Planning gym-based exercise PDF

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How to plan an exercise regime for a client....

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Unit 5: Planning gym-based exercise Course Notes

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Unit 5 | Section 4 | Planning for developing specific objectives To achieve specific training objectives, there are guidelines for the type of training and specific parameters that should be followed to achieve the desired results. There are particular recommendations for the frequency, intensity, time and type of training that is suitable to each objective. This is called the FITT Principle.

Unit 5 | Section 1 | Planning gym-based exercise Instructing gym-based exercise requires you to plan training sessions well. This ensures that all health and safety requirements are met and that the programme is as effective and appropriate as possible for your clients and their goals. This unit will cover five learning outcomes, and take you through the process of collecting and using client information to plan gym-based exercise programmes and incorporate safe, effective exercises.

Unit 5 | Section 1 | Collecting client information for planning gym-based exercise This section deals with the process of collecting information on our clients, so that we can plan as effective an exercise programme as possible and tailor it to all their requirements. We will also look at the importance of getting our clients’ informed consent. We will cover different ways of obtaining information, including questionnaires, interviews, physical measurements and subtle cues we can pick up through observation. We will then look at how to ensure we choose the right method. Finally, we will explore the key principles of screening our prospective clients, to ensure that they’re physically fit and mentally ready to take on an exercise programme. This includes the physical activity readiness questionnaire, or PAR-Q.

Unit 5 | Section 1 | Getting informed consent from clients Before you can plan a gym programme with a new client, you have to explain what it involves. Initially, they go through a screening process where their personal details, history, training aims and sometimes physical measurements are recorded. This is likely to be new to them so it’s important that you explain the process and guidelines as clearly as possible, and that you fully outline the expectations of the programme. This process is known as getting ‘informed consent.’ It needs to be obtained from a client before they can start a training regime, on condition that everything has been explained and understood. This agreement can be made either verbally or as a written document.

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Unit 5 | Section 1 | Collecting client information – consultations After gaining a client’s informed consent, the next stage of screening is usually a consultation meeting. This is an instructor’s first opportunity to find out as much about the client as possible and use it to help their development. The instructor needs to screen the client to ensure that they’re healthy enough to take on the programme. This is done using the PAR-Q. The next step is to assess their exercise preferences and experiences and establish what they set out to achieve, so that the programme structure can be designed accordingly. Information can be gathered using questionnaires, interviews, recorded observations and even physical measurements.

Unit 5 | Section 1 | Different methods of collecting client information Trainers may use many or a just a small selection of methods; including questionnaires, face-to-face interviewing, observations and specific client measurement recording, as each one has its own strengths and weaknesses and may be more suitable to some clients than others. Questionnaires are a great way to ensure you get the information you need by specifying certain topics. They can also be filled out in advance and brought to the consultation, which is great for time management. Face-to-face interviewing is a great way to build rapport with clients and find out about their present state, exercise history and future goals. Some people may be a little uncomfortable with this approach, so make sure you conduct it tactfully and professionally. Observing a client’s personality, habits, physical attributes, movement patterns and ability can be very useful. It requires certain skills and a degree of experience, but can provide information that may not be attainable through other methods. Good areas to observe are posture, flexibility and motor skills. Taking physical measurements can add specificity to observational records. Recording measurements provides information about the client’s current state and acts as a marker to refer back to as they progress, allowing the trainer to chart their development.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Using client information to plan gym-based exercise In this section, we will discuss how to use the information we have gathered and how it can influence the way we plan our exercise programmes. We will start by exploring various factors that may affect our clients’ ability to exercise safely and effectively. Then, we will move onto why our clients may have to defer from exercise temporarily. Finally, we will cover the situations when you may need to refer your client to another professional, and how to deal with them.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Lifestyle considerations

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A client’s lifestyle is an important consideration for designing a programme, along with the habits that affect their health, body composition, fitness, energy and motivation. Lifestyle is an important logistical issue for scheduling exercise sessions, especially with novice clients who haven’t developed a ‘regular exercise’ mentality. When you plan a programme, think about the client’s working hours and whether their job is manual or sedentary; this can affect their posture. Their current activity levels may be sedentary, limited, moderate or high and would also depend on frequency of participation. Their diet (including alcohol) should be considered, as well as the amounts they consume. If they smoke, it’s important to know the quantity and how long they’ve had their habit.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Training status Clients have different levels of experience, so it’s important to find out about their current training status. We can do this by asking about their recent training programmes, their length and their intensity. It is also useful to assess their level of exercise technique and find out the skills and knowledge they have for performing exercises correctly. The term ‘training age’ is used to describe how long a client has been training and their experience of different modalities. An ‘age zero’ novice would be different from a client with five years’ experience of structured, progressive resistance and aerobic training. Experience, in itself, doesn’t qualify someone as an advanced exerciser – it is possible to have trained for years and still be at a low-intermediate stage of fitness and competence through lack of knowledge.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Principles of screening Fitness professionals are legally required to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits of their exercise programmes. This duty includes an obligation to ensure that all clients are physically and medically fit to take part without risking their health. Before a client can start they have to fill out a health screening form. The‘PAR-Q,’ or Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire, is the most often used. The PAR-Q asks specific questions about the client’s health history, current health and medical state. It’s a legal document, which needs to be signed and dated by the client, and witnessed and signed by the trainer. If the PAR-Q reveals any potential health risks, the trainer needs to get a notice from the client’s doctor stating that they are able to partake in a physical activity programme. The trainer must not start working with the client until this has been done.

