The Process To Your First Workout! - Lesson 5
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The process to your first workout
1. Fitness Assessment/Evaluation
2. Appropriate Exercise Selection
3. Frequency
4. Exercise Arrangement
5. Weight
6. Volume: Reps & Sets
7. Rest Periods
8. Variation
9. Progression
1. Fitness Assessment/Evaluation consists of the following:
Baseline Data – Collecting baseline data is the key to gauging your future progress or lack thereof.
Heart Rate: (Resting & Active)
Blood Pressure: (Wrist cuff test)
Body Composition: (Body fat percentage using calipers or handheld scanner)
Height:
Weight:
Girth: (Measurements of biceps, forearm, thigh, calf, waist, abdomen, iliac, hips)
Muscular strength: (Grip test)
Muscular endurance: (Push up test)
Cardiovascular endurance: (YMCA Step test)
Flexibility: (Sit and reach test)
Pictures: (Front, left side, right side, back – With the date)
In the event, you don’t have the ability to perform a complete baseline assessment (due to lack of equipment or appropriate knowledge for certain test), focus on the ones you can most accurately identify. When follow up tests are performed, try to use the same methods which were originally used.
2. Appropriate exercise selection consists of the following:
Know your goal! This is the number one factor which will determine the appropriate exercise selection for you. Do you wish to increase muscular endurance, build muscle, or increase strength? Specific goals will require specific exercise selection. The specificity principle is how you will appropriately select exercises for your goal. “Training Principles” are discussed in the next lesson.
The main factors which will influence exercise selection is: how much time will you have for each exercise session, available apparatus, personal preference, and experience level with certain exercises.
The key factor to keep in mind is, “Can the prescribed exercises be performed correctly?” If you’re less experienced, starting with assistance exercises are often better as they require less skill than core exercises. See below for examples and explanations of each.
Core Exercises:
Core exercises refer to movements which require two or more joints (e.g. A squat and a pull up). It requires the use of one or more large muscle groups (e.g. Legs and/or back), and synergistic assistance of one or more small muscle groups (e.g. triceps, neck, and/or, forearms).
Assistance Exercises:
Not every exercise selected will, or need to, directly contribute to you achieving your physical goals. Assistance exercises are great for creating & maintaining structural balance, preventing injuries, and rehabilitation from injuries. Assistance exercises utilize a single-joint and only use one large muscle group or small muscles.
How do you decide? Exercise Selection Guidelines
For the beginner: One exercise per muscle. Starting from the traps, chest, shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, abdominals, legs, and calves.
For the intermediate & advanced: Two exercises or more per muscle, incorporate different variations, and select various exercises per muscle group during the week.
In instances where you may be suffering from an abnormal condition or injury, which requires more intense supervision, having a personal trainer or other qualified professional is strongly encouraged. To avoid further injury, the exercise selection process may require more scrutiny to ensure it’s the right fit for your condition.
3. Frequency
Frequency Selection Process consists of the following:
Exercise frequency is the amount of exercise sessions performed within a week. Fitness readiness level should always be considered when determining factors related to exercise. If you’re a beginner, you’ll likely require more time to recover from previous exercise sessions. There should be at least one day, but not more than three, between sessions that target the same muscle group.
If there was one factor to always consider, it would be exercise intensity. High intensity will require longer rest periods. Your body recovers when at rest. The exercise sessions create the stimulus for muscle growth but the rest period is where your body repairs and grows stronger.
Do you have questions about this lesson? Talk to our elite coaches!