Running head: EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 1

Exercise Design

Sheraya D. Martin

Purdue University Global

EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 2

Exercise Design

Written exercise plans are critical for fitness professionals and clients to ensure the

program is well-rounded and manageable. Fitness professionals write out weekly schedules to

ensure adequate coverage of aerobic, muscle strengthening, and flexibility exercises following

the FITT (frequency, intensity, time, and type) principle. Schedules also provide clients an easy

to follow routine that they can incorporate into their daily schedules, thus increasing their

consistency, and furthermore their results.

Part I: Self-Assessment

Below are two weekly options for aerobic, muscle strengthening, and flexibility

activities. The options can be alternated weekly, or a single option may be repeated for 4-6

weeks to serve specific aerobic or strength goals. Flexibility is included daily, simply because it

is an enjoyable activity that happens to improve physical capability and prevent injury.

Weekly Routines:

Option A Sn M Tu W Th F St
Incline Incline Incline
Aerobic walking/ walking/ walking/
Running Running Running
Routine
Muscle A
Routine B
Yoga- Yoga-
Warrior Cool Warrior Cool Warrior
Flexibility dealer’s dealer’s
Sequence Yoga Sequence Yoga Sequence
choice choice

Option B Sn M Tu W Th F St
Incline Incline
Aerobic walking/ walking/
Running Running
Routine Routine
Muscle A
Routine B
Mix
Yoga- Yoga-
Cool Warrior Cool Warrior Cool
Flexibility dealer’s dealer’s
Yoga Sequence Yoga Sequence Yoga
choice choice
EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 3

Week
FITT Frequency Intensity Time Type
Total
Moderate Incline 60-90 min
30
Aerobic 2-3 d/wk – walking / moderate-
minutes
Vigorous Running vigorous
30 60-90 min
Muscle 2-3 d/week Moderate
minutes
Weights
moderate
Low – 10-30 60 min
Flexibility 5-7 d/week
Moderate minutes
Yoga
moderate

Description of Activities:

Incline Walking / Running:

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes brisk walking, incline 2 %, speed 3-3.5 mph.

Activity: 30 minute combination of incline walking and running. Incline walking should
be done on a treadmill at a 10% incline, speed 3.5-4.5 mph. Running should be done at a
minimum 2% incline to mimic flat road resistance, but can be increased as desired. Total
aerobic time should be 30 minutes per session with any combination of the two activities.

Cool-down: 3-5 minute leisurely walk.

Warrior Sequence- Standing, forward fold, half lift, forward fold, down dog,
low lunge, warrior I, warrior II, reverse warrior, extended side angle, low
lunge, pigeon pose, down dog; repeat on other side. This should only be
done after the heart rate is near or below 120 bpm, and breathing is
controlled. Each pose should be held for 10-30 seconds.

Yoga, Dealer’s Choice: Any low intensity yoga routine, 20-30 minutes.

Muscle Routine A:

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes brisk walking, incline 2 %, speed 3-3.5 mph.

Activity: Should be completed in super sets, 1-3 and 4-6, with 30 second rest after each
set.
EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 4

Muscle Routine A, continued:

Reps / Weight /
Movement Description
Sets
1
SB Push-up 8-12 / body / 3 Push-up with feet on SB, hands on floor.

2 Supine with feet on SB, body raised in flat line from

SB Hamstring
8-12 / body / 3 shoulders to feet, bring SB towards buttocks by engaging
Curl
hamstrings and bending knees.
3 Start in SB Push-up position, engage core and raise
SB Pike 8-12 / body / 3 buttocks to bring thighs towards rib cage (keep legs
straight).
4 SB Single Arm 8-12 each side / 15# Only difference from standard is hand and knee are on
Row /3 SB rather than a bench.
5 Standard squat supporting weight at chest level like
Goblet Squat 8-12 / 20# / 3
holding a goblet.
6 From squatting, walk hands out to plank position, hold
Walkout Planks 12 / body / 3 plank three seconds, walk hands back to feet for one
repetition.
SB: Stability Ball

Cool-down: 3-5 minute leisurely walk.

Cool Yoga- Standing, forward fold, half lift, forward fold, down dog, cobra,
pigeon pose, down dog, roll-up to standing; repeat on other side. This
should only be done after the heart rate is near or below 120 bpm, and
breathing is controlled. Each pose should be held for 10-30 seconds.

Muscle Routine B:

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes brisk walking, incline 2 %, speed 3-3.5 mph.

Activity: Should be completed in super sets, 1-3 and 4-6, with 30 second rest after each
set.
EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 5

Muscle Routine B, continued:

Reps / Weight /
Movement Description
Sets
1 Lay with feet flat on floor, knees at 90 degrees, and SB
SB Chest Press 8-12 / 20# / 3 between shoulder blades with neck resting on SB.
Complete standard chest press.
2 From a standing position with weight on left foot, KB
held in right hand, hinge at waist raising straight right
KB Single Leg 8-12 each side / 25#
leg parallel to floor and lowering weight towards floor,
Deadlift /3
engage hamstrings to raise to back to standing for one
repetition.
3 Start in SB Push-up position, engage core and bring
SB Knee Tuck 8-12 / body / 3
knees towards chest, keeping back straight.
4 Hold TRX handles with arms extended and back towards
TRX Row 8-12 / body / 3 floor, keeping planted and body in a straight line, pull
body towards handles and lower to start position.
5
Sumo Squat 8-12 / body / 3 Standard squat with feet more than shoulder width apart.