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Unit 5 | Section 2 | Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) The PAR-Q is a nationally recognised questionnaire which uses specific questions to gauge a prospective client’s health and medical history. It’s also used to highlight any health conditions that carry too great a risk for starting an exercise programme. The PAR-Q is a specific document that must be completed by all prospective clients before they start a training programme. It is a legally binding document which protects the client and fitness professional. There are a series of specific ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions relating to medical contraindications for exercise. A client must answer ‘no’ to all the questions to be deemed safe and fit to take part in an exercise programme. The client must sign and date the document before taking part in an exercise programme. The fitness professional also needs to sign and date the PAR-Q before their client can start the fitness programme. If a client answers ‘yes’ to one or more of the questions in the PAR-Q then a medical clearance notice must be obtained from a doctor and presented to the fitness professional before the programme can start. If a medical clearance notice has been provided then the client should sign the form again in the designated space. The instructor should keep a record of the medical clearance notice with the PAR-Q. The PAR-Q will be kept as a record of the client’s health status. It needs to be reviewed every 12 months, or sooner if the client or instructor becomes aware of any change in the client’s health status.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Identifying risks to participation – the four criteria for medical referral After you have screened a client, there are four categories of deferral from exercise, which require you to obtain a medical clearance notice before the client can start or continue their programme. They would also need this notice if any information from these categories were flagged up during the screening process. The four categories are: ‘instant medical referral,’ ‘special attention or multiple accounts of special attention,’ ‘instructor doubts’ and ‘client doubts.’ Instant referral: Certain medical conditions necessitate medical referral of the client because of their potential severity. Conditions that require instant referral include metabolic, pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. Special attention: Issues with a client’s health which may be cause for concern. Examples of these include smoking, minor injuries and a history of CHD in the family. A doctor check-over is recommended for the client before they start exercising, especially if they have more than one of these. Instructor doubt: If the instructor doubts the health status of the client in any way then they should use their professional judgement and insist that a medical referral notice is obtained before training can commence.

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Client doubt: If a client wishes to obtain a medical referral notice from their doctor prior to starting an exercise programme, they can and should do so. The instructor must wait until this is received before they start their training. Medical clearance: If a referral is required, the client needs medical clearance before continuing. It’s also important to keep them up to date with a follow-up procedure. Networking with healthcare professionals is useful for this; standard letters can be drafted with results and comments on areas of concern.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Medical referral Diagnosed CHD and metabolic disease require instant referral. Current minor injuries and a family history of CHD need special attention. A client who looks physically unhealthy or whose posture appears to be causing pain may be categorised as ‘instructor doubt'. Being uncomfortable with their health or unsure of medical history are both issues that warrant client doubt.

Unit 5 | Section 2 | Ensure all client data is current and protected Once a consultation has been completed and all the screening forms are signed off, it is important to keep this information confidential and secure; it belongs to the client and is personal to them. All information held in the consultation records must also be kept accurate, relevant and up-to-date in accordance to the Data Protection Act 1998. Keeping health records up-to-date and accurate – such as the PAR-Q, which needs reviewing every year – is particularly important. Also, the more information a fitness trainer has about a client, the better they can tailor their fitness programme.

Unit 5 | Section 3 | Planning around client information Once the instructor has obtained all the relevant information from a client, they can start to plan the programme – ensuring it’s as safe, effective and suitable for their needs as possible. There are lots of different factors which can influence a training plan, including: Current or past injuries. Exercise history. Dietary factors and considerations. Availability to train. Body shape and posture. Exercise preferences. Exercise knowledge and skill level. Goals and objectives.

Unit 5 | Section 3 | Goal-setting and agreed objectives

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It is important for any new client to identify what they’re looking to gain from the programme. This will give the process a purpose, identify what the content should cover and help with their commitment and motivation. There are lots of different types of goals, including general self-improvement and specific performance-related targets. Every client will have a different goal and be best-suited to a specific plan of action for attaining it. Goals can also be broken down into different timeframes. Some goals are ideal for long-term timescales, such as losing a certain amount of weight; some will require less time, for example, increasing a repetition maximum result or omitting a certain food group from a diet.

