performed.
- Training with weight so light that 16 or more repetitions can be performed
does not produce a toning or fat burning effect.
- Perform 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions. Inexperienced
students - choose to start with 1–2 sets of 12–15 repetitions.
Use a weight that produces fatigue by the last repetitions for each
set, or about 60–80% of your one repetition maximum.
- Increase the resistance when you are able to perform each repetition
of the last set with good form, and without unreasonable muscle fatigue.
- The length of a program must be 8–12 weeks in order to achieve
significant strength or size gains.
Example Programs—Strength Training
Designing a Cardiorespiratory Fitness Program
Many fitness experts consider cardiorespiratory fitness to be the most
important component of good fitness and health.
The benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness include:
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Better body composition measurements
- Lower the risk of Type II Diabetes
Cardiorespiratory Program Guidelines
- Beginners should start slowly. If the workout is too
difficult, the dropout rate is much higher. Health benefits are obtained
at low intensity rates. Beginners or students who have not exercised
in the previous six months should work at about 60% of max heart rate
or at conversational pace. If you cannot hold a conversation with your
workout partner, you are training too hard.
- Consistancy is the most important factor of a cardiorespiratory program.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the health benefits
of three 20 minute workouts per week are far better than one 60 minute
workout. In the beginning, 48 hours recovery time between aerobic workouts
lowers the risk of injury.
- Increase the intensity or volume by no more 10% every other week. Increasing
the intensity or volume of workouts too quickly will lead to injury
and the discontinuation of exercise.
- Change the type of aerobic activity regularly. By changing the type
of aerobic activity on a regular basis beginners can find an activity
that they enjoy, lessen the risk of injury, and increase the likelihood
of continuing exercise.
- Use common sense. Increase the intensity or volume
of the workout only after you feel comfortable with current workout
levels. Stop the workout if you feel pain or extraordinary discomfort.
Immediately notify Fitness Center staff member.
- Male students 35 years of age or older and female students 45 years
of age or older should receive a clearance from their physician before
starting any exercise program.
Example Programs—Cardiorespiratory Fitness