UNIT-FOUR
HEALTH RELATED COMPONENTS OF
FITNESS AND PRINCIPLES OF
EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION
Components of physical Fitness
There are eleven(11) components of physical fitness:
Theses 11 components of physical fitness are divided in to two:
`1.-Health Related Components of Fitness
1. body composition
2. Flexibility
3. muscular strength
4. muscular endurance and
5. Cardiorespiratory endurance.
2. Skill Related Components of Fitness
6. Power
7. Speed
8. Balance
9. Agility
10. Coordination
11. Reaction time
The overall goal of a total health related physical fitness
program is to optimize the quality of life.
The specific goals of this type of fitness program are:
to reduce the risk of disease,
to improve total physical fitness
daily tasks can be completed with less effort and fatigue.
aimed at improving sport performance
The single goal of sport conditioning is to improve
physical performance in a specific sport.
Specifically, a health related fitness program improves
sport performance by increasing muscular strength
and endurance, improving flexibility and reducing the
risk of injury.
1. Cardiorespiratory Fitness
(sometimes called aerobic fitness or cardiorespiratory
endurance)
is considered to be a key component of health-related physical
fitness.
It is a measure of a heart‘s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to
the working muscles during exercise.
It is also a measure of the muscle‘s ability to take up and use the
delivered oxygen to produce the energy needed to continue
exercising.
In practical terms, cardiorespiratory endurance is the ability to
perform endurance-type exercise such as (distance running,
cycling, swimming, etc.).
The individuals that have achieved a high measure of
cardiorespiratory endurance are generally capable of performing
30 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise without undo fatigue.
Muscle Fitness
There are two components of muscle fitness: muscular strength
and muscular endurance.
2. Muscular strength:
Is the maximal ability of a muscle to generate force.
It is evaluated by how much force a muscle can generate during a
single maximal contraction.
Practically, this means how much weight that an individual can lift
during one maximal effort.
3. Muscular Endurance:
is defined as the ability of a muscle to generate force over and
over again.
Although muscular strength and muscular endurance are related
they are not the same.
Example : a weightlifter performing multiple lifts or repetition of
a lightweight.
Muscle Contraction
is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you
do some activity.
Types of Muscle Contractions
Muscle contractions are classified into two major categories:
isotonic and isometric.
1. Isotonic (also called dynamic) contractions:
are those that result in movement of a body part.
A muscular contraction in which the length of the muscle changes.
Most exercise or sports skills utilize isotonic contractions.
For example, lifting a dumbbell involves movement of a body part
and is therefore classified as an isotonic contraction.
Isotonic contractions can be further subdivided into
A. concentric
B. eccentric and
C. isokinetic contractions
Concentric contractions:-
are isotonic muscle contractions that result in muscle shortening.
The upward movement of the arm is an example of a concentric
contraction.
Eccentric contraction:-
are isotonic muscle contractions that result in muscle
lengthening.
Isokinetic Muscle Contractions:-
the speed of muscle shortening or lengthening is regulated at a
fixed, controlled rate.
isometric (also called static) contraction:
requires the development of muscular tension but results in no
movement of body parts.
A muscular contraction in which the length of the muscle does not
change
For example, during a biceps curl, holding the dumbbell in a
constant/static position rather than actively raising or lowering.
Muscle Fiber Types
There are three types of skeletal muscle fibers:
1. Slow twitch
2. Fast twitch, and
3. Intermediate.
These fiber types differ in their speeds of contraction and in fatigue
resistance.
Most human muscles contain a mixture of all three fibers types.
1. Slow-Twitch Fibers
As the name implies slow-twitch fibers contract slowly and
produce small amounts of force.
however, these fibers are highly resistant to fatigue.
making them ideally suited for a low-intensity prolonged exercise
like walking or slow jogging.
2. Fast-Twitch Fibers
contract rapidly and generate great amounts of force
but fatigue quickly.
These fibers are have a low aerobic capacity
are used during activities requiring rapid or forceful movement,
such as jumping, sprinting, and weight lifting.
3. Intermediate Fibers
possess a combination of the characteristics of fast- and slow-
twitch fibers.
They contract rapidly, produce great force, and are fatigue
resistant
contract more quickly and produce more force than slow-twitch
fibers but contract more slowly and produce less force than fast-
twitch fibers.
3. Flexibility
• The body is flexible.
• You must be able to bend and reach that something
you dropped on the floor.
• You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on
your own.
• However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple
motions, then you have to stretch your limits.
• You already need a stretching program.
Cont’d…
• Flexibility is the ability to move joints freely through their
full range of motion.
• Flexible individuals can bend and twist at their joints with
ease.
• Individual needs for flexibility vary.
• Certain athletes require great flexibility in order to
accomplish complex movements.
• useful in preventing some types of muscle-tendon injuries
• useful in reducing low back pain.
Cont’d…
Stretching Techniques to increase flexibility.
1. Static stretching : is extremely effective for improving
flexibility.
• slowly lengthens a muscle to a point
• requires holding this position for a fixed period of time.
• The optimal amount of time to hold the stretch 20-
30 seconds 3-4 rep.
• it is performed during the cool-down period, it reduce
the muscle stiffness
Cont’d…
2. Ballistic starching:-promotes the stretch reflex and
increases the risk of injury to muscles and tendons,
3. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF);-
combines stretching with alternating contracting and
relaxing of muscles.
There are two common types of PNF stretching:
1. Contract-relax (C R) stretching : calls for first
contracting the muscle to be stretched. Then, after relaxing
the muscle, the muscle is slowly stretched.
Cont’d…
2. Contract relax/antagonist contract (CRAC)
stretching:
•contract-relax routine and contraction of the
antagonist/opposite muscle.
•It is better method.
•However, one disadvantage of PNF stretching
is that some stretches require a partner.
5. Body composition
refers to the relative amounts of fat and lean
body tissue (muscle, organs, bone) found in your
body.
the distribution of body mass between three
separate compartments:
o fat-free tissue or lean body mass
o extracellular water :-is the fluid that is not
contained within the cells.
o adipose tissue :-is a connective tissue that
extends throughout your body.
is a measurement of the amount of body fat
and lean tissue in your body.
Principles of Exercise Prescription for Health
and Fitness
there is a correct dosage of exercise to effectively
promote physical fitness, called an exercise
prescription.
Exercise prescriptions should be tailored to meet the
needs of the individual.
It should include fitness goals, mode of exercise, a
warm-up, a primary conditioning period, and a cool-
down.
Fitness Goals
Establishing short-term and long-term fitness goals is an
important part of an exercise prescription.
Goals serve as motivation to start an exercise program.
Mode of Exercise
Every exercise prescription includes at least one mode of exercise
that is, a specific type of exercise to be performed.
For example, to improve cardio respiratory fitness, you could
select from a wide variety of exercise modes, such as running,
swimming, or cycling.
Physical activities can be classified as being either high impact
or low impact based on the amount of stress placed on joints
during the activity.
Warm-Up
A warm-up is a brief (5- to 15-minute) period of exercise that
precedes the workout.
It generally involves light calisthenics or a low-intensity form of
the actual mode of exercise.
and often includes stretching exercises as well.
The purpose of a warm-up is to elevate muscle temperature and
increase blood flow to those muscles that will be engaged in the
workout.
Primary Conditioning Period: The Workout
Plan
The major components of the exercise prescription that make up the
primary conditioning period are
the mode of exercise (described earlier),
frequency,
intensity, and
duration.
Remember FITT principles
Cool-Down
The cool-down (sometimes called a warm-down) is a 5- to 15-
minute period of low-intensity exercise that immediately follows
the primary conditioning period.
For instance, a period of slow walking might be used as a cool-
down following a running workout.
A cool-down period accomplishes several goals
one primary purpose of a cool-down is to allow blood to be
returned from the muscles back toward the heart.
some fitness experts argue that post-exercise muscle soreness
may be reduced as a result of a cool-down.
Individualizing the Workout
A key point to remember about exercise prescriptions is that the
prescription should be tailored to the needs and objectives of the
individual.
Although the same general principles of exercise training apply
to everyone
Therefore, the exercise prescription should consider such factors as
the individual's general health, age, fitness status,
musculoskeletal condition, and body composition.
How Much Exercise Is Enough?
The answer depends on your specific exercise goals.
There are two separate thresholds of exercise training.
The minimum level of physical activity required to achieve some
of the health benefits of exercise is called the threshold for health
benefits
maximal level is called threshold for improvement of
performance.
Note:-the exercise training session is composed of three primary
elements:
1. warm-up
2. workout (primary conditioning period and
3. cool-down.
Target heart rate (THR)
o is a range of numbers that reflect how fast your heart should be
beating when you exercise.
o The most popular method of determining THR is the percentage
of maximal heart rate (HR max) method.
