Your Guide To Fitness

Introduction:
Welcome to your Fitness Program! Fat loss has a lot to do with calories in versus
calories out. In this fitness guide well be discussing the basic components of fitness,
why theyre all important, and how you should thin about e!pending your calories so
you get a well"balanced lifestyle routine set in place. #his way, you wont ris over"
training or under"training and have the best chance of meeting your goals. $ets get
started!
#here are % components of fitness: muscular endurance, muscular strength,
cardiovascular endurance, fle!ibility, and body composition.
&. Muscular Endurance " #he ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform
several repeated contractions of an e!ercise.
'. Muscular Strength " #he ability of a muscle or group of muscles to e!ert a
ma!imum force against a physical ob(ect.
). Cardiovascular Endurance " *our bodys ability to sustain activity at a moderate
to high level over an e!tended period of time+ the fitness of your heart and lungs.
,. Flexibility " #he ability of your (oints to move in a full range of motion.
%. Body Composition " #he amount of lean body mass you have versus body fat+
lean body mass consists of muscle, bone, and organs while body fat consists of
essential fat, non"essential fat, and visceral fat.
-trength #raining:
.uscle, as Ive mentioned before, is the hungriest tissue in the body. #he more lean
muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism becomes. *ou can actually
manipulate your basal metabolic rate /0.1 2 how many calories your body burns at
rest in a ',"hr period3 and turn your body into an energy storing, fat and calorie burning
machine! #he only way to develop this hungry lean muscle tissue, though, is through
lifting weight4resistance training!
5 high concern for many, women in particular, is that building muscle comes with the
outcome of looing lie The Hulk. .uscle is much more dense than fat, so one pound of
muscle taes up less space in the body than one pound of fat does. #herefore, you
become a leaner, smaller, tighter, and shapelier pacage.
While strength training obviously conditions your muscles, it also taes care of your
bones by helping to prevent osteoporosis and loss of bone density, taes care of your
connective tissues /ligaments and tendons3, strengthens your (oints, improves routine
functionality, builds discipline, creates better posture, improves your cardiovascular
worouts, and maes you feel more empowered and confident.
-trength #raining -afety:
67:
eep your core engaged at all times
be aware of your posture
eep your shoulders pulled bac
control the weight you are you moving through the full range of the movement
eep a soft (oint /ever"so"slightly bent3
678#:
swing the weight
let momentum power the e!ercise
lift more if it compromises your form
let other muscles interfere with the muscle or group of muscles youre targeting
/unless it is a multi"muscle e!ercise3
hold your breath
*our -trength41esistance #raining Plan:
Were going to recommend that you do ) strength"based full"body sessions per wee.
#hese sessions can include the routine weve provided for you, a class here at the #ri
Fitness #raining 9enter /eep in mind you get points for attending these3, or a strength"
based class at a gym where your membership is located.
9ardio:
9ardiovascular e!ercise, also nown as aerobic e!ercise /meaning the presence of
o!ygen3, re:uires using large muscle groups to sustain movement for e!tended periods
of time in order to strengthen and condition the heart and lungs. #he longer you can
e!ercise at any given intensity, the faster your heart rate recovers after activity, and the
lower your resting heart rate is in general, the healthier your cardiovascular system is.
#his is primarily because your heart is not woring so hard to pump blood through your
body.
;ow your heart functions to pump blood and o!ygen through the body, your target heart
rate, and how your body burns calories through cardio is going to be different than
someone elses. It depends on your body type, weight, current fitness level, metabolism,
age, gender, percentage of body fat, and goals. For e!ample, someone who is %% years
old will liely have a slower metabolism than someone who is '<, and men generally
have a higher metabolism than women.
=nderstanding *our #arget ;eart 1ate >one:
*our target heart rate range is between %%"?%@ of your ma!imum heart rate. .a!imum
heart rate is the highest rate at which a person is capable of during e!ercise. #o
calculate your general estimated ma!imum heart rate, subtract your age from ''<. #he
reasoning behind this formula is that for every year you age, your heart rate decreases
by one from ''< /your estimated heart rate at birth3.
maximum heart rate = ! " age
#o figure out your target heart rate range, multiply your ma!imum heart rate by %%"?%@
/or <.%%"<.?%3. For e!ample, Aane who is )< years old will have a ma!imum heart rate of
&B<.
