Chapter 4 - Components of Physical Fitness

Question 1

3 important phases of a workout session

Answer 1

Warm-up, workout, cool-down

Question 2

The main purpose of a warm-up is __________. It is essential for __________ and _________.

Answer 2

To safely prepare the body and mind for more strenuous (intense) activity

Minimizing injuries and
improving performance

Question 3

Physiological effect and Benefits of the Warm-up (7)

Answer 3

Raises your body temperature: Blood vessels dilate, bringing more blood and oxygen into the muscles preparing them for strenuous activity.

Increases heart rate: Prepares the heart to perform at higher levels of exertion
and enhances overall performance.

Stimulates synovium & improves flexibility: Synovial fluid is a natural lubricant that protects your joints
and improves range of motion.

Increases blood flow to skeletal tissues: Prepares muscles, tendons and joints for more strenuous activity with delivery of oxygen and nutrients.

Increases muscle temperature: Muscles can be 20% more flexible reducing risk of injury. Muscles can absorb impact better & generate more force.

Promotes coordination, balance and speed: Nerve impulses spread more rapidly when muscle tissue
temperature rises increasing reaction time.

Prevents early fatigue & day after stiffness: Allows the body time to adjust the blood flow and reduces
the accumulation of lactic acid (preventing soreness)

Question 4

A proper warm-up consists of 2 phases

Answer 4

A general warm-up and a specific warm-up

Question 5

General Warm-Up (3, 3rd one is an example)

Answer 5

Your core body temperature should rise gradually and you should just break a sweat. The warm-up should be intense enough to gradually elevate the heart rate and breathing rate without causing fatigue.

Gradually warm-up the body by performing !light physical activities! similar to the activities you will be performing during your workout and !dynamic stretches!

For light physical activities,
you can try fast walking, light jogging, jumping jacks, low speed cycling, stair climbing or light dancing. Dynamic stretches/mobility exercises are arm circles, slow squats, torso rotations, high knees, hip rotations, etc

Question 6

Specific Warm-Up (2, 2nd one is an example)

Answer 6

The activities should be a lower intensity version of the activities you are about to do.

For example, dribble a soccer ball before playing soccer; bench press a light weight before lifting a heavier weight; practice swimming strokes before the swimming competition.

Question 7

Warm-up Guidelines (5)

Answer 7

Warm-up before every workout session.

Gradually elevate your heart rate to 130 beats per minute. (Low end of THR zone).

Warm-up for at least 5-10 minutes (depending on the length and intensity of the workout)

include light physical activities and dynamic stretches in the general phase.

include lighter versions of sport-specific movements in the specific phase.

Question 8

Some examples of warm-ups (3)

Answer 8

Cardio Machine Workout Warm-Up: (rower, elliptical, treadmill, bike, etc…)
In this case, the general and specific activities are the same. Start the warm-up on the cardio apparatus at a very low setting and gradually increase the speed and resistance over the next 5-8 minutes to gradually increase your heart rate to around 130 beats per minute.

Resistance Training Warm-up: (with weights, bands, balls or machines)
General activities (5-8 mins) of light physical activity (cycling, rowing, rope skipping…). Specific activities: perform a warm-up set with a light weight or no weight of each exercise. Body weight/light weighted squat set before heavy back squat set. Repeat for all exercises.

Sports Warm-Up: (soccer, hockey, tennis, badminton, basketball, etc…)
General activities (3-4 mins) including a variety of light activities: Jog forward, sideways and backward; slow high knees jogging; jogging butt kicks; shuffle steps; cross-over footwor
Specific activities (4-5 mins) including activity specific movement and drills: Solo
dribbling (basketball and soccer), stick handling (hockey) or light practice shots (clears and smashes in badminton). The movements should mimic the upcoming game situations.

Question 9

Why should the warm-up not include static stretch?

Answer 9

Static stretching (holding a stretch for over 20 seconds) is not appropriate during a warm-up because it can reduce the amount of force and power the
stretched muscles can generate. When we stretch a muscle, we’re lengthening it, but also causing microscopic tears. Your body sends nutrients to repair the damage, however, for more
than an hour immediately after stretching; your muscle is weakened and is at a greater risk of injury. Therefore it is recommended that a dynamic warm-up be performed before every workout, and static stretching be performed after the workout when your soft tissues are
warm and pliable.

Question 10

In the workout phase, you work on your _____ and _____.

Answer 10

cardiorespiratory (continuous training and interval training) and muscular fitness (muscular training)

Question 11

There are two methods that improve your cardiorespiratory
endurance

Answer 11

Continuous training and interval training

Question 12

Continuous Training

Answer 12

It is achieved by performing moderate to high intensity physical activity for a period of time without stopping. If you jog, swim or cycle at
a steady pace for 20-30 minutes maintaining your heart in the target heart rate zone, you’re
doing continuous cardiorespiratory training.

Question 13

Continuous Training Pros (3)

Answer 13

Simple way to start a cardio program

You can stay in your comfort zone

Increases cardiorespiratory endurance

Question 14

Continuous Training Cons (2)

Answer 14

Duration and unchanging pace can
become less motivating

Less effective than interval training for
increasing VO2 max

Question 15

Interval training (3)

Answer 15

alternate high/very high intensity periods of exercise
with moderate/light intensity ones.