This method works on the principles that exercise intensity (i.e.,
% VO2 max) can be estimated by measurement of exercise heart
rate.
o To compute our THR using this method, simply multiply your HR
max by both 90% and 70% to arrive at the high and low ends of
your THR range.
o For example, the maximal HR of a 20-year-old college student
can be estimated by the following formula.
HR max = 220 - 20 = 200 beats/min
The THR is then computed as 200 beats/min x 0.70 = 140 beats/min
200 beats/min x 0.90 =180 beats/min
THR = 140 to 180 beats/min
o In this example, the THR to be maintained during a workout to
improve cardiorespiratory fitness is between 140 and 180
beats/min.
o The reasoning behind using 70% and 90% of your maximal heart
rate to compute your target rate is based on the relationship
between percent HR max and percent VO2 max
o Note that 70% of HR max represents the heart rate.
o VO2 max or maximal oxygen consumption, refers to the
maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during
intense or maximal exercise.
Training Techniques
Endurance training is a generic term that refers to any mode of
exercise aimed at improving cardio respiratory fitness.
Over the years, numerous endurance-training techniques have
evolved. In the next section, we discuss several common ones.
1. Cross Training
is a way to vary your fitness program by combining different
types of exercise activities.
is a popular form of training that uses several different training
modes.
It may mean running on one day, swimming on another day, and
cycling on another day.
One advantage of this type of training is that cross training
reduces the boredom of performing the same kind of exercise
day after day.
Further, it may reduce the incidence of injuries by avoiding
overuse of the same body parts.
The disadvantage of cross training is the lack of training
specificity.
For example, daily jogging does not improve swimming
endurance because the arm muscles are not trained during
jogging. Similarly, swimming does not improve jogging
endurance.
2. Long, Slow Distance Training
Long, slow distance training, or continuous training, requires a
steady, sub maximal exercise intensity (i.e., the intensity is
generally around 70% HR max).
It is one of the most popular cardio respiratory training techniques
and can be applied to any mode of exercise.
An advantage of continuous training is that risk of injury is lower
than in more intensive training.
3. Interval Training
is a type of training exercise that involves a series of high-
intensity workouts interspersed with rest or break periods.
means undertaking repeated bouts or intervals of relatively
intense exercise.
The duration of the intervals can be varied, but a 1- to 5-minute
duration is common.
Each interval is followed by a rest period, which should be equal
to, or slightly greater than, the interval duration.
For example, if you are running 400-meter intervals on a track, and
it takes you approximately 90 seconds to complete each run, your
rest period between efforts should be at least 90 seconds.
Interval training is a common training technique among athletes
who have first established a base of endurance training.
A major advantage of interval training is the variety of workouts
it allows, which may reduce the tedium associated with other
forms of training.
4. Fartlek Training
Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning, "speed play," and it refers to
a popular form of training for long-distance runners.
Fartlek training is much like interval training, but it is not as rigid
in its work-to-rest interval ratios.
It consists of free form running done out on trails, roads, golf
courses, and the like.
An advantage of fartlek training is that these workouts provide
variety and reduce the possibility of boredom.
Means and Methods of Developing Muscle
Fitness
Designing a Training Program for Increasing Muscle
Strength
• Safety Concerns
• Training to Improve Strength versus Training to Improve
Endurance.
Weight training programs specifically designed
• to improve strength
• to improve muscular endurance differ :
mainly in the number of repetitions (i.e., the number of lifts
performed) and
the amount of resistance.
Types of Weight Training Programs
a) Isotonic Programs: contracting a muscle against a movable
load.
b) Isometric Programs: An isometric strength training program is
based on the concept of contracting a muscle at a fixed angle
against an immovable object, using an isometric or static
contraction.
c) Isokinetic Programs: Again, isokinetic contractions are isotonic
contractions performed at a constant speed. Use of machines.
Exercise Prescription for Weight Training: An
Overview
• Intensity, duration, and frequency.
• To improve muscular endurance, 4 to 6 sets of 18 to 20 reps for
each exercise are recommended.
• Most research suggests that 2 to 3 days of exercise per week is
optimal for strength gains.
• The optimal frequency of training to improve muscular endurance,
3 to 5 days per week seem adequate.
Safety Concerns
the specifics of how to develop a weight-training program, the
need for safety should be emphasized.
Although weight training can be performed safely, some important
guide-lines should be followed:-
1. When using free weights (like barbells), have spotters (helpers)
assist you in the performance of exercises.
2. Be sure that the collars on the end of the bars of free weights are
tightly secured to prevent the weights from falling off.