6 On decline bench hold weight in both hands, arms

Decline Twist Sit- extended from body, lower body back to just before
12 / 10# / 3
up discomfort in lower back, twist left, middle, right, then
raise back up.
SB: Stability Ball KB: Kettle Bell

Cool-down: 3-5 minute leisurely walk.

Cool Yoga- Standing, forward fold, half lift, forward fold, down dog, cobra,
pigeon pose, down dog, roll-up to standing; repeat on other side. This
should only be done after the heart rate is near or below 120 bpm, and
breathing is controlled. Each pose should be held for 10-30 seconds.

Muscle Routine Mix:

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes brisk walking, incline 2 %, speed 3-3.5 mph.

Activity: Should be completed in super sets, 1-3 and 4-6, with 30 second rest after each
set. Pick favorite exercise from each line between Routine A & B, i.e. Lines 1, 2, 6 from
Routine A and Lines 3-5 from Routine B.

Cool-down: 3-5 minute leisurely walk.

Cool Yoga.
EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 6

Part II: Carl

Carl is a male, 21 year old college student. He is average in both his aerobic capacity and

flexibility, and poor to fair in muscular endurance. Carl has a 24% body mass index, and is not

concerned about his health right now. He participates in once weekly intramural sports, walks

about 45 minutes on school days, and conducts inconsistent, unstructured workouts with friends.

Carl is in the pre-contemplation phase since he does not identify himself as having a current or

potential health problem. To work with Carl I would provide him with general schedules and

routines that he can manipulate to fit his schedule and convenience. I would also discuss how

the routines would get him closer to his goals: improved physique and better endurance to

increase his field time during intramural sports. Providing Carl with a schedule and routines he

can manipulate but still provide him structure will increase his buy-in and increase the likelihood

of his follow through.

Sn M Tu W Th F St
Aerobic Rest Cardio Cardio Football
Muscle Rest Strength Strength Strength
Yoga-
Flexibility optional
Yoga Yoga

Description of Activities:

Cardio: This can be any combination of running, brisk walking, tennis, and/or

basketball. The primary goal is for the active time to be no less than 30 minutes. Warm-up

should be 3-5 minutes brisk walking; cool-down should be 3-5 minutes leisurely walking

followed by full body stretching to maximize the pliability of warm muscles and improve

flexibility.
EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 7

Yoga: Any online yoga routine of moderate intensity, 15-30 minutes in duration, to

specifically focus on increasing range of motion and flexibility. The sessions should be

enjoyable and moderately challenging.

Muscle:

Carl’s muscle strengthening would focus on whole-body routines. Since Carl is not

consistent with his physical activity, whole-body strength routines will prevent the potential for

Carl to miss working major muscle groups if he misses a scheduled session. Carl should start

with lighter weights, and only increase the weight by 10% when he can complete all repetitions

and sets with ease (no more than every 10 days). Carl’s muscle strengthening routine is designed

to be completed in his room or in the gym to accommodate his disinterest in walking across

campus during the week. It can be modified to use objects common in a dorm room as weights,

or using formal equipment when he does go to the gym. Warm-up should be 3-5 minutes brisk

walking or low-intensity calisthenics in his room; cool-down should be 3-5 minutes leisurely

walking followed by full body stretching.

EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 8

Muscle Routine:

Reps / Weight /
Movement Description
Sets
1
Push-up Fail / body / 3 Standard push-up until muscle failure.

2 From a standing position with weight on left foot,

weight/textbook held in right hand, hinge at waist raising
Single-leg Deadlift 8-12 / textbook* / 3 straight right leg parallel to floor and lowering weight
towards floor, engage hamstrings to raise to back to
standing for one repetition.
3 Start in high plank, move to low plank, twist to right
plank, twist to left plank, return to low plain, raise to
Alternating Plank 8-12 / body / 3
high plank for one repetition. Hold each position for 3
seconds.
4 Standing, with arms at sides and textbook in one hand,
lift weight towards upper arms bending elbow, slowly
Single Bicep Curl 8-12 / textbook* / 3
lower to just before start position, keeping muscle
engaged.
5 Standard squat supporting weight at chest level like
Goblet Squat 8-12 / textbook* / 3
holding a goblet.
6 Maintain a sit-up position with feet raised off the
ground, holding a textbook twist and touch textbook to
Russian Twist Fail / body / 3 ground by left lower back, repeat on right side for one
repetition. Should be done quickly without lower back
discomfort.
*Textbook can be replaced with dumb bells if working out in the gym. Weight should be

light enough to complete most repetitions without problem, and only cause fatigue with last two-

three repetitions per set.

EF 310 EXERCISE DESIGN 9

References

Brent, M. (2017, September 11). 7 Principles of Physical Training. Retrieved from

https://www.livestrong.com/article/528271-7-principles-of-physical-training

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008, October). Retrieved from

https://health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf