Personal Training Paper
Dana Cooper
November 12, 2012
HPE/170
Debbie Polisky

Personal Training Paper The purpose of this paper is to analyze my personal exercise habits. In doing so, I will discuss my exercise habits as they relate to volume, intensity, frequency (density). I will describe my exercise habits and explain how I would like to incorporate them into my personal training. I will also explain why locomotion movements, non-locomotion skills, and object manipulation skills should be taken into consideration when planning a physical development program as well as how I will personally include them into my own exercise habits for personal training and why. In addition, I will explain how each different energy system is affected by my exercise habits and which ones are more prevalent in my planning. I will also provide a list of units of exercise and the time required to enhance physical adaptation as well as a description of the impact of exercise as it relates either aerobic or anaerobic power. An explanation will also be provided of the relationship between the time I need and the time I need to allow my body to regenerate and rest as well as identifying potential issues in developing motor skills and motor learning from my exercise habits. Finally, I will present list changes or additions to my training program which is designed to enhance fitness.
Dana’s Exercise Habits
In the past couple years I have had to reevaluate the way I eat as well as my exercising habits. All throughout grade school and high school I was always active in sports, especially softball, cheerleading, and gymnastics. So, I was very fit. However, when I got pregnant with my first son, my body changed dramatically and I gained weight very rapidly. After I had him I lost the weight within 7 months by exercising daily and eating right. However, I then got pregnant not even 2 years after my first son was born, with my second son. During that pregnancy I acquired gestational diabetes and following delivery I developed hypothyroidism, which means my thyroid was underactive. Therefore, I had to start watching what I ate and my meal portions. I also had to give much attention to my exercise habits.
One of my exercise habits is to work out with a friend. I find that when I work out regularly with someone else, it holds me accountable and I am less likely to skip the workout. Another one of my exercise habits is that to incorporate exercise into different things that I have to get done, such as cleaning the house. If I clean the house vigorously then I can make it a workout as well.
When actually doing my exercise routine, my habits are to always stretch, walk, do cardio such as elliptical or treadmill or track, and then to do light weight training and abs. Since my ultimate goal is to lose 10 to 15 pounds over the next 6 months, my exercise training plans will include an increase of about 5 extra hours per week of intense aerobic exercise. Three out of the seven days of the week will be designated to work out my entire body equally. On average, I do cardio the most, which includes activities such as running or jogging on the treadmill at least five days a week, approximately 30 minutes each time.
Furthermore, when creating any exercise program, one must make sure that it is as safe and effective as possible. With that being said, I will need to take into consideration the following movements and skills: locomotion movements, non-locomotion skills, and object manipulation skills. These are crucial factors and skills that must occur in order for proper physical development.
Locomotion movements, non-locomotion skills, and object manipulation skills, are all basic fundamental skills that are required of an individual for physical development to take place. Locomotion movements are considered traveling actions, which include walking, running, skipping, jumping, hopping, sliding, etc. Non-locomotion skills on the other hand are movements that occur in place, meaning this requires no forward, sideways, or backwards motion. Non-locomotion skills include swaying, bending, twisting, etc. Object manipulation would include activities such as throwing, catching, striking, pushing, pulling, etc.
With that being said, in order to physically develop, even on the most basic level, one must be able to perform these various types of movement and skills. Personally, I would include all of these types of movements and skills in my exercise habits for personal training because without them, physical movements and exercise would not be possible in the first place. Balancing the time spent on various activities that involve each of these types of movements and skills would be the most beneficial to physical development.
Effects of Training on Energy Systems
The effects of my personal training program on my body and energy systems involved are directly associated to my cardiovascular health. Cardio respiratory endurance is the ability to perform aerobic exercise, such as step aerobics and spinning (cycling). The best measurement for cardio respiratory fitness is to determine whether there has been an increase in my endurance. In order to improve physical fitness, the cardio respiratory and muscular system must be stressed. This will be accomplished when I increase my duration of each exercise, which means my muscles will be worked longer and longer. It is important that I increase my routine at a steady pace that is neither too slow nor too fast. Flexibility varies in each person depending on body structure and how much muscles are stretched. Although body structure cannot be altered, soft tissue can be lengthened which allows for a greater range of motion. It important that I warm up my muscles by doing various stretches before and after each workout.
Endurance and muscle strength are similar but not the same. When a muscle generates maximal force it is called muscle strength. Muscle strength can be maintained and increased with endurance training programs like this particular exercise program that I designed for myself. Regular strength training has many benefits such as decreased back issues (pain), reduction of joint injuries, and it has even been proven to help prevent osteoporosis. “Various pieces of research evidence have shown that aerobic activities (endurance) are one of the reliable ways for decreasing weight and body fat percentage” (Beni, 2012, pg. 2).
As I begin my exercise program, I will need to pace myself so that I may evaluate the physiological demand I am placing on my body. The speed I run or cycle will determine how long I will be able to do these activities to meet my goal. Step aerobics require coordination, which I will develop over time. The more coordinated I become; the better my workouts will be, as I will be perfecting the movements over time and with much practice and dedication.
Aerobic or Anaerobic Power?
As mentioned before, much of my plan rests upon cardiovascular activities and training. Therefore, these activities I have included in my training plan require aerobic power. For example, running on the treadmill requires more oxygen from my body as I build up speed and my heart rate increases. Thus, this is forcing my body to use aerobic power. Also, the strength and endurance training exercises I will be doing will also affect my metabolism, which, on the other hand, relates to anaerobic power.

Potential Issues in Developing Motor Skills and Motor Learning
We as human beings, depend greatly upon movement. It has been said that humans learn to move and move to learn. From the time we are conceived and continuing until we take our last breath, movement is considered a life force. This is how we explore; through movement. As curiosity increases, humans are able to develop and improve in numerous ways. By using exercise on a regular basis, we become more in control of our movements. By working on our balance through repetitive movement, we become more accurate, and by working on our motor skills, come improved motor learning.
Motor skills advance with motor learning. For example, if a person is learning to play the guitar, most likely they will develop quick finger and coordination skills from learning the steps through a certain process, not all at once. Therefore, by practicing, one’s skills become greater, but only after being learned.

References
Beni, M. (2012). Determining the Effect of Concurrent Strength-endurance Training on Aerobic Power and Body Composition in Non-athletic Male Students. Annals Of
Biological Research, 3(1), 395-401.
Powers, S. K., & Dodd, S. L. (2009). Total fitness & wellness (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson/Benjamin