Unit 5 | Section 3 | Goal-setting – staging and prioritising goals It is important to be able to prioritise goals and objectives by identifying which ones are long-term and which are short-term. This logical approach works by mapping an intuitive, attainable route towards any desired objectives, as well as long-term health and fitness ambitions. If, for example, a client sets out to complete a marathon in under three hours, the instructor should work with them to break it down into smaller chunks and work backwards after creating a series of smaller, shorter term-targets which help to lead up to it. The shortest-term goal would be to reduce the desired marathon distance to a shorter, more attainable one and allow for interval rests to help the client get used to the level of endurance required. When the client has acclimatised, you should start to challenge them with greater distances. When they are able to run a marathon, they can work on their speed with time-limited goals.

Unit 5 | Section 3 | SMART goals When we set goals we need to ensure that they’re suitable and viable. The best way to go about this is to make a point of setting ‘SMART’ goals, which are: Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Time-bound. Assessing how well a goal incorporates these traits is an effective way to gauge their practicality. Specific objectives which stipulate measurable amounts or readings leave no room for doubt as to when they would be attained. They also need to be achievable and realistic – not unattainable dreams. Finally, they need to be time-bound to fit within the training programme and allow for an effective pathway to be plotted for achieving them.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Choosing gym-based exercise programme content This section deals with the area of programme content: the exercises you choose to include in a programme and how your choices fulfil your clients’

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objectives, goals and exercise preferences. We will explore some of the different exercise objective categories and identify their recommended training guidelines. We will cover the various components of training programmes. Then, we will discuss different aspects of session design, including cardiovascular machines and circuit training. Finally, we will cover the correct ways of recording clients’ progress.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Guidelines for muscular fitness training Muscular fitness can be broken down into smaller categories relating to specific muscular demands: endurance, hypertrophy, strength and power. The muscles’ ability to deal with particular stresses can improve if trained under progressive overload in these particular areas of muscular fitness.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Guidelines for cardiovascular fitness training Cardiovascular fitness is used to quantify the ability of the heart, lungs and muscles to take in, transport and utilise oxygen under stresses. This type of training – both aerobic and anaerobic – can improve the cardiovascular system’s efficiency.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Guidelines for flexibility training Flexibility is the range of movement available around a joint or series of joints. It is important that individuals develop and maintain flexibility to ensure they have a suitable range of movement at all their joints. Physical activities that require and develop flexibility include yoga, gymnastics and dance.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Guidelines for motor skills training Motor skills relate to fine movement abilities and specific performance-orientated outcomes. They can be broken down into categories such as: speed, agility, reaction time, coordination and balance. Motor skills training can form part of an exercise that may fit into one of the other categories (muscular fitness, cardiovascular fitness or flexibility), and so the type of training it is associated with will determine the parameters of the intensity and volume of the training.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Exercise objective categories Different exercises best meet the objectives of muscular fitness, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and motor skills training. Barbell squats and press-ups require muscular fitness to carry the requisite weight. Treadmill running and swimming need quick absorption and usage of oxygen for the movement involved. Yoga and hamstring stretches require flexibility. Balance holds and juggling entail motor skill-related disciplines, e.g. coordination.

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Unit 5 | Section 4 | Training programme components of individual sessions When planning a training programme for a client, remember to place the correct time emphasis on each component of the session. All workouts should begin with a suitable warm-up – this should achieve a suitable pulse-raising and mobilising effect on the body to prepare appropriately for the main session. The main component of a workout should be planned to focus on a specific objective. The training intensity and volume needs to be suitable to the phase of training the client is working towards. After the main session it is important that there is a planned cool-down and flexibility section to minimise risk of injury and improve the client’s recovery time.

Unit 5 | Section 4 | Programme planning – session design Constructing an exercise workout requires numerous considerations – the most important being the best choice of exercises for the client’s goals; followed by the order you should put them in and the intensity and volume required. Deciding the intensity and volume should be straight forward, as they’re governed by the training phase and objective of the session. For example, an endurance workout would require resistance exercises of least 12 reps each, to be performed for two or three sets, depending on the given guidelines. Choosing the exercises is more complex. Beginners have lower ability and skill levels, and are less familiar with the demands of different exercises. They’re best suited to simple exercises and fixed-path machines, as they help to implement good, safe movement patterns. Experienced clients can progress to larger, more complicated exercises and use free weights – which demand a high technical ability. For cardiovascular exercise, beginners will require long, low-intensity sessions with machines that limit the amount of potential joint stress. ...