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FITNESS NOTES IN HTML FORMAT

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes - Page One

*Weight Room Safety*

-Don't lift more than you know you can handle safely.

-Breathe out as you move a weight. Breathe in at the starting position. You can pass out if you don't.

-When using free weights, always have a spotter (helper) with you to help you safely handle the weights.

-Don't leave weights on the floor if you're not using them. Someone can trip over them.

-When using a barbell, use the safety clamps. The weights can slide off if you don't.

-When starting an exercise program with weights, it's better to use lighter weights so that you don't get hurt.

-Always warm-up the muscles and joints that you plan to use for exercise.

-Stretch your muscles and joints when they're warmed up, and after you exercise.

-Stop what you're doing if you feel pain.

Track Safety

-Try not to run on sidewalks or streets often. Exercising on hard surfaces over a long period of time (months) can cause injuries to the joints and bones in your legs.

-Remember that your body gets warm when you exercise. Dress appropriately when the weather changes.

-Warm-up before you jog/run.

-If you have asthma: notify the school nurse, notify your teacher, warm-up well, and follow the instructions of your doctor and school nurse with regard to any medication that you must take.

-Stop what you're doing if you feel pain.

-After walking/jogging/running, slowly reduce your speed. This is called a cool down, and it is used to safely return your body to its normal state. Stretch afterwards to promote flexibility.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Two

*What is a warm-up?*

Warming up is necessary for ANY sport or exercise. When you warm-up, you should do light exercise related to the activity. You'll know that you've warmed up properly if you feel yourself getting warmer. Of course, it may take longer to warm-up on a cold day.

Warming up is not the same as stretching.

*Why warm-up?*

-Prevent injuries: Warm muscles and joints are less likely to tear if you're warm because they are more flexible.

-Enhance performance: Athletes do better in their sports if they warm-up first. Professional athletes always warm-up. What do you think a relief pitcher is doing before he goes into the game?

*Stretching*

*When should I stretch?*

Always stretch when your muscles are warm. Stretching before warming up can hurt you because when your muscles and joints are cold, they are less flexible, and stretching can rip them easily.

You should stretch AFTER THE WARM-UP and again SOON AFTER YOU FINISH EXERCISING. People often forget to stretch after exercising, but that's when you need to stretch the most! Anyone who has done hard exercise knows the tight feeling you get in your muscles afterwards. Improve your flexibility by stretching.

*How should I stretch?*

-Never bounce when stretching. This could hurt you.

-Hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds.

-Repeat each stretch 2-3 times.

-Never let someone pull or push you when stretching. They might hurt you by accident because they don't know how you feel.

-Stretch as far as you can without pain. If you feel pain, relax the stretch a little.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Three

*What are sets and repetitions?*

-Repetitions (reps): Each time you complete the starting and ending movements of an exercise, you have done one repetition.

-Sets: When you have completed a number of repetitions you have completed a set.

Example: If John did 10 push-ups, he has completed one set of 10 repetitions. If he does it again, he has done a 2nd set of 10 reps.

How many sets & reps should I be doing to improve my muscular strength?

-Reps: 8-12. If you can't lift the weight at least 8 times, the weight is too heavy and you're risking an injury. If you can lift it more than 12 times, the weight is too light and it won't improve your strength much.

-Sets: 3 sets are good for improving strength. Doing more sets may help a little, but it's probably not worth the effort.

*How long should I rest between sets?*

1 to 2 minutes.

*What is Aerobic & Anaerobic exercise?*

Aerobic exercise:

-Requires a lot of oxygen.

-Makes your heart and lungs work more.

-Lasts at least 10 minutes.

-Not as intense as anaerobic exercise.

-Improves your cardiovascular endurance.

Examples: Walking, jogging, riding a bicycle, soccer & basketball.

Anaerobic exercise:

-Very intense (difficult).

-Doesn't use a lot of oxygen.

-Doesn't last a long time.

Examples: Push-ups, power lifting, boxing & weight training.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Four

*What is a pulse?*

Your heart's job is to pump blood through your body. Among other things, your blood carries oxygen from your lungs to the muscles in your body. When you exercise, your body needs more oxygen, so your heart must beat faster.

Your pulse is a measurement of how many times your heart beats in one minute. You can feel your pulse in several areas of your body where arteries are close to the skin.

Your Resting Heart Rate is your pulse when your body is at rest.

*What is the Target Heart Rate Zone?* (You don't need to know the formula.)

The target heart rate zone consists of two numbers; a low number and a high number. When you do aerobic exercise, you want your pulse to be between these two numbers so that you can improve your cardiovascular endurance.

