References

Baechle, T. & Earle, R. (Eds.). (2008). Essentials of stretching training and conditioning (3e). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Corbin, C., Welk, G., Corbing, W., & Welk, K. (Eds.). (2009). Concepts of physical fitness:Active lifestyles for wellness (15e). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Kaminsky, L. (Ed.). (2010). ACSM’s health related physical fitness assessment manual (3e). Baltimore, MD: LWW.

In Body Results-

First In Body was completed on the 18^th July 2012- I wasn’t too sure what to expect. It is a good baseline for me to improve from here.

Second In Body was completed on the 13^th September 2012. Looking at the results, I have lost body fat and gained more muscle. My weight has increased due to gaining more muscle.

Third In Body was completed on the 23^rd October 2012. Looking at the results, I have lost fat, maintained and increased a little bit of muscle and I have become more toned. My upper body strength has improved as I have gained more muscle. My right and left side of the body are the same. Looking at all the In Body results, my last In Body was definitely the best.

My weight: Looking at my weight I was the lightest when I started this challenge, put on 1.7 kg into my second reading, and then lost 1kg on m third reading.

Muscle Mass: Looking at my muscle mass, I gained 2.7 kg from the first reading to the second reading and lost 0.4kg for the final reading.

Body Fat Mass:  Looking at my body fat mass I lost 2.3 kgs from the first reading to the second. I gained 0.6 kgs from the second to third reading. 

Components of Fitness that I used for my challenge

Cardiorespiratory fitness- An important component of fitness that I focused on was cardiovascular fitness. I wanted to improve my cardiovascular endurance throughout this ten week challenge. To do this the FITT Principles are very important. Each week that I rowed I increased the time and the intensity. I went from one session a week to three sessions a week (frequency). I used these FITT components to improve my physical fitness for biking as well. However keeping in mind that my challenge was rowing (type).s

Muscular Fitness- Maximum force that a specific muscle of muscle group is able to generate.

Muscular endurance- Ability of muscle group to perform repeated contractions resisting fatigue. I used muscle endurance while training towards my goal. For example I used it on the Lat Pull Down- I would do 2-3 sets, 12-20 reps, at an intensity of 12-25 RM and my rest would be up to 30 seconds.

Muscle Strength- the ability of muscles to lift a heavy weight – such as, lifting or controlling one’s own body weight. For example, Shoulder Press- I would do this at least 4-5 times a week, it would consist of 2-6 sets, 4-6 reps, an intensity of 4-6 RM and the rest period would be 2-5 minutes.

Flexibility- is the range of motion/ movement available at a joint. I used flexibility sessions to increase my range of motion around the joint. I used both elastic stretching (15-30 seconds) and plastic stretching (90 seconds plus) and repeated this stretch three times. I had to make sure I held the stretch at a position of mild discomfort, not pain.

Body composition-   Is the amount of fat, muscle, bone and other tissues that make up the body. My aim in the challenge was to lose fat and become stronger by increasing my muscle mass.

Speed- is the ability to perform a movement over a short period of time (quickest of movement) . Speed is important in each of my sessions. When riding the bike, I increased my speed for 30seconds on and decreased my speed for 10 seconds for at least 20 minutes. Speed is important to improve my physical fitness.

Principles of Training and how they relate to my goal

1. Specificity – Training benefits depend on the specific training completed. I wanted to make sure that my training was specific to the goal that I had chosen. For example- I focused most of my training sessions on rowing. I also broke the rowing technique down. I need to make sure I was rowing the correct technique.
2. Progressive Overload- Progressive Overload is improving fitness which requires training that exceeds your current ability. I slowly progressed my training over the ten weeks. I also used overload a lot by doing a little bit extra during training.  
3. Rest and Recovery- Recovery after a session is important so that my body can get ready for the next physical activity session. Throughout my challenge I rested on Saturdays and had a light session on Sundays. After an intense training I would go home and ice my knee. I found this helped my recovery as my knee wouldn’t swell up as much.
4. F.I.T.T. Principles- fitness is improved by performing the appropriate frequency, intensity, time and type of activity. When considering the F.I.T.T principles I needed to make sure my training was specific so that progressive overload was achieved and I could plan appropriate rest and recovery. I made sure that during most of my sessions, I was training at a high intensity so that I would improve my fitness and benefit from the session. Usually I would plan each session and know exactly what I was going to do before going to the gym. I made sure every week I went to the gym at least four times.
5. Individuality- I had to make sure that my training progressions suited my own ability, to set my own goals and avoid competition with others.
6. Warm Up / Cool Down- The warm up principle states that training performance is improved by preparing effectively for the session. Every session I would warm up on the bike or the rowing machine. I found this was a good warm up as I would become focused for the session and my body would be warmed up enough for the work out. The cool-down principle states that recovery is accelerated by using appropriate strategies after a training session. Usually I would warm down on either the bike or rowing machine for around five to ten minutes, followed by walking home from the gym.
7. Maintenance principle states that fitness can be maintained by performing some minimal amount of training. When I had a rest week when I was training towards my goal I made sure that I maintained what I had previously gained. I wasn’t increasing my strength or increasing my fitness, just maintaining it.
8. Reversibility- fitness will be lost in the absence of training. I didn’t really use this principle as throughout the ten weeks I attended the gym frequently and I have carried on going to the gym to maintain my fitness and my gains so I can progress even further.