! # $! = %&!
#o determine the lower range of Aanes ma!imum heart rate, multiply &B< by <.%%. -o
%%@ of Aanes ma! heart rate is &<% beats per minute.
%&! x !'(( = %!( beats)minute
#o determine the upper range of Aanes ma!imum heart rate range, multiply &B< by
<.?%. -o ?%@ of Aanes ma! heart rate is &C' beats per minute.
%&! x !'*( = %+ beats)minute
-o based on these calculations, Aanes target heart rate range is between &<% and &C'
beats per minute.
5nother number youll want to become familiar with is your resting heart rate. #o figure
this out, count your pulse three consecutive mornings before getting out of bed for si!ty
seconds. #hen average those three numbers by adding them together and dividing the
sum by three. -o if Aanes resting heart rates for three mornings in a row are %<, %),
and ,B her calculations would loo lie the following:
(! , ($ , -& = %(
%( . $ = (% beats)minute
-o Aanes average resting heart rate would be %& beats per minute.
7nce you understand and are able to trac4calculate your heart rate, you can use it to
determine the progress of your cardiovascular system.
Well get more in depth with you later on about how you can trac your heart rate, the
specifics of the heart rate Dones, and how your body burns fat through your 9hallenge
0log and Informational -eminars. 5dditionally, we recommend coming in for a Eo'
testing session to determine your cardiovascular fitness and see how your body uses
o!ygen.
*our 9ardio #raining Plan:
We recommend that you do ' or ) )<"C< minute cardio sessions per wee. -trive, on
average, to eep your heart rate between C<"?<@ or >ones ' and ) /see chart above3.
#here are so many different varieties of cardiovascular e!ercise to choose from:
waling, running, (ogging, swimming, rowing, stair climbing, (umping rope, dancing, step
aerobics, cardio icbo!ing, cycling, cross"training, circuit training, interval training, the
elliptical machine, and many more. Aust mae sure you en(oy your cardio and if you can
include variety, great!
Fle!ibility:
Fle!ibility refers to the mobility of your (oints and their full range of motion. Without
woring to improve your fle!ibility you invite the possibility of in(ury. #he greater your
fle!ibility is the more productive your cardiovascular and strength training worouts will
be. -tretching also improves your balance, mental clarity, coordination, and relieves
muscles soreness.
#he best time to wor on fle!ibility is when your muscles are warm, so after a warm"up
or cool"down is the best time to incorporate stretching into your fitness routine. -elect
several stretches that are associated with the muscles you will wor or have wored.
*ou want to stretch to the point of mild or moderate discomfort and hold for about
twenty to thirty seconds. 7nce you settle into the stretch, you may be able to go deeper
into the movement, but never stretch beyond your comfort level. We do not want you to
feel pain or ris pulling a muscle.
#here are a few factors that will determine how fle!ible you are or can become:
&. age 2 younger individuals are generally more fle!ible than older people
'. gender 2 women are generally more fle!ible than men
). past in(uries 2 in(uries can create a more limited range of motion
,. time of day 2 in the morning you might be less fle!ible than later in the day
%. body structure4genetics 2 the way were all physically built is a little different
C. temperature 2 warmer temps lend themselves to better fle!ibility than colder
temps
F. stress levels 2 the more rela!ed you are the easier it is to stretch
*our Fle!ibility #raining Plan:
We recommend that you devote & worout4wee to fle!ibility. For e!ample, a minimum
of )< minutes of stretch, yoga, or pilates. 5dditionally, spend about %"&< minutes post"
worout stretching some of the muscles you wored.
0ody 9omposition:
#here are three structural components of the human body: muscle, bone, and fat.
#hese three components are categoriDed into two groups: lean body mass /bone and
muscle3 and total body fat /essential fat and storage fat3. Gssential fat is the fat that
surrounds and protects your organs and is essential for physiological functions. -torage
fat is fat that gets stored in adipose tissue found around some of the organs and
underneath the surface of the sin. #he ratio of lean body mass and body fat are what
determines your overall body composition.