Example: Maria's target heart rate zone is 130-170. If her pulse is only 110, she is not working hard enough. If her pulse is 190, she is working too hard. A pulse of 150 would be good for her.

What is your target heart rate zone?

Find your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

To find the lower number of your target heart rate zone, find 60% of your maximum heart rate.

To find the higher number of your target heart rate zone, find 85% of your maximum heart rate.

Here is a better, but more complicated formula to calculate your target heart rate zone:

Low # of zone = Resting Heart Rate + (.60(Max heart rate - Resting Heart Rate))

High # of zone = Resting Heart Rate + (.80(Max heart rate - Resting Heart Rate))

Example: Mr. Donovan has a resting heart rate of 72. He has a maximum heart rate of 183.

Low # of zone = 72 + (.60(183 – 72))
Low # of zone = 139

High # of zone = 72 + (.85(183 - 72))
High # of zone = 166

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Five

*What are the 5 components of physical fitness?*

Basic Mathematics can be divided into addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. You couldn't say that you're good at math if you couldn't do multiplication. Likewise, if you want to be physically fit, you must have good levels in the following areas:

Cardiovascular endurance (or aerobic fitness): The ability of your heart & lungs to distribute oxygen throughout your body.

-Why is this important? Are you out of breath or light headed after climbing a flight of stairs? Does jogging a block or two leave you gasping for air? If so, it sounds like you have poor cardiovascular endurance.

-How do I improve it? Do more aerobic exercise.

Flexibility: The ability of various joints to move through a full range of motion.

-Why is this important? Do you hurt yourself often when reaching for things during the day, or when playing sports? It seems like your muscles, tendons and ligaments are very tight (inflexible). Tight muscles are more likely to rip when used.

-How do I improve it? Stretch more after warming up and exercising (exercise includes participation in sports and hard work).

Muscular strength: The maximum force that your muscles can generate at once.

-Why is this important? Do you have enough strength to lift a small child up? Do other athletes in your sport have an advantage over you because they're stronger?

-How do I improve it? All types of exercise can improve strength, but training with weights is very effective.

Muscular endurance: The ability of muscles to continue working over time.

-Why is this important? Have you ever felt a heavy, burning feeling in your muscles after working or playing sports? If you have, you may have reached the limit of your muscles' endurance.

-How do I improve it? Exercises that require a lot of repetition can improve your muscles' ability of lasting longer. Weight training and yoga could be used for this purpose, but participation in many sports will also help.

Body composition: The percentage of your body's weight that consists of fat.

-Why is this important? Your body should carry some fat all of the time, but do you really want to carry more than you need? Excessive fat slows you down and makes you tired faster.

-How do I improve it? Exercise helps by increasing the amount of muscle in your body and decreasing excessive amounts of fat. Avoiding junk food, like candy and fast foods, will also help by not storing so much fat in the first place.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Six

*What is the Overload Principle?*

The overload principle is a method used to gradually increase strength, endurance and cardiovascular endurance.

There are three ways to overload any type of exercise: Remember the acronym FIT!
(F)requency: How many days a week do you do the exercise?
(I)ntensity: How hard is the exercise?
(T)ime: How much time do you spend on the exercise?

*How do you use the Overload Principle?*

If you make a SMALL change to an exercise’s frequency, intensity or time, you will eventually be rewarded with more strength. Only change one variable at a time to avoid overtraining.

Examples for changing the frequency of an exercise:

Henry rides his exercise bicycle every Friday, at around 10 mph, for an hour. If he rides his bike every Wednesday and Friday, he has changed the frequency of the exercise.

Nina does the bench press every Monday and Wednesday. She lifts 80 pounds for three sets of 10 repetitions. If she does the exercise on Friday too, she has changed the frequency of the exercise.

Examples for changing the intensity of an exercise:

Henry rides his exercise bicycle every Friday, at around 10 mph, for an hour. If he increases his average riding speed to 11 mph, he has changed the intensity of the exercise.

Nina does the bench press every Monday and Wednesday. She lifts 80 pounds for three sets of 10 repetitions. If she increased the weight to 85 pounds, she has changed the intensity of the exercise.

Examples for changing the time of an exercise:

Henry rides his exercise bicycle every Friday, at around 10 mph, for an hour. If he increases the time he spends to an hour and five minutes, he has changed the time spent on the exercise.

Nina does the bench press every Monday and Wednesday. She lifts 80 pounds for three sets of 10 repetitions. If she does 11 repetitions, she has changed the amount of time spent on the exercise.

*What is Overtraining?*

Overtraining happens when you hurt yourself by overloading too much. If you feel very sore or weak after exercising, you probably over did it and hurt yourself. You didn’t get stronger. You got weaker.

*What is Muscular Atrophy?*

This occurs when your muscles shrink/waste away because they are not exercised enough. Sometimes, this can be due to an injury, such as an arm in a cast, but usually, it’s due to laziness.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Seven

What is a calorie?

Food calories are actually called kilocalories. A kilocalorie is a measurement of energy. Specifically, it’s how much energy is required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree celsius.

How many calories are there in a pound of fat?

3,500

How many calories does the average person use per day?

The average person uses around 2,000 calories a day.

This number is higher if you are very athletic or have a very active lifestyle.

This number is lower if you aren’t very athletic or don’t have a very active lifestyle.

Why do I have body fat?

When you eat or drink more calories than you spend in a day, the rest is stored in fat tissue so that you can use it another day.

You are supposed to have fat in your body as a source of energy. You must have at least some fat in your body to live. You use fat all of the time. The more you’re moving, the more fat you are using.

Why is having excess body fat a problem?

Having too much fat means that you have to carry extra weight. This extra weight slows you down, makes you tired easily, makes your heart work extra hard, can increase blood pressure, and can eventually harm the joints in your legs.

How much fat should I have?

-The actual percentage varies, but most sources suggest the following values:
*Males: 9-15% of total body weight should be fat.
*Females: 14-24% of total body weight should be fat.
*These values are for people 30 and under.

How can I measure my body composition?

There are several reliable and valid ways to measure body composition. Two popular and effective methods include calipers and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA is sometimes built in to modern scales). Height and weight measurements are the least accurate and should be avoided.

What if you have too much fat?

The answer is this simple: Exercise more, and eat less junk food. Speak to a doctor, nutritionist or health teacher about healthy food choices.

What if you have less fat than the average person?

If you have less than the average amount of body fat, and feel okay, you shouldn’t worry. If you are worried, speak with a doctor.

Mr. Donovan’s Fitness Notes – Page Eight

How to calculate your desired weight at a healthy body composition score:

One: Subtract your body composition score from 100.
-Example: 100-current body composition=Step 1 result
Two: Subtract your DESIRED body composition score from 100.
-Example: 100-desired body composition score=Step 2 result.
Three: Divide the number you obtained from Step One by the number you obtained from Step Two.
-Example: Step 1 result / Step 2 result=Step 3 result
Four: Multiply the result from Step Three with your current body weight. The resulting number is the weight that you want to reach by exercising.
-Example: Step 3 result X Current Body Weight=Step 4 result
Five: If you want to know how many pounds of fat you need to lose, subtract the result from Step Four from your current weight.
-Example: Current weight - Step Four result=how much fat you want to lose.

Starvation and Yo-yo dieting

Losing weight by just starving yourself is not healthy. Starvation diets make you lose fat and MUSCLE. You never want to lose muscle mass, because having more muscle increases your metabolism (you use more energy each day). When you go on and off of starvation diets, this is called, yo-yo dieting. Each time you starve yourself, you lose muscle. When you go off of the starvation diet, you tend to gain back only fat. If you keep doing this, it gets harder and harder to lose the weight because you’re getting weaker and weaker due to muscle loss.

Exercise Myths

-Spot reduction: This is the belief that an exercise, lotion or pill will use fat from one area exclusively. This is not true. You cannot decide where your body will use fat from when it requires energy.
-Sweating out fat: This is the belief that forcing yourself to sweat helps you lose fat. Sweat is not fat. Forcing yourself to sweat more than necessary only dehydrates you. This is dangerous and unproductive.
-Diet drugs: You should be extremely cautious about diet drugs that offer promises of quick fat loss. Very often, these pills are not approved by the FDA. Sometimes, they don’t work at all and you waste your money. Sometimes, the side effects of the pill can be very dangerous.
-More protein is better: Proteins are the building blocks of your body. They are used to build tissues and repair them. You can only use so much per day. Any excess protein is excreted (wasted). Think of it this way, eating four pounds of protein will not allow you to build four pounds of muscle in a day—no matter how hard you exercise.

Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa: People with this disorder intentionally starve themselves to lose weight. No matter how much weight they lose, they are never happy with themselves. They could starve themselves to death unless they get professional help.

Bulimia: People with this disorder eat food, but secretly vomit (throw up) what they eat to avoid taking in the calories. Just like anorexia, no matter how much weight they lose, they are never happy with themselves. They could starve themselves to death unless they get professional help.

These eating disorders are mental disorders that are caused by having low self-esteem. People with these disorders think that being fat is the cause of all of their problems, but that isn’t the real reason. They will never become happy by losing weight, so they will keep trying to lose weight. If the person doesn’t receive medical assistance and counseling, they will suffer health problems and even risk dying.

BASIC SKELETAL MUSCLES

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