Based on the initial meeting and assessment with one of our trainers, an individualized 6 month training program will be designed to meet your fitness and/or performance goals efficiently.
The following is an example of 21 year old female weighing 75 kg, standing 163 cm tall, and with a BMI of 28.2. Her long term goals consist of expanding on her aerobic fitness level, as well as developing her musculoskeletal system to improve overall health and gaining a healthier body composition. Her short term goals include learning proper resistance training technique, improving knowledge about how to train to get maximal health benefits, and improving her maximal oxygen consumption over the course of the progressive training routine. As well, she wishes to lower her blood pressure and heart rate to avoid any signs of possible disease. This client is starting from baseline and looking to improve fitness knowledge in order to improve her personal health and well being
The client’s initial fitness assessment consisted of blood pressure, heart rate, body composition, aerobic and musculoskeletal testing. Her results revealed that she is borderline pre-hypertensive with a blood pressure of 128mmHg/87mmHg and a heart rate of 65 beats per minute. Her initial body composition assessment with the sum of 5 skin folds (triceps, biceps, subscapular, iliac crest and medial calf) along with her waist circumference revealed that her healthy body composition is very good and in a range generally associated with improved health benefits. (sum of 5 skin folds is 95mm; waist circumference is 83cm). Both the Modified Canadian Fitness Test (mCAFT), or step test, and the YMCA submaximal cycle ergometer test were used to determine aerobic fitness levels and indirectly measure maximal oxygen consumption of the client. She exhibited a good aerobic fitness level showing that there is a slight health benefit.
Her initial musculoskeletal testing showed the client’s upper body strength (max. push-ups = 10), partial curl-up (max.=12), and vertical jump (max.= 25cm) are in fair range and grip strength is in good range (max=60kg). Leg power was good ( 2633 watts), but back strength is fair and needs improvement(59 seconds). Her sit and reach score revealed her flexibility needs a bit of work as it is in the fair range at a maximum of 32cm reaching distance. Her over all musculoskeletal rating in the end of testing was in the fair range, determining that she has some work to do to better her health and longevity of her musculoskeletal system which is where the resistance training program comes into play.
Macrocycle
Consists of a 6 month periodized program broken down into 6 seperate mesocycle stages. The progressive program created to allow for maximal adaptation and prevent overtraining and injury.
This graph shows the progression of duration of cardio and repetitions of resistance throughout the 6 month macrocycle. Each colour represents each mesocycle (phase) of the macrocycle, while each bar represents the microcycle of each phase and makes adaptations throughout progression visible.
Mesocycle
Each mesocycle consists of a specified 3-6 week training program within a larger macrocycle. Each mesocycle has different reps, sets, tempo, and rest to allow for different specific adaptations to maximize progressive overload during the program. Each mesocycle is compromised of individual weekly programs called microcycles, showing the resistance, cardio, flexibility and rest days in a given week. On active recovery days, housework and activities of daily living (light exercise) should be done. RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is based on the 10-point category-ratio scale.
Phase 1 Weeks 1-4
Phase 2 Weeks 5-7
Phase 3 Weeks 8-11
Phase 4 Weeks 12-15
Phase 5 Weeks 16-21
Phase 6 Weeks 22-24
Microcycle
Every mesocycle is broken down into smaller microcycles, which consist of which type of exercise and what specific exercise is performed on each day of the week. Microcycles follow the specified reps, sets, tempo, and rest times from the mesocycle of which it is in, i.e. follow hypertrophy reps, sets, etc, during the specified mesocycle the it falls within.
Example Microcycles from each Mesocycle
Exercises for hypertrophy, endurance, peak, and active recovery phases:
Exercises for strength and power phases:
Exercises for Cardio and Flexibility/Stretching:
Flexibility and Stretching:
For each phase of the macrocycle, the client will follow prescribed repetitions, sets, rest, and tempo based on the given table for resistance training. She will then use the exercises given for each phase and perform them on the given day of the microcycle.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is an important aspect of exercise leading to a healthy life and decreasing risk of premature death. Cardiorespiratory endurance is important to maintain as it helps increase the likelihood of continual exercise and increases health benefits. As an exercise program is started, it is important to consider the goals of the client. It is important to consider gradually increasing frequency, intensity or duration one at a time as the training program progresses in order to allow for proper adaptation and recovery time. An increase of 10% each week in duration of cardio fitness sufficiently allows for the client to adapt to the new exercise program. From there, once maximal duration is reached intensity can be increased once the client’s training status has begun to increase from their baseline levels. As intensity is increased, it is imperative to be aware that duration has to decrease in order to avoid the risk of injury
Flexibility is an essential part of developing the client’s training program. The stretches shown above have been developed for the client from her initial assessment in order to increase her flexibility. They are also worked into her training program as warm up and cool downs pre- and post-session. Static, dynamic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching will be used for the client in order to increase range of motion and avoid preventable muscle injuries.
Static stretches should be held for 20-30 seconds in order to get the most benefit and are to be performed only after training session in order to cool down the muscles. Dynamic stretches are to be performed prior to exercise in order to warm up the muscles and get them prepared for exercise. This will also allow for the client to gradually increase heart rate going into her training session. PNF stretching will be performed by the client on active recovery days in order to keep the muscles from tensing up. This is a form of passive stretching and can be used in order to improve range of motion of several muscles at once. A relaxation response can be induced in the agonist, antagonist and synergist muscle of a certain joint which not only increases the range of motion of the joint while stretching, but also during physical activity. PNF stretches are to be done with an experienced partner if necessary, during which they increasingly apply force to the stretch and gradually stretch the muscle further with greater force over increasing range of motion.
The client is to apply stretching in terms of the FITT principle (frequency, intensity, time, type) depending on the exercise session, as well as applying this to their training program.