3. Warm up properly before doing any weight-lifting exercise.
4. Do not hold your breath during weight lifting.
5. Although debate continues as to whether high-speed weight
lifting is superior to slow-speed lifting in terms of strength gains,
slow movements may reduce the risk of injury.
6. Use lightweights in the beginning.
Developing an Individualized Exercise
Prescription
The exercise prescription for strength training has three stages:
1. the starter phase
2. the slow progression phase, and
3. the maintenance phase
4. Starter Phase
the primary objective of the starter phase is to build strength
gradually with out developing undue muscular soreness or
injury.
This can be accomplished by starting your weight training program
slowly beginning with light weights, a high number of
repetitions, and only 2 sets per exercise.
The recommended frequency of training during this phase is twice
per week.
2. Slow Progression Phase
This phase may last 4 to 21 weeks depending on your initial
strength level and your long-term strength goal.
The transition from the starter phase to the slow progression phase
involves three changes in the exercise prescription:
1. increasing the frequency of training from 2 to 3 days per week;
2. an increase in the amount of weight lifted and a decrease in the
number of repetitions; and
3. an increase in the number of sets performed from 2to 3 sets.
The objective of the slow progression phase is to gradually
increase muscular strength until you reach your desired level.
3. Maintenance Phase
After reaching your Strength goals, the problem now become, how
you do maintain this strength level?
The bad news is that maintaining strength will require a
lifelong weight training effort.
Strength is lost if you do not continue to exercise.
The good news is that the effort required maintaining muscular
strength is less than the initial effort needed to gain strength.
How to Avoid Hazardous Exercises
There are many exercises that are potentially harmful to
the musculoskeletal system.
Exercises actually causes an injury depends on how they
are performed.
Use the following key points during an exercise session
to help prevent injury.
Avoid breathe holding. Try to breathe as normally as
possible during the exercise.
Avoid full flexion of the knee or neck
Avoid full extension of the knee, neck, or back.
Do not stretch muscles that are already stretched such as
the abdominal muscles
Do not stretch any joint to the point that ligaments and
joint capsules are stressed.
Use extreme precaution when using an assistant to help
with passive stretches
Avoid extension and flexion of the spine in a forceful
manner
Don‘t stretch to the point of pain. Remember you want to
stretch muscles, not joints!
Don‘t use ballistic stretches if you have osteoporosis or
arthritis.
Don‘t ballistically stretch weak or recently injured
muscles.
Don‘t stretch swollen joints without professional
supervision.
UNIT FIVE
ASSESSMENT OF FITNESS
COMPONENTS
GROUP 1
Assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness
1. What is cardiorespiratory fitness?
2. What type of exercise are used to improve and maintain
cardiorespiratory fitness?
3. What is the importance of evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness?
4. What evaluation tests are used to determine cardiorespiratory
fitness? List some tests (at least 2)?
5. Discus and write steps to conduct some evaluation tests for
cardiorespiratory fitness? (Consider the norms for scoring
cardiorespiratory fitness).
N.B:
• All group members must be participate on the assignment.(The
contribution of all members must be attached with paper to be
submitted).
GROUP 2
Assessing muscular strength
1. What is muscular strength?
2. What type of exercise are used to improve and maintain muscular
strength?
3. What is the importance of evaluating muscular strength?
4. What evaluation tests are used to determine muscular strength? List
some tests (at least 2)?
5. Discus and write steps to conduct some evaluation tests for muscular
strength? (Consider the norms for scoring muscular strength).
N.B:
• All group members must be participate on the assignment.(The
contribution of all members must be attached with paper to be
submitted).
GROUP 3
Assessing Muscular Endurance
1. What is muscular Endurance ?
2. What type of exercise are used to improve and maintain
muscular Endurance?
3. What is the importance of evaluating muscular Endurance?
4. What evaluation tests are used to determine muscular
Endurance? List some tests (at least 2)?
5. Discus and write steps to conduct some evaluation tests for
muscular Endurance? (Consider the norms for scoring muscular
Endurance).
N.B:
• All group members must be participate on the assignment.
(The contribution of all members must be attached with
paper to be submitted).
GROUP 4
Assessment of Flexibility
1. What is muscular Flexibility?
2. What type of exercise are used to improve and maintain
Flexibility?
3. What is the importance of evaluating Flexibility?
4. What evaluation tests are used to determine Flexibility? List
some tests (at least 2)?
5. Discus and write steps to conduct some evaluation tests for
Flexibility? (Consider the norms for scoring Flexibility).
N.B:
• All group members must be participate on the assignment.(The
contribution of all members must be attached with paper to be
submitted).