The duration of an
interval usually ranges from 15 seconds (short) to 60 seconds or more (long).

High-Intensity Interval
training (HIIT) programs such as Tabata are popular and very effective. It is very important to
do a good warm-up before any intense interval training and to adjust the exercises to your
current level of fitness and ability to stay safe

Question 16

Interval training Pros (5)

Answer 16

Significantly improves VO2 max.

Burns more calories than a continuous
workout for the same duration.

Triggers an increase in your metabolic
rate. (Burn more calories after exercising)

Reduces fatigue because energy reserves are replenished during recovery periods.

Increases muscular power.

Question 17

Interval Training Cons (3)

Answer 17

You’re often out of your comfort zone
(breathless) which may lower motivation

Must maintain proper balance between
intense exercise and recovery periods.

Requires a higher level of physical
fitness.

Question 18

The different types of Muscular training (6) and explain them

Answer 18

Resistance training with free weights vs. machines:
Machines can be safer because weights cannot fall, a spotter is often not needed, and they make it easy to isolate specific muscle groups. It is quick to set up and less intimidating for beginners. However, they are very expensive and take up a lot of floor space. A club membership may be required.
Free weights exercises are considered by exercise physiologists to be a more advanced approach to weight training. They engage more muscles because they allow your body to move through its natural range of motion instead of the path predetermined by a weight machine. You therefore also work on your balance and muscle coordination. Free weights are
relatively inexpensive and require little space. However, you could lose control and get hurt if you are not stable or overestimate your capabilities. A spotter is often needed especially when
working with heavier weights

Functional training: exercises that mimic daily or sporting movement that teaches us to use and control our body weight in various positions. It involves natural exercises such as climbing,
pushing, pulling, jumping, crawling, lifting, balancing, etc.

Circuit training: alternating strength training and cardio exercises with very little/or no rest.

TRX Training: A system using straps that allows you to do exercise while in suspension. Very effective for strengthening the core stabilizing muscles!

Supersets Training: doing at least 2 sets of exercises back to back with no rest. It targets the agonistic and antagonistic muscles (ie. biceps & triceps)

Alternate Equipment:
You can increase resistance on your body with other type of equipment. Resistance bands, stability balls (Bosu ball and Swiss ball) are
popular types of alternative resistance equipment that you can use at home, in the gym, and in classes.

Question 19

The cool-down helps you recover after the workout by _________

Answer 19

bringing your heart rate down and returning blood circulation back to normal levels

Question 20

How to stay safe while working my muscular fitness? (17?!)

Answer 20

Warm-up using dynamic exercises or low-resistance sets before your regular workout.

Learn proper technique. Get good instruction from an expert to ensure a stable body position.

Start with little or no weight as you’re learning the fundamentals.

Start with simple exercises before moving on to harder ones.

Avoid sudden or quick movements and move at a moderate speed.

Do not hold your breath. Getting oxygen to your muscles is important!

Exhale during the most intense phase of exercise. (when moving or lifting the weight)

Make sure your workout area is safe. Put equipment away, clean machines…
Eat well and stay hydrated. (details in later chapters)

Progress gradually, respecting your current abilities. Don’t compete with others!

Set up your sequence of exercises to conserve energy and be safe. Always start with larger- muscle exercises or multi-joint exercises before exercising your small muscles or single joint
exercises. Do your core stabilizing exercises at the end, not to tire them out during your workout.

Select exercises for all major muscle groups so you don’t develop muscular imbalances.

You should perform 8-12 muscle fitness exercises targeting all the muscle groups.

Rest between sets. Rest 30secs-90secs between sets for endurance training and 2-3 mins for pure strength training depending on your level of fitness (advanced shorter/beginner longer)

Allow rest days between exercise sessions. Do not work the same muscle group on consecutive days. You can exercise daily if you alternate muscle groups (split program).

Use both concentric and eccentric contractions through a full range of motion. For example, when doing a bicep curl, lift the weight all the way up (concentric contraction) and
lower the weight all the way down (eccentric contraction) always maintaining good muscle tension
and joint stability.

Stop as soon as you feel any unusual pain or discomfort. If the pain subsides, you may continue with reduced weight or intensity.

Perform static stretches after every session

Question 21

If you stop running suddenly, the blood can _______

Answer 21

pool in your legs, leaving your heart with less blood to pump to your brain causing dizziness or fainting.

Question 22

How do you cool down? What are the 2 steps?

Answer 22

Active recovery: doing a low intensity version of the activity you
just did or just walk it off.

Static stretching: to loosen up all the major muscle groups used. Your muscles are warm and pliable and should be stretched gently until you reach maximum range of motion without pain. Hold the stretch for 20-60 seconds or more to reduce stiffness in the muscle and gain flexibility.
Your goal is to stretch
each muscle group for a total of 60 seconds resting 15 sec between each set.

Question 23

Cool-Down Guidelines (3)

Answer 23

Do an active recovery for 4-5 minutes after every workout session.

Gradually bring down your heart rate to < 110 beats per minute with light activity.

Perform static stretches for every muscle group worked holding each stretch 20-60 secs.