In addition to your bi"weely weight and circumference measurements, youll be having
your body composition tested at the beginning, middle, and end of your fitness program.
#his is a great positive measure for progress as well as a wonderful motivational
e!perience for you. If you follow your program, youll be amaDed at the changes your
tests provide over time.
=nderstanding *our 0ody #ype:
Gveryone has a different body. #he way we all loo is primarily because of our genes
and environmental factors lie e!ercise and nutrition. ;owever, the human body can
generally be categoriDed into three different shapes or body types:
&. mesomorphic
'. ectomorphic
). endomorphic
$adies, you might all now that girl who can eat whatever she wants and still manage to
never gain a pound. Huys, you may have a friend who gains muscle really easy while
youre lifting weights all day long and not seeing the gains youre after. Its because of
these three different body types, and the fact that you are so uni:uely you, that our
bodies all react differently to training and nutrition.
$ets start with the first body type, the mesomorph. .esomorphs are the more naturally
muscular body type. #hey are naturally strong and athletic. #hey more easily gain and
lose weight and are symmetrical from top to bottom with a broad chest and rectangular
shape. While they mae gains fairly easy in response to training, they tend to easily
gain fat, as well.
#he ne!t body type is the ectomorph. Gctomorphs are very linear and slim in
appearance with a small bone structure and frame. #heir legs and arms tend to be very
long with little to no muscle definition. #his body type will find it hard to gain weight and
muscle because of their fast metabolism. #his body type is also what you call a Ihard
gainerJ and can also be whats called Isinny fat.J #his means that these individuals
may loo very lean but often have a higher body fat percentage than you might e!pect
them to have. #his is due to the fact they carry very little muscle. 0eing sinny fat can
be (ust has harmful to your health as being obese4overweight.
#he final body type is the endomorph. Gndomorphs are round in appearance and carry
more body fat compared to muscle. #heir bodies often have a pear shape with a heavier
lower body and a smaller upper body. #heir limbs tend to be short and thic with a lac
of muscular definition. 0ecause of their slow metabolism, they find it harder to lose fat
and gain weight easily, but they build muscle fairly well.
What happens if you have a hard time defining what body type you areK *ou dont have
to fit into (ust one type 2 in fact, most people dont. *ou can be a combination of more
than one. .ost individuals have a dominant type while displaying characteristics of one
or both of the other two types. For e!ample, if you have a higher body fat percentage,
shorter limbs, but good natural muscle definition, you might be an endo"mesomorph.
=nderstanding the basics about your body type can help you learn how your body not
only carries weight, but how it loses it.
-leep:
.ae sure you get enough rest post"worout. When you rest and while you sleep at
night, your body is in recovery mode. #his is where your body maes all of its gains and
adapts to the physical stress you put on it /e!ercise3. While you worout, you are
challenging and tearing muscle tissue. In order to perform your ne!t worout effectively,
that tissue needs to mend itself bac together stronger than it was before. If you arent
giving your body enough time to rest and you continue to challenge your muscles while
they are still really sore, you arent giving them the time they need to adapt to the loads
youre putting on them.
.ost people will need between F"B hours of sleep each night, but how much sleep you
personally need is dependent upon your training schedule, activity, and daily stress
level. #here are several warning signs that will let you now whether you need more
rest.
*ou may need more rest if:
&. you cant wae up without an alarm
'. you have difficulty waing up even WI#; an alarm
). youre fatigued all day
,. you become crabby easily
%. you doDe off towards the middle to end of the day
C. you tae several days to recover from muscle soreness
F. you easily lose focus and concentration
?. you get sic often
B. you rely on caffeine to get through the day
&<. you become depressed or sad
&&. you have abnormally high carbohydrate cravings
*our -leep41est Plan:
Please strive to get between F"B hours of sleep at night and leave & full day of rest
between full"body strength4resistance training worouts. 6ays in between your strength
training days are perfect for inserting your cardio or fle!ibility sessions.
-ample Worout -chedule/s3:
/thin we should include this so they can see what a structured wee might loo lie for
themK3